The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) named Linda C. Ford as chief counsel, effective Jan. 9, 2017.
Ford has worked at the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) for the last 16 years, serving in the U.S. DOT's Office of General Counsel and Federal Transit
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Administration's (FTA) Office of Chief Counsel. She currently serves as associate administrator of the FTA's Office of Civil Rights.
"I am very pleased to announce that Linda Ford will be joining APTA as chief counsel," said APTA Acting President and CEO Richard A. White. "Her extensive expertise in legal and policy matters and her hands-on experience at the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration will be an asset to APTA as we work to advance public transportation."
"This is an exciting opportunity to join APTA," said Linda Ford. "I am looking forward to continuing my work with the public transit industry in this new capacity."
Prior to joining the U.S. DOT, Ford held legal and law judge positions in Indiana.
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.
The upgraded system, which went live earlier this month, supports METRO’s METRONow vision to enhance the customer experience, improve service reliability, and strengthen long-term regional mobility.
The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.