Phillip Washington
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
L.A. Mayor and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Chair Eric Garcetti announced that the Metro board has appointed Phillip Washington as the new CEO of Metro. Washington comes to Metro from Denver's Regional Transportation District (RTD) where he was unanimously selected as RTD’s CEO in December 2009 after serving as interim CEO for 6 months and the Assistant General Manager for nearly 10 years.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12053775
Matt Carpenter
Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority
The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) Board of Directors voted to select Matt Carpenter as its new chief executive officer. Previously, Carpenter was the CEO of Strathcona County Transit in Sherwood Park, Alberta and worked for the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments in Detroit. He holds a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Michigan.
Brendan Conway
Milwaukee County Transit System
The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) announced the hiring of Brendan Conway as its new chief marketing and communications officer. Conway will manage the marketing team and oversees MCTS’ customer communication efforts. He will also help develop strategies to insure a cohesive brand and message across departments, while overseeing public relations and social media efforts to build MCTS’ brand and managing advertising campaigns to maintain and increase ridership.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12055997
Christopher A. Hart
National Transportation Safety Board
Christopher Hart was sworn as the 13th chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) during a ceremony presided over by Chief Administrative Law Judge Alfonso Montano. President Barack Obama nominated Hart to serve as chairman in January and the U.S. Senate confirmed him in March. He has been serving as acting chairman since April 26. Prior to that, he served as vice chairman and a member of the board.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12055514
Brendan W. Cotter
Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority
Brendan Cotter has been named director of planning and development at Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA). Cotter will be responsible for the authority's bus route planning and development, implementing transit-friendly land-use policies within the regional transportation planning process, integrating technology solutions and developing special projects to revise and expand LANtaBus operations. Previously he served as management analyst with Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA).
www.MassTransitmag.com/12048617
C. Mikel Oglesby
South Florida Regional Transportation Authority
The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) has named C. Mikel Oglesby as its deputy executive director. Most recently he operated Oglesby Consulting LLC, a firm he established to provide transportation expertise to the public and private sectors. Oglesby will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the authority, with oversight of operations, human resources, administration, procurement, marketing, customer service, finance and information technology, engineering and construction and planning and capital development.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12049834
Justin Millikan
Vapor Bus International
Justin Millikan has been promoted to western regional sales manager for Vapor Bus International. Millikan brings more than 15 years of experience in the transit industry. He joined Vapor in 2012 as area sales and service manager – west region. Prior to Vapor, he served at Luminator and Clever Devices. He reports to John Condon, vice president of sales, North America.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12057549
Gene A. Rhodes
Greater Dayton RTA
The Greater Dayton RTA announced the recent promotion of Gene Rhodes to chief performance officer. As head of the newly formed department of performance management, Rhodes is in charge of managing, coordinating and improving programs and projects that directly affect customers. Rhodes has more than 40 years of experience working in health care, air cargo and trucking. He joined RTA in early 2011.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12056700
Joe Reardon
Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA)
Joe Reardon, former mayor/CEO of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, has been selected as the new president and CEO of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA). As mayor and CEO, Reardon led Kansas City and Wyandotte County on a continued economic renaissance. He is an advocate of public transportation, credited for the introduction of Sunday bus service in Kansas City.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12046820
Mike Moriarty
Kansas Department of Transportation
Mike Moriarty has been named bureau chief of transportation planning at the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT). While finishing his master’s degree at the University of Kansas, Moriarty interned at KDOT for two years starting in 2000. He has served in several positions in the bureau including a transportation planner in the Metropolitan Planning group and manager of the corridor management unit.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12054902
Jayanti Menches
WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff
Jayanti Menches has been named director of communications for the U.S., Central and South America region of the combined organization of WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff. In her new position, Menches will oversee all internal and external communications activities for the region, including media relations, advertising, social media, website, Intranet, video production, and publications, as well as management of the firm’s corporate identity, reputation and brand. She is based in Parsons Brinckerhoff’s New York City office.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12054181
Bryan P. Mulqueen, P.E.
