Albert Johnson Celebrates Three Decades In Public Transit: A Legacy Of Operational Leadership, Safety, And Security
After nearly three decades in the public transit industry, Al Johnson, safety and security director of McDonald Transit Associates, has announced that he will officially retire on July 31, 2017. During his tenure, Al has invested a lifetime of operational leadership and has been an integral part of McDonald Transit and it’s parent company, RATP Dev North America, having helped create and manage some of the finest public transit systems in the country.
Johnson began working with McDonald Transit in 1983 as a part-time paratransit driver while serving in the US Air Force stationed in Fort Worth. Not long after retiring from the military, Al pursued his career in mass transit and accepted a full-time role with McDonald Transit Associates as Operations Supervisor at the Fort Worth Transit Authority, also known as “The T,” where he served from 1993 to1999. For the next two decades, Al would be promoted into management bringing his disciplined work ethic and expertise to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, where he served as the general manager. In Colorado, he helped build the transit network from the ground up, before returning to “The T” in Fort Worth where he served as director of transportation services. Since 2015, Al has served as the director of safety and security for McDonald Transit.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my career at McDonald Transit,” said Johnson. “The industry certainly has grown and changed since I began working in this field, but I know that the quality training of McDonald Transit staff will ensure that the we continue to excel at providing quality service to the communities we serve. Seeing the growth of the transit systems that I worked with, and how they are still in service today will continue to bring me great pride. If I could offer any advice to those looking to succeed in the public transit it would be to try and learn every aspect of the industry from the bottom up. It allows for greater understanding of the operations and greater understanding makes for superior management.”
As McDonald Transit’s Director of Safety, Al has organized and standardized safety protocols currently in use by McDonald Transit staff across the country. Through communication and collaboration, Al was able to survey staff from around the nation on issues they faced and how they resolved those problems to formulate real-world best practices for resolving conflicts, and promoting better safety for both the passengers and the operators.
“Al is very much an institution at both The T, and at McDonald Transit,” said Blaine Rigler, president of McDonald Transit and VP of Bus Services at RATP Dev North America. “He leaves a legacy of management expertise and experience. On behalf of all of us at McDonald Transit, we would like to thank him for his years of dedicated service to the company, as well as the people of Fort Worth, and wish him the very best in his well-deserved retirement.”
