As CEO of the JTA, Nathaniel P. Ford Sr. leads an agency with an annual budget of $230 million and 850 employees, which provides transportation planning, road and bridge construction and transit services for the Northeast Florida region. Among his most recent accomplishments is the development and implementation of the Blueprint for Transportation Excellence (BTE) strategy that lays the foundation for JTA to become a regional, multimodal transportation leader in Northeast Florida.
No other form of commuting to work has seen the same level of growth as biking has over the past decade. To help public transportation agencies deal with that growth, suppliers have been able to add more bike positions on racks and create furniture and storage solutions at rail stations and transit malls.
With the industry again experiencing growth, operators are taking advantage of the opportunities their regions are presenting, while also dealing with unique challenges and finding ways to grow two very large generational markets.
Aging bus fleets are less safe, cost significantly more to operate and greatly contribute to the poor community image of many transit systems. CTAA and the Bus Coalition partnered to bring awareness to the problem and push for a solution.
While 29% of U.S. systems are targeting to complete installation by the deadline, potential fines of up to $25,000 a day could await those that don’t comply if an extension isn’t passed.