0202 LLAF
PROPEL T h e
In
E n o
A l u m n i
P u b l i c a t i o n

is Edition:
What's Next:
The Road to Post-COVID Recovery
Message from Robert Puentes, President and CEO Mission: Eno shapes public debate on critical multimodal transportation issues and builds an innovative network of transportation professionals. As the Eno Center for Transportation approaches its 100-year milestone in 2021, we've taken a close look at how we're evolving in the work we do, they way in which we do it, and how it aligns with our mission and the changing landscape in which we operate. We seek out and engage a diverse group of staff, board members, and partners to help us enhance and validate the quality and rigor of our work. We believe in and demonstrate our core values in our approach to transportation research and professional development that embodies objectivity, integrity, independence, quality and relevance. And, we remain committed to providing a platform for free and spirited exchange that draws upon a wide variety of views, thought, experience, and personal background--all fundamental to what we do. Propel is our new, signature alumni publication designed to better reect and connect with professionals who have completed one or more of our leadership programs. We've rendered Propel in magazine format so you can access it from any of your devices seamlessly. We looked for ways to amplify our alumni engagement and believe you'll ďŹ nd Propel does just that. We've aligned content to meet the needs and perspectives of our alumni. For example, there are three tracks for alumni diversity: Learn, Leadership, and Legacy. Learn offers ideas and insight to promote industry knowledge and accelerate leadership development; Leadership provides high-impact content curated from top transportation leaders; and Legacy spotlights alumni who are putting innovative thought and strategy into action. We're also launching an interactive way for alumni and partners to express their views and expand their understanding of others'. Advancing Ethics is a standing Propel segment where an ethical question or situation is presented and we provide a space for alumni or contributors to weigh in on the subject by submitting written opinions, which we'll print in the upcoming issue. Details on this exciting segment and how to submit responses can be found on the back page. I hope you enjoy Propel. It's designed with you in mind. Let us know how we can make it even better. Thank you for helping us manifest our mission. Sincerely,
Coming in 2021...
Eno Celebrates 100 Years! Next year is Eno's Centennial celebration and we need your help!
Our alumni are an integral part of Eno and we want to include you in our Centennial. If you would like to participate in our Legacy Project by sharing your experience as an alumni, please reach out to Karen Price at kprice@enotrans.org
Have a product or service you'd like to promote to Eno's 4,000 strong alumni network? Your ad could be featured in the next edition of Propel! Please reach out to Karen Price at kprice@enotrans.org for more information.
FALL 2020
PROPEL The Eno Alumni P ublic ation
Inside this Issue
LEARN.................. Pages 1-4
Editors-in-Chief (in alphabetical order)
In This Section: A Case Study in Funding: California Transportation Revenue in a COVID-19 Future Can't Miss COVID-19 Related Resources
Karen R. Price
Dyan E. Wolfe
The Lightbulb: Using Behavioral Science to Guide Strategy
LEADERSHIP.... Pages 5-8
Creative & Communications Manager
In This Section: Three Areas Transit Leaders Must Focus on to Future-Proof
Madeline Gorman
Their Agency The Leader's List: Three Trends to Watch
Publication Managers (in alphabetical order)
Tips from the Top: Leadership Lesson from Carmen Bianco Propel Success: Putting Resilient Partnerships into Practice
LEGACY............. Pages 9-12 In This Section: VIP in Focus: Innovative Ways Agencies are Responding to the Crisis Advancing Ethics Alumni Spotlight: Rhonda Allen, MARTA Alumni on the Move
Carolyn Dorf
Kirstin A. Hall
Tina King
e views expressed in the articles are the authors' and not necessarily those of Eno Center for Transportation. Copyright © 2020 Eno Center for Transportation. All rights reserved.
Reprint or Copy:
is publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part beyond fair use without Eno's
express written consent. For reprint or copy requests, contact PDPsupport@enotrans.org.
Publication Access: Digital editions of Propel are available to alumni on Eno's website through the Alumni Association page with a valid alumni membership login.
Submissions: For prospective authors or issue ideas, please see the back cover for guidelines.
LEARN
About
A Case Study in Funding: Future California Transportation agencies rely on stable, predictable, and adequate revenue streams to plan and deliver excellent transportation systems.
e
COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented level of disruption to typical revenue collections, creating uncertainty among policymakers about whether they can maintain even basic services and maintenance levels, let alone make long-planned improvements.
e pandemic has hit transportation revenues f rom all directions. Shelter-in-place orders led to VMT drops of 50% or more in many
regions, with concomitant losses in fuel tax and toll revenues. Public transit ridership—and fare revenues—has fallen even more, hit by the double-whammy of plummeting trips rates and riders who have avoided public transit out of concern for their safety. While annual vehicle registration fee revenues have not yet dropped substantially, if the economic crisis persists, households may shed vehicles or forgo upgrading vehicles, both outcomes that will reduce revenues collected. And those are just the impacts to direct user fees. Most public agencies also allocate to transportation some revenue raised f rom general-purposes taxes such as property, sales, income, and business taxes, all sources that will be very hard hit for as long as the economy stagnates.
