Ronald J. Tober, a senior advisor in the Charlotte office of Parsons Brinckerhoff, has been inducted into the Hall of Fame of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).
The APTA award is reserved for individuals who have long and distinguished careers in the industry, who have made extraordinary contributions to public transportation, and who have actively participated in APTA activities.
Tober has worked for 45 years in the field of public transportation as a planner, manager, and chief executive. A nationally recognized expert in transit agency management and operations, he currently advises Parsons Brinckerhoff clients on transit policy and strategy.
Prior to joining Parsons Brinckerhoff in late 2012, Tober was an advisor on the creation of the Honolulu Authority for Transportation and the Honolulu rail transit project. In 2009 and 2010, he was deputy CEO at Sound Transit in Seattle, responsible for day-to-day management of business operations for the agency. Prior to that, he was executive director of Charlotte Trolley Inc., a private, non-profit organization dedicated to historic preservation and education concerning the role that streetcars played in the development of Charlotte. From 1999 to 2007, Tober was CEO of the Charlotte Area Transit System and oversaw the planning and construction of Charlotte’s highly successful light rail line.
Tober previously served for 12 years as general manager of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. He was CEO of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority in Springfield, Mass., and held other senior management positions at transit agencies nationwide, including the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston and the Miami-Dade Transit Agency.
Tober has been active for over 30 years in APTA, serving for eight years on the executive committee including stints as the secretary/treasurer and board chair. He has received numerous awards, including APTA’s Outstanding Transit Manager of the Year in 2005 and Executive of the Year awards from the Women’s Transportation Seminar and the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials. He was inducted into the North Carolina Transportation Hall of Fame in 2008.
