Tober is former CEO of the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) and a nationally recognized expert in transit agency management and operations, and current senior advisor at Parsons Brinckerhoff.
Ron Tober, the former CEO of the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) and a nationally recognized expert in transit agency management and operations, and current senior advisor at Parsons Brinckerhoff, has been inducted into APTA’s Hall of Fame.
Tober has 43 years of experience in public transportation and has held leadership positions at transit agencies across the country. Recently, he assisted the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership as an independent contractor working on the planning and execution of a strategy to develop new transit options in the Indianapolis region.
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In 2009 and 2010, Tober was deputy CEO at Sound Transit in Seattle, responsible for day-to-day management of business operations for the agency. Prior to that, he was executive director of Charlotte Trolley Inc., a private, non-profit organization dedicated to historic preservation and education concerning the role that streetcars played in the development of Charlotte.
From 1999 to 2007, Tober was CEO of CATS. During his tenure, he created the CATS organization and opened the highly successful LYNX Blue Line, the region’s first light rail system. He previously served for 12 years as GM of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, director of transit for Seattle Metro, CEO of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority in Springfield, Mass., and other senior management positions at transit agencies nationwide, including the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston and the Miami Dade Transit Agency.
Tober has been active in APTA, serving for eight years on the Executive Committee including stints as the secretary, treasurer and board chair. He has received numerous awards, including APTA’s Outstanding Transit Manager of the Year in 2005 and Executive of the Year awards from the Women’s Transportation Seminar and the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials. He was inducted into the North Carolina Transportation Hall of Fame in 2008.
Tober earned an M.S. in operations research from Case Western University and a B.S. in industrial engineering from Cornell University.
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.
Rolling out in electric yellow and seafoam blue, the first battery-electric buses purchased from GILLIG will begin serving riders in south King County on February 2.
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.
In this edition, we cover recent appointments and announcements at HDR, MCTS, and more, showcasing the individuals helping to shape the future of transportation.
While their comprehensive analysis of bus stops focused on Massachusetts, the researchers are excited about the generalizability of the findings and application to other locations.
CEO Nat Ford’s address offered a look at highlights from 2025, with a focus on the future and the innovative ways the JTA is shaping mobility in Northeast Florida.