Gannett Fleming
Bryan Mulqueen has been named director of transit and rail for Gannett Fleming. Based in the Raleigh, North Carolina, office, Mulqueen serves as a vice president in the company and a project principal for the firm’s most critical transit projects. With 30 years of industry experience, Mulqueen has made a name for himself at Gannett Fleming since joining the firm five years ago.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12056028
Jerry Romana
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Jerry Romana has been named a senior engineering manager in the Los Angeles office of Parsons Brinckerhoff. Romana will serve as a regional engineer on the California High-Speed Rail project based in Southern California. He will lead a program management team responsible for the Burbank to Anaheim and Los Angeles to San Diego segments, supporting conceptual and preliminary engineering and environmental clearance activities.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12057853
Carrie Butler
Transdev/Lextran
Transdev Regional Vice President Derrick Breun announced Carrie Butler has joined the Transdev team as general manager of the Lextran contract. Butler is a seasoned professional in public transit and served in planning, project management and senior operational management roles in various organizations. Prior to joining Transdev, Butler spent eight years at the Transit Authority of River City in Louisville, Kentucky, where she served as director of planning.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12047413
Joe Yannuzzi
Transdev/Tri-Rail
Transdev Chief Operating Officer for the Rail Division Ron Robusto announced Joe Yannuzzi has joined the Transdev team as general manager of the Tri-Rail operations contract for the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA). Yannuzzi is a 37-year railroad industry veteran with a wide variety of operational expertise. Prior to joining Transdev, Yannuzzi held management positions at various railroad properties around the country including San Diego, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12047416
Peter Aube - Eric Fritz
Seon
Seon announced Peter Aube and Eric Fritz have joined the company as transit sales executives. Aube will be responsible for sales within the northeast coast of the United States. Prior to Seon, he served as director of maintenance at Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA).
Eric Fritz will be representing Seon’s Transit Sales Division in the southeastern states. Previously, he was a director of transportation at the Escambia County School District.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12054852
AC Transit Rolls Double Decker Bus in Pilot Program
AC Transit unveiled a 42-foot, double-decker bus in regular daily service as part of a three-week pilot program from February 23 to March 15. The 80-seat coach, offering its riders comfy excursions with spectacular views.
AC Transit will gauge customer reaction, assess how well the bus functions and ultimately determine whether the bus will be permanently added to its fleet.
“We have been operating Transbay service for more than 50 years, and we want to look at what is the best vehicle that best fits us now, given our current needs,” said AC Transit General Manager David Armijo. “We’ve tried a lot of different kinds of coaches. But, until now, we haven’t tried this one.”
www.MassTransitmag.com/12047151
JTA Unveils Realistic Training for Bus Operators
Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) officials opened the new MB-2000 bus simulator at its Operations Campus with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“We are very excited to have this simulator on campus and easily accessible for our bus operators,” said JTA CEO Nathaniel P. Ford Sr. “This is a huge benefit for veteran drivers and recent graduates. The simulator provides new operators with additional experience before getting behind the wheel of a 40-foot bus and refresher training for current operators.
The high-tech bus-driving simulator was manufactured by FAAC Inc. and will allow JTA to create vivid training environments.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12057869
BCT Prepares First MCI Commuter Coaches for Express Routes
Broward County Transit (BCT) hosted a “New Rides” bus showcase at the Governmental Center building in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that showcased one of BCT’s five MCI Commuter Coaches, part of a 14-coach order to be completed by fall. BCT will use the coaches for its 95 Express service starting this spring. The service is named for its route along I-95, connecting Southwest Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12049385
New Shelters for Metro Transit
Duo-Gard engineers provided new sleek, contemporary shelters that combine opal polycarbonate, tempered glass and silver anodized aluminum in an architecturally appealing style. To date, 20 shelters have been installed. As funding becomes available, additional shelters will be installed.
The 5-by-12 shelters are a new design from Duo-Gard. New extrusions included rounded columns in the shelter’s corners, plus column covers to disguise the anchors at the bottom. The walls are 3/8-inch tempered glass.
“We wanted to add amenities at our stops, including seating and concrete pads. We wanted to add comfort for our customers and make commuting more attractive,” said Natalie Siebert, senior planner at Metro Transit.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12056504
TTC's Line 3 Scarborough Undergoes Overhaul
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is embarking on an aggressive vehicle and rail overhaul maintenance plan to improve service reliability on Line 3 Scarborough over the next 10 years. Approaching its 30th anniversary, the Scarborough RT has reached the end of its designed life expectancy. The line will be decommissioned following the opening of the Scarborough Subway, a planned extension of Line 2 Bloor-Danforth.