To shed light on the possible future of a critical component of the transportation revenue picture in California, we conducted a rapid-
response research project in April that explored the potential impact of COVID-19 on state-generated revenues. Study results are available in a report,
e Impact of COVID-19 on California Transportation Revenue, published by the Mineta Transportation Institute.
We created five potential economic recovery scenarios and projected future transportation revenue in California through 2030 under each of these, as well as a “baseline” scenario of projected revenues had COVID-19 not occurred.
e di
fferences
among the scenarios
illuminate a range of possible futures the state may wish to consider. For example, possible recovery scenarios that provide future incentives to purchase zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) should be informed in part by assessment of their revenue implications.
State-generated transportation revenues in California
e study looked just at dedicated
transportation revenue collected by the state, a package of taxes and fees
that recently were adjusted by Senate Bill 1 in 2017.
ese are gasoline and
diesel fuel taxes, an annual fee on vehicles with the rate based on vehicle value (the Transportation Improvement Fee, or TIF), and an annual fee for zero-emission vehicles (the Road Improvement Fee, or RIF) recently established in recognition of
the fact that they pay no fuel taxes. e table to the right shows the rate
for each tax and fee.
1
COVID Recovery Transportation Revenue in a COVID-19 Future The Projection Methodology
We projected revenues through 2030 for five possible economic recovery scenarios, plus a baseline scenario that assumed COVID-19 had not happened. di
e recovery scenarios assumed
fferent recovery rates for transportation-specific variables that are most likely to be affected by
COVID-19, including fuel consumption, the number of registered electric vehicles, and the price of cars.
petroleum-powered and
e scenarios also explored outcomes in hypothetical
e Authors: Asha Weinstein Agrawal Director, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) National Transportation Finance Center
scenarios in which government policies like tax credits were used to incentivize Californians to purchase new vehicles or new ZEVs.
e table below shows how the scenarios were constructed.
Hannah King PhD Student, Institute of Transportation Studies, UCLA Department of Urban Planning
Martin Wachs Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Urban Planning
Can't Miss:
e
Related Resources for You projections
were
calculated
using
a
spreadsheet
transportation revenues collected the State of California.
model
used
to
estimate
annual
e projections used inputs f rom
authoritative sources, such as revenue data f rom the State of California and a widely-used set of national
projections
of
transportation
energy
prepared
by
the
US
Energy
Information
Administration. Complete details about the model and data sources are provided in the project report, as well as in prior MTI publications using the model, available here and here.
Findings Figure 1 presents the projected total revenue that California would collect f rom 2019 to 2030 under the baseline and five COVID-19 recovery scenarios. For each scenario, a line shows the mean value, and the shaded band shows the range between the projected upper and lower
To Read: REPORT: The Role of Transportation in Improving America’s Health ARTICLES: Get caught up with the latest ETW articles on funding and finance for transportation
bounds. Areas in the figure with darker shading indicate that projections for two or more scenarios overlap.
To Watch:
Notably, by 2030 the projected annual revenue f rom all the scenarios will have almost converged, with
the
exception
of
the
slow-recovery
scenario.
For
the
fast-recovery-with-ZEV-stimulus
scenario, the projected mean revenues in 2030 are $11.4 billion (2020$), while the projected
WEBINAR: Urban Planning, Public Health, and Transportation Collaborations
Continued on Next Page 2
LEARN The Lightbulb:
Ideas to Spark Innovation Using Behavioral Science Principles to Guide Strategy
More
A Case Study in Funding: Future California Transportation Revenue in a COVID-19 Future, Continued... mean
revenues
recovery $11.1
for
scenarios
billion.
e
the
three
moderate
range
f rom
mean
projected
$10.1
to
2030
revenue f rom the slow-recovery scenario is only $9.4 billion.
Behavioral scientists have been studying how people make transportation decisions
A
slower
recovery
would
significantly
and how we can get them to make choices
compound the impact of annual revenue
that are better for health, the environment,
losses.
and tra
ffic safety. But how does that
change during a pandemic? In a recent
erefore,
Harvard Business School and Jessica
summed
the
mean
2020 through 2030 for the baseline and COVID-19
Eno webinar, Dr. Ashley Whillans of
we
projected revenue collected every year f rom
would
be
scenarios.
$118
e
billion
total
for
the
revenue baseline,
while the COVID-19 scenarios have totals
Roberts of Alta Planning + Design shared
ranging f rom $98 billion (a loss of 17%)
insights about how a better understanding
for
of human decision-making can help us navigate our way forward in a pandemic.
