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APTA's Bus Technical Maintenance Committee
Chair: Jerry Guaracino, deputy chief engineering officer, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, chair since 2016
APTA Staff Advisor: Lisa Jerram, director-bus, paratransit & surface transit
202 Members | Find details at apta.com under “About APTA”
What is your committee’s role for APTA and the industry as a whole?
 The role of APTA’s Bus Technical Maintenance Committee is to address issues and challenges affecting transit bus maintenance and create strategies, plans and programs that encourage the exchange of information among members.The most important topics our committee focuses on are emerging technologies, innovation, efficiency and reliability, workforce development, cost-effectiveness, safety and security.
This is a new era of public transit for us all. Agencies across the country are becoming more involved in what riders want, and customer expectations are changing, with a required emphasis on maintenance operations, real-time information and increased safety and security.
Our industry faces many challenges, including new regulations, workforce issues and emerging technology, among others. The Bus Technical Maintenance Committee is committed to creating strategic, coordinated and collaborative relationships with colleagues and partners to this end.
What are the committee’s top priorities for the year?
Our top priorities are to inspire team building among public transit agencies, increase reliability and create a new image of transit in our communities. To achieve these goals, we have launched a collaboration site that will allow committee members to share files and hyperlinks, conduct group discussions and schedule webinars and meetings.
How does the committee engage members in these priorities?
The committee meets annually at APTA’s Mobility Conference (formerly known as the Bus & Paratransit Conference), where the elected officers and I review presentations and session ideas of interest. Before our annual committee meeting I also personally reach out to the chairs of a number of other APTA committees for annual updates.
To go one step further in engaging members, we sponsor a Maintenance Manager Workshop that has an excellent lineup of professionals and leaders from top public transit authorities across the country.
Please share how your committee encourages young professionals to participate in its work.
Our committee has a nice mixture of seasoned and young public transit professionals. I request our Maintenance Manager Workshop presenters invite anyone new to the conference to attend the workshop. Topics presented are focused on the younger workforce, including new program/project implementation, asset maintenance, asset management planning, maintenance leadership development and technician recruiting/training program development.
We recognize that today’s maintenance leaders have a very different set of realities and responsibilities than in the past. In addition to a solid technical background, fleet managers are expected to have strong administrative and people skills as well as a high level of strategic foresight. Contributing meaningful solutions to the organization’s corporate long-term strategy and vision, balanced with limited resources, is a critical part of effective maintenance leadership. To this end, our presenters share their vision and real-life experiences.
Please share how an individual’s service on this committee can add value to his or her career.
Participation in the Bus Technical Maintenance Committee is at an all-time high and we continually reach out for new members. The benefits to members include building strong relationships with colleagues and sharing experiences, lessons learned and how their participation and knowledge impact their agency and community. Our committee enables members to highlight their achievements and discuss the challenges faced at other public transit authorities.
What is the committee doing to advance the goals in APTA’s strategic plan?
The committee produces a significant number of technical findings and, as a committee, we go beyond the data of public transportation. The Bus Technical Maintenance Committee’s continued dedication to understanding cultures and generations and how they intersect in the workplace supports APTA’s strategic plan and advances the value and benefits of public transportation.
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