To mark the anniversary, the TTC will unveil two newly wrapped trains which have been overhauled with a durable vinyl exterior finish as an alternative to paint and body work. The design ties into the new approach to subway line numbers and colors to help customers navigate the system.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12056564
Dallas Streetcar Connects Downtown to Oak Cliff
The city of Dallas has contracted with Dallas Area Rapid transit (DART) to design and construct the Union Station to Oak Cliff Streetcar Project, a modern streetcar line that will better connect downtown and Oak Cliff starting April 13. DART also will operate and maintain the Dallas streetcar system under a contract with the city.
DART's design-build contractor, the joint venture of Stacy and Witbeck with Carcon Industries, is constructing the line, which includes a span across the Houston Street Viaduct.
Dallas is funding the project through a combination of local funds, a TIGER-1 grant from the Federal Transit Administration, and an endowment from the Regional Transportation Council of the North Central Texas Council of Governments.
www.DART.org
City of Seneca and Clemson Area Transit Go All Electric
The city of Seneca, South Carolina, is committed to preserving the environment while delivering convenient, efficient and fare-free Clemson Area Transit (CATbus) transportation options to its citizens and those in neighboring areas, including Clemson University.
The city of Seneca, CATbus and (Center for Transportation and the Environment) CTE submitted a proposal to create the first all-electric bus service in the country. The city committed $1 million in local matching funds to pay for the city’s initial order of four buses and explored some innovative funding approaches, including electrical infrastructure improvement grants that would allow them to finance the entire project without any substantial impact to taxpayers.
Seneca and CATbus chose Proterra to supply its zero-emission 100 percent battery-electric buses.
www.MassTransitmag.com/12054190
UITP 61st Annual World Congess and Exhibition
June 8-10
Milan, Italy
Politicians, transport CEOs and urban visionaries from around the world will convene in Milan to discuss the challenges facing public transport: dealing with growing urbanization; liberating cities from congestion; offering better quality services; finding alternative funding, reacting to changing customer needs and more.
Wisconsin Urban & Rural Transit Association Public Transportation Day
April 22
Madison, Wis.
2015 Bus Safety Seminar & Expo
April 22-23
Orlando, Fla.
L-NGV 2015 San Diego
April 27-29
San Diego, Calif.
2nd Annual Saudi Arabia Transport & Infrastructure Conference
April 27-28
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
FTA Drug and Alcohol Conference
April 28-29
Atlanta, Ga.
2015 California Passenger Rail Summit
April 28-29
Sacramento, Calif.
Illinois Railroad Summit
April 29
Springfield, Ill.
APTA Bus & Paratransit Conference
May 3-6
Fort Worth, Texas
ACT Expo 2015
May 4-7
Dallas, Texas
2015 PedalMN Bicycle Conference
May 4-5
Minneapolis, Minn.
IED Response on Mass Transit and Passenger Rail Systems
May 5-7
Morgantown, W.V.
URSTA Spring 2015 Conference
May 7-8
Vernal, Utah
2015 CASTA Spring Training Conference
May 12-15
Boulder, Colo.
Australian ITS Summit and National Electronic Tolling Forum
May 12-14
Melbourne, Australia
21st Annual Wheel Rail Interaction Conference
May 18-21
Atlanta, Ga.
WTS 2015 Annual Conference
May 20-22
Chicago, Ill.
Virginia Transit Association Annual Conference
May 20-21
Williamsburg, Va.
Community Transportation Expo 2015
May 31-June 5
Tampa, Fla.
Local Leaders Council Policy Forum 2015
May 31-June 1
Washington, D.C.
2015 CFTE Transit Initiatives and Communities Conference
June 1-3
Grand Rapids, Mich.
2015 National Locus Leadership Summit
June 2-3
Washington, D.C.
International mGuard Users Conference
June 2-4
Houston, Texas
North Carolina Public Transportation Association Annual Conference & Bus Roadeo
June 5-10
Concord, N.C.
2015 APTA Risk Management Seminar
Jun 9-12
Salt Lake City, Utah
Ohio Public Transit Conference & Trade Show
June 9-11
Columbus, Ohio
