Palm Tran has been honored with the prestigious Achievement Award in the category of Transportation from the National Association of Counties. NACo recognized Palm Tran for launching its PT Stat (Palm Tran Statistics) program which focuses on gathering data and analyzing day-to-day operations and agency performance. The PT Stat program facilitated Palm Tran’s “flashing lights” initiative which resulted in a significant decline in rear-end collisions.
Among the metrics measured through PT Stat are: customer service feedback, on-time performance data, accidents and other safety information. In monthly meetings, PT Stat teams collaborate to identify areas for improvements in specific departments.
“The success of the ‘flashing lights’ initiative and many other innovative projects have been made possible through the PT Stat program,” Executive Director Clinton B. Forbes said. “The PT Stat program is fostering an environment and organizational culture of continuous improvement and learning at Palm Tran.”
During Oct. 2015 through Sept. 2016, Palm Tran saw a spike in rear-end collisions reporting a total of 73 accidents. The purpose of retrofitting the buses with flashing lights on the tails was to increase visibility and enhance safety. The “flashing lights” initiative improved safety by reducing the amount of rear-end collisions. In addition, the “flashing lights” initiative was a cost-saving initiative because it was developed and implemented in-house.
A risk management evaluation has Palm Tran incurring an average of $320 for property damage per accident. Palm Tran saw a reduction from 28 rear-end collisions (October-March FY17) to 13 rear-end accidents (October-March FY18) since the retrofitting which amounts to almost $4,800 in savings. As a result, Palm Tran expanded the initiative to include all 159 buses in the fleet.
“It is an honor for Palm Tran to receive recognition from NACo for the success of the PT Stat program,” Forbes added. “The PT Stat program strives to implement ideas like “flashing lights” that improve the customer service experience and move our key metrics in the right direction.”
The National Association of Counties unites America's 3,069 county governments. Palm Tran will be recognized among other counties at NACo’s 2018 Annual Conference and Exposition July 13-16 in Nashville, Tennessee.
