Palm Tran expands PT-STAT Program with Performance Tuesdays initiative

Palm Tran is expanding its award-winning Palm Tran Statistics (PT-Stat) program with the launch of its Performance Tuesdays initiative. Performance Tuesdays will grant PT-Stat team leaders another opportunity to express ideas and updates on a weekly, rather than monthly, basis. The program intends to catalyze the success of the PT-Stat program by facilitating an ongoing exchange of ideas between Palm Tran staff and upper management.

“I believe Performance Tuesdays will take our highly successful PT-Stat program to the next level,” said Palm Tran Executive Director Clinton B. Forbes.

Palm Tran launched its Palm Tran Statistics program in 2017. The agency-wide monthly forums set a new standard for the transit industry by creating a space to gather and share data-driven feedback and solutions. Coupled with diverse employee experiences and innovative brainstorming; the PT-Stat program succeeded in enhancing safety, efficiency and overall customer service in the organization.

The success of PT-Stat program earned Palm Tran a prestigious achievement award from the National Association of Counties (NACo) in the category of transportation.

Accomplishments of the PT-Stat program are numerous and include:

• Facilitating Palm Tran’s first bus system overhaul in more than two decades. Known as the Route Performance Maximization (RPM) project, the bus redesign resulted in improved on-time performance and customer service.

• Implementing Palm Tran’s “Rise to Ride” initiative, which encouraged passengers to stand up or move toward the bus so bus operators would know passengers’ intent to board. The Rise to Ride campaign resulted in the development of interior cards on all fixed-route buses, which helped keep buses on time.

• Launching Palm Tran’s “flashing lights” initiative, which retrofitted flashing lights on fixed-route buses and resulted in a significant decline in rear-end collisions. The “flashing lights” initiative was a cost-saving initiative because it was developed and implemented in-house.

• Introducing “street teams,” which helped raise awareness of Palm Tran’s route 4 extension that launched in January 2018. The teams visited active senior citizen communities, local municipalities and schools to promote the new route with rack cards, a brochure map, and other promotional items. The efforts of the street teams led to an incredible 90 percent increase in ridership for this route.

Despite the success of the PT-Stat program, Palm Tran believes the addition of Performance Tuesdays will intensify results.

“These additional quarterback meetings will be the perfect way for PT-Stat leaders to share their updates and progress with Palm Tran’s leadership without having to wait for the next monthly PT-Stat monthly forum,” Forbes noted. “Performance Tuesdays will enhance PT-Stat by improving communication and increasing the number of projects launched successfully within the organization.”