Tip 1: Build customer solutions on the EAST Framework: Easy, Attractive, Social and Timely
the
slow-recovery
scenario,
to
$121
billion (a gain of 3%) for the fast-recoverywith-ZEV-stimulus scenario. projected
to
even
baseline
the
generate
more
because
e latter is
revenue it
than
assumes
an
aggressive ZEV stimulus policy. e trajectory of vehicle markets has a notable impact on total revenue collected over the
decade. For the moderate-recovery scenario with the stagnated vehicle market, the cumulative mean projected revenue would be $5 billion less than the moderate-recovery scenario with ZEV stimulus policies.
Tip 2: Capitalize on the "Fresh Start E
ffect" by
Figure 2 shows how the proportion of revenues collected f rom each tax and fee would change over time for the baseline and COVID-19 scenarios.
emphasizing the benefits to Fuel tax revenue dominates in every scenario in every year through 2030. Fuel taxes generate
the user
roughly three-quarters of state transportation revenue. Also, gasoline taxes remain about half of the revenue through 2030 in every scenario. For the year 2030, the percentage ranges f rom a
Tip 3: Build and maintain trust through "Operational
low
of
48%
in
the
fast-recovery-with-ZEV-stimulus
moderate-recovery-with-
vehicle-market-stagnation
scenario,
scenario.
to
a
Diesel
high excise
of
54%
and
in
the
sales
tax
revenue, combined, provides f rom 21% to 30% of total revenue across all scenarios and all
Transparency" by sharing
years.
progress and not just outcomes
To learn more and see real-world examples of
Revenue f rom annual vehicle fees is around one quarter of the total.
these principles in action, check out the
assessed on all light-duty vehicles that is proportional to the market value of the vehicle.
webinar Behavioral Science 101: How Human
generates between 16% and 27% of state transportation revenue across all years and scenarios.
Decision-Making will A World
ffect the Post-COVID
e percentage rises over the years across every scenario.
e TIF is an annual fee It
e percentage is also comparatively
higher in the moderate-recovery-with-ZEV-stimulus scenario because the TIF rate is based
3
About COVID Recovery on vehicle value, and ZEVs tend to have higher values than ICE vehicles.
e RIF is a flat annual fee applied just to ZEVs in
recognition
that
they
do
not
pay
fuel
taxes.
It
generates revenue ranging f rom less than 1% to a high
of
4%
of
proportionately
total more
revenue. in
the
RIF
two
contributes
scenarios
that
include a major ZEV stimulus policy.
Conclusions and Policy Implications
e
study
findings
highlight
the
possibility
that
California’s policy leaders will need to prepare for a future with considerably less revenue than had been expected prior to the public health emergency. At the
fferent outcomes projected across the
same time, the di
scenarios underscore the potential for policy choices to change the trajectory. While the scenarios in this study are not predictions of what will happen, they help policymakers ask important “what if ” kinds of questions to prepare for uncertainly about the future.
While California’s situation has unique features, three conclusions f rom this study o apply
to
many
states,
as
ffer
insights that may
well
as
to
federal
transportation policy debates.
ere is great uncertainty about how much revenue will be raised. In this California example, the worst-case scenario tested projected 17%
less revenue through 2030 than the state would have received without COVID-19.
e projected revenue for the slow-recovery scenario is
$98 billion, compared to a projected $118 had COVID-19 not occurred.
Fuel taxes will likely continue to generate the majority of revenues, even in scenarios with fast growth in ZEVs. Across all six scenarios, gasoline taxes remain at least half of revenues through 2030. Adding diesel excise and sales tax revenues, the sum of revenue f rom taxes on both fuels is roughly three-quarters of the total in all scenarios for all years.
User fees levied on ZEVs can replace and potentially even exceed the revenue that will be lost because of declining gasoline sales tax revenue. In the California example, revenue f rom the two annual vehicle fees will rise notably as the proportion of ZEVs in the light-duty fleet rises. Revenues raised f rom the fee on ZEVs varies f rom less than 1% of total revenues under the slow-recovery and two moderate-recovery scenarios to 4% of under the fast-recovery-with-ZEV-stimulus scenario and moderate recovery scenario that includes ZEV stimulus policy.
When the future is highly uncertain, scenarios like these help planners and policy makers choose among competing potential policies. It is not possible to project future conditions with confidence, but scenarios lead to better policy choices by projecting the likely performance of
fferent possible futures.
the transportation system should alternative actions be taken under di
4
Leadership Three Areas Transit Leaders Must Focus on
e Coronavirus Pandemic and the
50% or higher for most regions – proving
government-mandated shut-down of the
how essential transit is to a city or region’s
economy has delivered a gut-punch to most
economy.
transit agencies around North America.
keep our economy humming are filled with
Ridership and its attendant farebox recovery
employees who rely on public transit for their
have plummeted by 50-95% and public
mobility.
e Author:
ose f ront-line service jobs that
Paul Comfort Vice President, Business Development for Trapeze Group, Host of the Transit Unplugged Podcast, Executive Director of the North American Transit Alliance
transportation’s reputation as a clean, safe alternative to getting around in an automobile has been diminished by early,
to “future-proof ” their agencies and services
faulty pronouncements that public transit
f rom other similar pandemics or challenges to
was a “petri-dish” for germs.
