BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE

A seasoned transit/paratransit planner and manager with over 33 years of experience in the following:

• Operations
• Training
• Vehicle and equipment design and research
• Policy and industry standards
• Expert consultation and evaluation
• Service design
• Public involvement
• Funding
• Government relations
• Experience spanning 12 years as Accessible Services Manager for AC Transit (Oakland) and Sacramento Regional Transit:
• Coordinated all aspects of fixed route bus and light rail accessibility
• Managed contracted regional ADA paratransit programs
• Developed innovative accessibility programs and vehicle features
• Representation for US transit industry to national & international wheelchair standards and research bodies (ANSI, ISO, RERC-WTS)
• Experience as operations manager for three 40-vehicle paratransit operations, in Oakland, Cincinnati, and Lake County (Ohio)

VITAE

• Resumé and publications; (61 KB PDF)

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SERVICES OFFERED

Independent consulting, from technical advice to formal projects, such as plans and evaluation reports, either individually or teamed with other professionals. I offer assistance in many areas of expertise:

Vehicle and service accessibility:

• ADA requirements and compliance
• Wheelchair access and securement procedures and training
• Brochure explaining my course in wheelchair securement (100 KB PDF)
• Brochure explaining my course in lift and ramp usage/safety (80 KB PDF)
• Brochure explaining my services for wheelchair marking & tether strap programs: program design and installer training (105 KB PDF)
• 2016 paper — Mobility Device Access and Securement: Standards and Wheelchair Marking & Tether Strap Programs (846 KB PDF)
• 2006 paper — Wheelchair Access: Improvements, Standards, and Challenges (1.2 MB PDF)
• Passenger assistance training
• Brochure explaining my course in passenger assistance (90 KB PDF)
• Accessibility design and equipment
• Accessibility policies and procedures
• Rider orientation to accessibility features
• Bus stop, transit center, and station accessibility
• Disability awareness

Paratransit:

• Service structure and design
• Service policies and eligibility certification
• Dispatch and operations procedures
• Scheduling and communications technology

General transit:

• Contracting with public agencies and private firms
• Performance monitoring, tracking, and reporting
• Vehicle selection and specifications
• System-wide performance evaluation
• Employee recruitment, screening, and training

Customer and public involvement:

• Rider surveys and research
• Rider guides and educational materials
• Complaint procedures and quality monitoring
• Consumer advisory and advocacy strategies

Community transit alternatives:

• Development of neighborhood circulators and "hybrid" services
• Identifying appropriate transit services for senior and disabled travelers
• Market research for target group mobility needs

Professional, high-quality writing and editing:

• Studies and evaluation reports
• Grant applications and proposals
• Marketing and educational materials

PROJECT EXAMPLES

As a consultant:

• Assistance in bus system wheelchair securement policy, procedures, and training for several transit systems in California, as well as for a statewide insurance pool
• Developed and delivered transit agency training programs in lift & ramp usage/safety and ADA/passenger assistance
• Expert witness evaluation/testimony in litigation involving wheelchair securement, passenger assistance, and paratransit service performance
• On-board service monitoring and analysis for public transit systems in Sacramento and Orange County, Calif.
• Researched and co-authored a national study on wheelchair access in transportation sponsored by Easter Seals Project ACTION
• Frequent presenter at industry conferences and workshops (see “vitae” section for publications and presentations)
• Served as instructor for the California Transit/Paratransit Management Certificate Program (University of the Pacific) course, “A Transit Manager's Guide to Regulations and Funding”
• Operational and needs assessment for a small city senior center-based paratransit program
• Analysis/revision of ADA stop announcement requirements for Sacramento Regional Transit District
• Operational and ADA compliance evaluation for ADA paratransit programs in Baltimore, Austin, Texas, and Breckenridge, Colorado

As a transit system planner and manager:

• Developed a wheelchair marking and tether strap program for customers, coordinated pilot demonstrations of new wheelchair securement equipment designs, and coordinated the design of new rear-facing wheelchair stations in AC Transit's European BRT-style buses
• Managed a study of the services design and structure of the East Bay Paratransit Consortium (AC Transit and BART)
• Coordinated participation in, and responses to, FTA ADA reviews of ADA Paratransit (East Bay) and Key Station accessibility (Sacramento)
• Managed a performance evaluation and ADA compliance review of the Sacramento ADA paratransit program
• Wrote and managed ADA paratransit plan updates for Sacramento and East Bay Paratransit & Sacramento light rail key station accessibility plan
• Developed rider policies for East Bay Paratransit, and gave “how to” training presentations at NTI, APTA, and state association meetings