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NEWS, PHOTOS FROM THE BUS & PARATRANSIT CONFERENCE
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Concurrent Sessions Offer Topic-Specific Learning
In addition to the four large General Sessions covered elsewhere in this issue of Passenger Transport, the conference featured approximately 50 smaller sessions on a wide range of topics, including special technical workshops affiliated with the International Bus Roadeo, BRT Tuesday, programs for mid-level managers and training co-hosted by the National Technical Institute. Summaries of a few sessions follow:
Safety in the Spotlight
Richard Czeck, director of safety, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, spoke about how his agency works with external stakeholders to identify operators who might be at risk and so need additional training during a session on implementing FTA’s Safety Management Systems (SMS).
Czeck explained that transit systems can use data—collected by observation, from accident reports or with on-board cameras—to curtail unsafe behavior. Operators found to have safety issues undergo individualized training sessions.
Sheldon Cody Shaw, safety manager, Utah Transit Authority, reported on the National Public Transportation Safety Plan included in MAP-21. SMS, he said, is a “formal, top-down, organization-wide approach to managing safety risks that requires management commitment.” An accountable executive must sign off on policy statements related to this policy, he added.
Lisa Staes, director, transit safety and workforce development programs, Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR), and vice chair, APTA Bus Safety Committee, cited the efforts of the Florida Transit Safety and Operations Network, which comprises CUTR, Florida DOT and the Florida Public Transportation Association.
As an example, Staes reported a problem with vehicles running into stopped buses. Through the evaluation process, the network realized that making a change in the bus’ rear lighting configuration would increase visibility and reduce accidents, ultimately leading to a change in state law.
Protecting Bus Operators
Three-quarters of U.S. bus operators fear for their safety daily, according to an Amalgamated Transit Union survey cited by Cordell Surrett, member, APTA Bus Operations Committee, at an educational session titled “Bus Operators Are the Front Line Representatives—Let’s Train and Protect Them.”
Surrett presented a holistic approach for bus agencies to equip their operators to deal with potential assault situations: prepare (the workforce) through specialized training, prevent (attacks) with media campaigns and surveillance cameras, protect (operators) with an on-board police presence and driver security barriers and prosecute (offenders), making assaults a felony.
Other presenters were Joel Volinski of CUTR, who stressed educational efforts; Denise Maderas and Elmer Coppage Jr., Maryland Transit Administration, who described an evaluation program to help operators improve their performance; and Robert Raheb, FAAC Inc., who noted that hearing, seeing and hands-on experiences are all needed to make an impression on the operator.
Innovation: New Ways of Working
Innovation is an important part of bus system operations, according to public and private sector speakers, but session moderator Jonathan McDonald of CH2M emphasized that innovation goes beyond technical changes to incorporate new ways of doing business.
Wulf Grote of Valley Metro described how the Phoenix public transit system saw a tripling of its route miles and a quadrupling of ridership when it expanded its service in the 1990s. “We had to embrace enhancements because our riders expected them,” he said, noting that the agency is looking at smaller and semi-autonomous vehicles for some routes and updated mobility platforms that incorporate private-sector partners.
Brad Thoburn described how the Jacksonville (FL) Transportation Authority—under the leadership of Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., APTA vice chair—transformed from a “mom-and-pop shop” to a forward-looking agency incorporating feedback from customers, employees, the community and elected officials.
Frederic Bean, GIRO Inc., noted that future public transit projects may begin integrating tech-related products not designed specifically for the industry. Specifically, he said, planning and scheduling tools might allow for new collaboration.
Women in the Trades
With the aging of the public transit workforce—23 percent of employees are ages 55-64 and 12 percent are 65 or older—and an anticipated 500,000 job openings in the next 10 years, women are advised to consider jobs in the vehicle maintenance shop.
“Bringing women into this field would be good for women and good for the industry,” said Lauren Sugerman, national policy director, Chicago Women in Trades, at “Career Pathways for Women in Transit.” She noted that 35 percent of public transit employees are women, mostly office workers and bus operators, of whom 48 percent are women.
She said a lack of outreach and information, stereotypes in training and fear of being the first woman in the field, among other barriers, might keep women from seeking jobs in the skilled trades.
Sugerman, joined by Jack Clark of the Transportation Learning Center, encouraged public transit agencies to “go out of their way to connect to underrepresented applicants,” participating in high school career fairs and otherwise “going where women are.” If the transit industry creates a message targeted to women and pairs outreach efforts with education, they said, the rewards will benefit both the workers and the agency.
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