(NATA) and author of the #1 Bestselling book,
Now, transit leaders are thinking about how
e Future of
Public Transportation, available on Amazon.
fforts focus on the
come. Much of their e
ability to be nimble in service delivery so they To deal with the current crisis, many
are not caught flat-footed in being able to
agencies moved to rear-door boarding and
adjust routes and driver schedules quickly,
eliminated cash fare collection, installed
provide valuable, real-time information to
plexiglass driver barriers, and are now adding
passengers, and emphasize low-touch, clean
new real-time passenger information screens
provision of mobility.
Contactless faring: By adopting this approach, transit agencies can move away f rom traditional cash fareboxes and emphasize e-faring, wearables and contactless cards which speeds boarding, allows for all-door boarding and is low touch.
and app upgrades. Transit Agencies are Creating the FutureDespite directives in place for only “essential”
Proof Bus Service of Tomorrow by focusing
workers to use transit, ridership stayed at
on three main areas of enhancements:
Autonomous Vehicles: No driver – no problem. In an innovative approach, CEO Nathaniel “Nat” Ford used the Jacksonville Transit Authority’s
[Transit leaders'] efforts focus
Clean
on the ability to be nimble in
By refocusing our messaging on how transit
19 test samples f rom a drive-thru testing
can clean the environment, we counter the
site to a processing laboratory on the
“dirty, germ infested” pronouncements
Mayo Clinic's campus. Similarly, in
made about transit early on in the
China, autonomous vehicles were used to
pandemic. So, agencies can ramp up their
transport necessary medical supplies and
service delivery so they are not caught flat-footed in being able to adjust routes and driver schedules quickly, provide valuable, real-time information to passengers, and emphasize low-touch, clean provision of mobility.
e
autonomous vehicles to transport Covid-
fforts to move their fleets away f rom
traditional fuels like diesel and move
food to health-care professionals and the public in infected areas.
toward:
Zero-Emission Buses (ZEB): Electric, CNG, Hydrogen fuels, reemphasizing transit’s ability to help create a clean future and building o
ff the experience of
passengers in cities like Los Angeles and Manila, Philippines who can suddenly see the skyline without all the smog f rom cars.
Nimble
e sudden nature of the pandemic had
agencies scrambling to reduce service to meet the quickly dropping demand as government-mandated quarantines/shutdowns impacted commuter ridership dramatically.
5
Advice on COVID to Future-Proof Their Agency Additionally, agencies are discovering that they need to have better software/hardware that allows for accurate tracking of assets like railcars and facility cleaning along with exact
essential rides, like transporting seniors to pharmacies or nurses to hospitals. Plus, it has the added benefit of allowing for ease of contact tracing when needed.
location of buses on the yard so they can be
Passenger Information
tracked for in-route cleaning etc.
Now more than ever, passengers want Reduce Friction: Ensuring transit is faster when we return will help improve the
options to ensure they can ride safely and e
fficiently.
product we deliver. So, utilizing headway management on High-Frequency Routes Tech Tools: Having the technology tools in
ffect back-office scenario planning,
place to a
rerouting service, adjusting of bus driver
instead of time-point management on busonly lanes with transit signal priority (TSP) are keys to improving bus route e
rosters and shifts quickly and seamlessly
transit systems can provide passengers with real-time information on bus
Microtransit: Many cities have turned to this
bargaining agreements is key to ensuring
fficiently
location and number of passengers on board.
interwoven into complex collective
agencies can respond quickly and e
fficiency.
Real-Time Passenger Information: Now,
is permits passengers to make
Continued on Next Page
type of app-based transit supporting main routes and providing niche service for
to future similar needs.
