Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, IN, and Democratic presidential candidate, was sworn in as Secretary of Transportation Feb. 3. Afterward, APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas and Secretary Buttigieg spoke by telephone about the challenges the public transit industry has faced over the last 10 months while still continuing to serve millions of essential workers and their communities. They also discussed the urgent need for more federal investment in public transportation.

 

 

USDOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg met with Amtrak and transit officials as well as frontline public transit and rail workers at Union Station in Washington, DC, Feb. 5, where he discussed the importance of recent federal mask requirements for public transportation employees and highlighted the Biden Administration’s support for additional COVID-19 relief funding for public transportation.
 
"We depend on many essential workers for our economy and for our way of life. And while many Americans are wrestling with the complexities of working from home, many other Americans don't have the opportunity, or the option, to work from home, and they are supported by these extraordinary workers who look after the safety, efficiency and effectiveness of American travel," he said. "Above all, I want to say thank you to all of the workers and leadership who have facilitated essential trips and have delivered essential goods and services during the pandemic, and for their dedication to the safety and prosperity of this country and the traveling public."
 

Buttigieg said the Administration is working to support the nation’s transportation systems, which have been hit hard by COVID-19. He underscored that dependable public transit systems are critical for a robust and equitable economic recovery. He noted that President Biden’s American Rescue Plan would help keep public transit agencies from having to lay off employees and cutting routes that essential workers rely on every day, while making transit systems more resilient and ensuring that communities across the country maintain the access to opportunity that public transportation provides.

 

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, St. Petersburg, FL, has unveiled four new electric buses, making approximately half of its fleet electric or hybrid vehicles. The Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Jacksonville, FL, has received two zero-emissions, battery-powered buses. ABQ RIDE, Albuquerque, NM, has launched the city’s first electric bus, with five additional vehicles on their way this year.

 

 

Kimberly Slaughter has been named chief executive officer of SYSTRA USA, New York, NY, succeeding Stanley Rosenblum. Slaughter has been involved in the development of mobility solutions for more than 30 years, having worked for such firms as HDR, HNTB and Parsons Brinckerhoff, as well as public transit agencies, including the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County in Houston, TX.

 

The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (RTA), Dayton, OH, has named Bob Ruzinsky chief executive officer, effective April 1. Ruzinsky has served as the agency’s deputy CEO since 2019. He began his career with RTA in 1987 in the agency’s accounting group and has since held various positions, including accounting supervisor, human resources manager, controller and capital controller.

 

The Rapid, Grand Rapids, MI, has named Deborah Prato its new chief executive officer. Prato brings more than 30 years of public sector experience to the role, including 10 years of executive team experience in public transportation. Prato will officially begin her role as CEO March 8.

 

BY DEIDRE MITCHELL
Safety Education Program Manager
MTA Metro-North Railroad
New York, NY

 

In 2016, MTA Metro-North Railroad launched its TRACKS (Together Railroads and Communities Keeping Safe) program, a free rail safety education and community outreach program in partnership with the New York MTA Police Department and Operation Lifesaver. When coronavirus hit, all in-person presentations and outreach activities were paused, so the TRACKS team transformed the program to include remote alternatives through digital platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom and WebEx.