The Leaders' List: 3 Trends to Watch
1
Congestion Pricing
2
Crisis of Confidence
3
Accelerated Pace of Change
Prior to the current public health
"[I]f service is slow to rebound to
The COVID-19 crisis may
crisis, serious proposals and studies
pre-outbreak levels, the public may
accelerate the pace of changes
were underway to implement
lose confidence in aviation and
already in motion. Agencies are
congestion pricing in places like San
transit systems." Post-9/11
using technology in new ways to
Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, and
psychological research indicated
provide service, while maintaining
Washington, DC. Cleaner air, better
that fear can lead to higher
social distance. Workforce
access, and a more efficient
perceptions of risk and increased
challenges, already a key concern,
network will remain top priorities
precautionary behaviors. Policy
have become more acute across the
once the crisis abates - or even take
changes in transit and aviation
country. Existing governance,
higher priority if traffic congestion
were necessary to make these
institutional structures, and
surpasses levels seen prior to the
modes more secure and increase
decision-making must be aligned
COVID-19 pandemic.
public confidence.
with the new normal. 6
Leadership Three Areas Transit Leaders Must Focus on to Future-Proof Their Agency, Cont'd informed decisions, allowing for
capacity control on buses/trains and at bus stops and platforms.
is creates
provides other options should buses fill to their prescribed capacity in this era
ADA paratransit passengers in particular, allowing riders to make their own trip booking gives passengers more control and reduces the need for crowded reservations centers once passenger counts pick back up.
Mobility as a Service (MaaS): Continuing the trend occurring before the Coronavirus, aggregating all public mobility services in a city on one smart app where trips can be planned, paid for and potentially subscribed to allows passengers to choose which mobility services they are comfortable with and
future-proof the agency.”
of social distancing on transit vehicles.
confidence in the system.
On-Line/Mobile Trip Booking: For
tools, real-time field data will
In addition, agencies should “leverage
Summary
software solutions that reside on the
By adopting clean, nimble
cloud and can be accessible anywhere
approaches to transit service that
and f rom any device that has an
provide real-time passenger info,
internet connection,” according to
public transit agencies can attract
transit tech industry expert Paola
riders back on the bus and be
Realpozo. She continues, “whether it’s
better prepared for a pandemic or
an enterprise software product that
other event that can quickly
ffice staff f rom
can be used by your o
impact transit service. By having
home, as we now have experienced
the proper tools in place, public
having to relocate due to a pandemic,
transit agencies can be more
or mobile applications that can give
flexible, resilient, and resourceful
field workforce the ability to enter
in providing the mobility services
(and consult) information instantly
needed by our passengers and the
without the need to wait until they
public in general.
visit the dispatch o
ffice, facility or
ffice. Seamless operation, self-service
o
Healthy and Safety Kiosks at MetroLinx in Toronto: To demonstrate their continued commitment to safety and reassure customers, Metrolinx launched interactive and informative customer Health & Safety Kiosks at Union Station
Tips
in June and have since permanently rolled-out nearly 20 GO stations and other stations on a rotating schedule.
All activities are customer self-serve supported by a f ront line ambassador
team and not mandatory prior to boarding.
ese activities are supported
by customer communication that
Former President of MTA NYC Transit, Carmen Bianco, recently shared his crisis leadership tips for leaders now and on the road to recovery from COVID.
includes in-station and onboard messages, directional wayfinding, and an integrated marketing campaign.
To hear all tips, check out his recent webinar. 7
Advice on COVID Putting Resilient Partnerships Into Practice by: Alice Grossman, PhD, LDC Alumna c/o 2015 Over the last few years, transit agencies and ridehail companies have formed innovative partnerships and collaborations to provide new mobility options to the public. In the Los Angeles region, LA Metro contracted with Via to provide first-mile last-mile (FLML) connections to select transit stations. With COVID-19 prompting changes to the
Propel Success
agency’s network, LA Metro worked with Via to adjust the
March. On March 23, just five days after applying service changes to LA Metro bus and train networks, the partnership with Via switched to a point-to-point service
within existing service zones as opposed to providing service to or f rom select train stations.
e following day, shared
rides were discontinued, making all rides private, and on Friday March 27, additional points of interest near the service zones such as grocery stores and pharmacies were
service.
added.
e partnership between LA Metro and Via was forged
ffort, with
through a lengthy period of collaboration and e
ff working together for months to negotiate risk
both sta
responsibilities, data sharing, and other service provisions.
Amidst these changes, ridership on Metro’s Partnership with Via has declined by less than 50%, and the service even saw an uptick of new riders in March.
ffort put into establishing clear
e time and e
communication and agreements between the two providers is now paying o
ff.
is strong, positive relationship was key
to making split decisions with little resources for the sake of public health in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, and eventually restoring or adapting future service collaborations.
As the COVID-19 crisis continues, the service may be expanded to include package delivery within zones as well, with LA Metro and Via working with suppliers to help low-
income households access household staples through f ree delivery.
e resiliency of the partnership in Los Angeles
and agreement to amend service provisions shows the As the reality of COVID-19 took hold, LA Metro and Via implemented a series of rapid changes beginning in late
importance of strong foundations for public private partnerships to adapt in the face of change and crisis.
from the Top: Carmen Bianco 1
Culture is Key
2
A "New" Normal
3
People Matter
Leaders are responsible for
Although we don't know
“While we juggle a lot of
creating a solid foundation for
exactly what's next, we do
balls in transit, as leaders in
sound decision-making based
know there's no "going back"
this industry, one of them is
on the organization's culture
to pre-COVID. Leaders need
glass.” Leaders have a
and values.
to question the status quo and
responsibility to always put
of uncertainty, these values are
plan sustainable strategies for a
the safety of customers and
what guide you to make the
new normal in the future.
employees first.
In a crisis or a time
right decisions for your team.
8
Legacy V I ERY
NNOVATIVE
P
Eno Al
in Focus
RACTICE
Innovative Ways that Transportation Providers are Responding to the Crisis ffects of the
One of the indelible e
scooters to ride along the outside of the
system vehicles to notify residents
COVID-19 outbreak is the dramatic
LSAV, too.)
without telecommunications services to
stay at home. (
decrease in travel within metropolitan areas.
ose with the luxury to stop
To move the health care workers safely
e U.S. Defense
Department has already ruled out using
ffering them f ree rides
traveling have clearly done so. Passenger
Uber began o
vehicle travel is estimated to have dropped
between their homes and medical
outdoor spaces as was done in South
by nearly half in recent days and public
facilities. Lyft and Spin are providing
Korea and China.)
transit use by around 90 percent. While
fare-f ree rides on their e-scooters and
roadways are still open, transit agencies
Revel is doing the same in New York on
have shut down much of their service and
their fleet of mopeds. Of course, many
obviously necessary to slow the spread of
are urging riders not to ride.
transit agencies have already gone zero-
the disease.
fare for bus trips, others like Chicago’s
safe distances makes medical workers’
commuter rail provider, Metra, are letting
jobs unfathomably di
medical workers ride their trains for f ree.
hazardous. It is heartening to see
at does not mean that the demand for
transportation stopped. In fact, the
drones to “mist” disinfectants over large
e cuts in public transit service are
e need to keep people at
fficult and
transportation providers – both public
pandemic highlights how critical transportation is in a time of crisis,
In Europe, France “medicalized” some its
especially for health care workers, medical
high-speed trains, essentially converting
and private – stepping up to help combat the crisis. Now let’s see even more.
providers, and emergency responders, who
them into mobile emergency rooms.
urgently need to get to patients, facilities,
now move virus-infected patients f rom
Do you have examples of public or
and labs. Fortunately, some agencies and
hard-hit parts of the country where
private transportation agencies,
companies are teaming up to apply the
medical supplies and hospital space is
providers, or companies applying
innovation that now abounds in
scarce, to other regions in France able to
innovative ideas, policies, or practices to
transportation to respond to the crisis.
accommodate the swelling number of
help medical professionals respond to
cases. Stretchers replace the seats on the
the crisis? Share it with Eno sta
train which can accommodate up to 50
In this time of social distancing, the
ey
ff more comfortably and with
Jacksonville Transportation Authority
medical sta
partnered with technology firms Beep and
more room that an airplane or helicopter.
NAVYA to use autonomous vehicles to
shuttle COVID-19 samples to the nearby Mayo Clinic for testing.
e trains may ultimately move patients
e so-called low
Robert Puentes
In the air, some tech companies are
driver or other passengers and runs along
pleading to allow government rule makers
ff f rom
e Author:
throughout Europe.
speed autonomous vehicle (LSAV ) has no
a dedicated route, protecting sta
ff.
President and CEO Eno Center for Transportation
to relax restrictions and allow them to
exposure to the virus. (Based on the video
transport medical supplies and tests by
it looks like attendants are using electric
drone. Spain used unmanned aerial
9
umni Impact Advancing Ethics
Tough Questions. Uncomfortable Conversations. Courageous Solutions.
Each issue, we will pose a tough question and invite you to share your best advice with your fellow alumni. For our inaugural edition, Eno Board member Carolyn Flowers pondered the following question: Across the country, mask mandates and requirements have become a hot-button issue. Many transit agencies are requiring face masks on their buses and trains. At the same time, operators are often not permitted to refuse service for noncompliance with mask-wearing due to ADA considerations for people who are unable to safely wear masks. On the other side, there may be other riders who are unhappy if the mask requirement is not enforced. How should agencies balance these competing priorities? As a leader, how would you set and communicate operating protocol to your workforce on this issue?
Carolyn Flowers, Infrastrategies, Responds: e issue of complying with mask mandates has become highly politicized. We are undergoing the biggest public health concern in the past two centuries, a crisis
that has been coined as “unprecedented.” It has turned the global economy and our lifestyles upside down. Transit stepped up to the plate responding to the threat with new cleanliness protocols. But further scientific study data has indicated that the spread of the virus is due to airborne aerosols rather than surface contact, and the health risks of spreading the virus in dense environments has been repeatedly documented. And, CDC guidelines note that transmission of the virus could be mitigated by wearing facial masks, triggering municipal and state ordinances to require the wearing of masks.
So, where does that put transit at this point in time? Transit has always had a paramount goal for safety: safely operating and protecting customers and employees. is goal is not an attempt to impinge on the f reedom or rights of anyone. Serving the public has always been about access and equity for everyone with the proviso
of doing so a safe manner.
e situation that we are facing today in public transit is very complex and has created several dilemmas. We want to provide service to everyone while keeping our
riders and transit workers safe, well, and healthy. We should be able to accomplish this if everyone is on the same page about beating this health crisis. But there are dissenters to wearing masks, as well as those who cannot wear masks due to medical reasons. We need to address how those situations will be handled. Certainly we have the ADA to uphold, but we have to protect our workers and riders who are at risk if mask ordinances and mandates are not enforced.
Today, I read two articles that emphasize the di
fficulties and challenges of enforcing mask mandates. One was an article about an incident in the airlines industry,
where an American Airlines employee was punched for refusing to board a passenger who was not wearing a mask.
is incident parallels attacks and abuse
encountered in transit fare enforcement. Operators enforcing transit fares have had countless incidents and have been counseled or directed to reduce conflict by being asked to quote the fare twice to a non-paying customer. If the passenger still refuses to pay, they are allowed on the vehicle. Fare evasion conf rontation has led to many attacks on transit workers. In fact, attacks on transit operators have become so prevalent, virulent, and vicious that legislative actions have been enacted and physical barriers on buses have been installed to better protect them.
e other article was about SEPTA’s softer approach to mask compliance. SEPTA is using “social distance” coaches to ask customers if they would like a mask. I see
this as an e
ffort to address mask wearing compliance by either 'guilting' the person or being able to provide PPE to those who forgot their masks or did not have one.
But what will be the on-board protocol? Should the operator or transit security be responsible for compliance? Transit is critical for the recovery of the national
economy. Mask wearing is vital to contributing to economic recovery by letting people return to some form of normalcy—going to work, shopping and medical appointments. Mask compliance and enforcement will require a multi-pronged approach.
e bottom-line priority is safety for our employees and riders. We should
post the rules everywhere and, with public relations programs, emphasize the cooperation of all is necessary to protect and improve pubic health.
e enforcement
message can be augmented by providing programs that encourage compliance similar to SEPTA.
What is our job as leaders?:
e bottom line is that we cannot put our operators in harm’s way with the enforcement activities. We must balance the dilemma that we
are facing and provide direction to our workforce and to the public. We must first take care of our employees by being transparent and demonstrate to them that we value the job that they are performing. We must provide them with the mental and physical support they need to do the job every day such as PPE, health care coverage, and leave programs and counseling. We must also provide the public the confidence that we are doing everything to ensure they are safe on our systems by overtly displaying our commitment to requesting public compliance to wearing masks.
e next issue's Ethical Question will be posted in the Eno Alumni LinkedIn and Facebook groups. Be sure to connect with us there to provide your response and get published in the next edition!
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Legacy
Eno Al
Alumni Spotlight: Rhonda Allen We caught up with one of Eno's alumni and member of our Board of Regents to learn more about her path to success and leadership.
Tell us how you first got involved in with transportation. I studied structural engineering at Georgia
Rhonda Allen MARTA A Little About Rhonda: Rhonda Allen is the Chief Customer Experience Officer at MARTA, the nation’s ninth largest transit system which includes heavy rail, light rail, bus and paratransit services. Rhonda oversaw all planning efforts resulting in successful implementation of plans for Super Bowl LIII and the 50th Running of the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta in 2019. She is also leading implementation of the next generation of MARTA’s fare collection system.
Tell us about your most challenging day as a leader.
ankfully, I can’t point to one day and
Tech. I met two leaders of MARTA’s
call it my most challenging.
Engineering Department at an American
challenging leadership role was when I
Society for Civil Engineer’s (ASCE)
was promoted to supervisor over 13
meeting there. Both were structural
individuals who were previously my peers.
engineers and I inquired about why
Moving f rom peer to supervisor was
e most
MARTA needed that skill set. In my mind,
challenging for me. I wished I had
MARTA was simply trains and buses.
handled things di
ey
began to explain their responsibilities and
ffered me a tour of their offices. I accepted
o
fferently or used more
discernment when approaching a matter. ose were often when dealing with direct
and within a few months I began a summer
reports who either weren’t meeting
internship in the structural inspection
expectations or were having di
branch. I never left….
getting along with others. In two cases
What has surprised you most about working in transportation?
that left an impression on me, I found
I am surprised by the number of roles
needed more coaching f rom me. I thought
fficulty
that the individuals wanted to perform better or have greater relationships but
(trades/professions) required to run an
of how I could better communicate with
operation.
them and adjusted my approach using
ere are so many opportunities
to learn new skills just by interacting with
tactics I learned in Eno’s Mid-Manager
others in the field. In my career, I have
course. I and my direct reports have
worked in engineering, construction
benefitted greatly f rom my decision to put
management, project management and
those learnings into practice.
customer experience. Each assignment
fforded me the opportunity to work with
a
What's your personal motto?
other areas such as rail and bus operations, information technology, finance, external
ffairs, diversity and inclusion, human
a
resources, legal services, and research and analysis.
ese interactions allowed me to
fferent parts of
learn a little about a lot of di the organization.
is led to a great
appreciation for the many hands that move our system each day.
Empathize, love, give and forgive f reely. I often try to put myself in the place of
others and think of things f rom their
perspective. them.
is requires getting to know
is allows me to act out of love.
From time to time that means giving and forgiving without expectations.
is works
for me both personally and professionally.
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umni Impact What advice would you give to leaders today dealing with the COVID crisis?
Do not be af raid to not have all the answers.
ere are many factors to
Tell us about someone who has influenced your leadership style and/or career. I have been fortunate to have many
positive influencers help shape my
consider when making decisions related to this novel disease. As with other major issues never faced, one must trust and lean on the knowledge and experience of others.
leadership style.
e one who probably
most shaped my future might have the same personal motto as me. He put up with a lot f rom the young, immature me. He often treated me as a younger sibling.
What might our readers be surprised to know about you?
He gave his time and attention to helping
Many might be surprised that I am an
listened with a desire to help me
introvert. I am not shy, so I often talk to a
accomplish my goals. He encouraged me
lot of people and get involved in social
to create yearly plans and revisit them
events. However, I need a lot of quiet time
f rom time to time. He was very direct
to recover after doing so. Most evenings I
when I needed to adjust my thinking. At
am sitting quietly watching true crime tv.
one point, he was promoted f rom my peer
What are you happiest doing, when you’re not working? I enjoy grilling and barbecuing, yes there
fference, with family and f riends.
is a di
advance my career. He asked questions about my career interests and really
to my supervisor and he often had to forgive me for tantrums I now cannot
What opportunities or challenges do you see ahead in a post-COVID world? Our business may never be the same.
e
entire globe has been dealing with a
common problem for nine months now. ings our employees and customers once
casually considered are now intensely scrutinized, and rightly so. We must find ways to convince them that we are taking steps to ensure they are safe on our system. We found ways to partner with other industries to provide the best (safest, most comfortable) experiences for our employees and customers during COVID-19. We can continue to think about the ways we conduct our business, share our knowledge with others, learn f rom other experts in other fields, and improve how we prepare for future challenges.
believe occurred. It is because of him that I volunteer for assignments that push me past my comfort zone and look for ways to help others progress.
Alumni On the Move Christopher Hertz, P.E., PMP Promoted to Vice President of the STV Communications Systems group
Alice Grossman, PhD New Position as Policy Fellow at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Natalie Stiffler, AICP New Position at the City of Boulder as the Deputy Director for Transportation and Mobility
Jonathan Church, AICP New Position as Manager of MPO Activities for the Boston Region MPO
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R e a d y t o b e p u b l i s h e d ? H e r e' s h o w : Submission Guidelines There are three types of submissions: feature articles, standard articles, and responses. Details about each type and guidelines for submission are below. Each issue will have a theme, announced in the previous issue and on alumni channels on social media. Submissions should relate to theme or to leadership learning. Send all submissions in a word document, along with a headshot, your full name, organization, and title, to pdpsupport@enotrans.org. If your submission is selected for publication, we will reach out to let you know prior to publication.
Feature Article
Standard Article
Responses
Feature article
Standard article
Ethical responses and
contributions should range between 750 – 1,000 words.
contributions should range between 250 750 words.
short highlight pieces should not exceed 250 words.
General Guideline for All Submissions: You are encouraged to submit up to three images with your article.
Images Include with your submission: Your headshot Your full name Organization Title Send to: pdpsupport@enotrans.org
Images must be owned by the author or be accompanied by verification of Eno's right to use in a publication.
Writers are required to provide sources for statistics and, when applicable,
Sources
encouraged to cite reliable sources in the op-ed. Please cite using in-text links
ffl
to appropriate sources whenever possible, or footnotes for o
Audience
ine sources.
e publication will be sent to our alumni network of over 4,000 members.
Eno’s audience includes both public and private-sector leaders f rom across all modes, with most significant representation f rom the transit industry.
Topics could include sharing leadership advice and insights, case studies, recent
Topic
research, or a real-world practice.
e key is to share your experience or concrete
examples to connect the concepts discussed to their real-world applications.
Connect with your peers in alumni-only social groups:
Credits: Icon by Vectorstall from the Noun Project, photo by Tito Harris
