Today, bus rapid transit (BRT) is the nation’s fastest growing transit mode, according to the Federal Transit Administration. Since 2016, 317 miles of BRT lines have been put into service in the U.S. That’s largely because it can be more cost-effective than rail, implemented on a much quicker timeline and less disruptive to the local community. Despite these benefits, transit agencies face challenges on multiple fronts in implementing BRT. Those challenges include:
- Workforce availability
- Loss of institutional knowledge
- Pressures to adapt and implement solutions at an ever-increasing pace
- More connected and sophisticated stakeholders who want transparency and information
Accountability and speed are important in implementation as citizens demand relief from congestion and construction materials incur inflation that limits available funding and burden project budgets. So, how do transit agencies get assistance? Consider a program management approach.
Excellent program managers can serve as partners to help transit agencies overcome these challenges by offering resources and technical expertise. The partnership integrates throughout the entire program lifecycle, bringing speed and efficiency to decision-making and a seamlessness that strengthens the agency’s project delivery and standing in the community. Program management empowers organizations to achieve their organizational goals through advocacy, strategy, operations support and implementation.
Advocating as a Program Champion
Funding can be a challenge for transit projects. At all levels of government, transit is competing with funding for other modes of transportation and is often not the highest priority. An effective program management partner advocates for transit agencies through their network of stakeholders, business leaders and elected officials. They actively engage with policymakers to advocate for funding, but also transit-friendly policies, regulations, and more efficient oversight processes.
Buses often have a public perception issue, and agencies need champions to help tell the story of the benefits of more modern bus services like BRT. Modern BRT lines often include elevated platforms, dedicated lanes, enhanced stations and real-time travel information.
Implementing new systems on existing business corridors and neighborhoods often meet resistance from community stakeholders fearful of disruptions, loss of business and change. That means transit agencies must engage in significant stakeholder and public involvement, which can tax resources and delay projects.
A transit program manager should be a champion in the community for transit agencies goals. The most effective program managers have a portfolio of tools to create meaningful, impactful public, stakeholder, and community engagement programs that promote, educate, and act as a flagbearer for your goals. Effective program managers increasingly should have robust education, public relations, and media relations arms that build messages, reinforce transit brands, and combat obsolete, inaccurate perceptions of buses and BRT.
Serving as a Strategist
Program managers should provide transit agencies help in developing and executing effective strategies within the current transit landscape and prepare them for the future. Strategies start with goal-setting and visioning that then guide the plan and metric development for the program. Effective program managers are strategists: identifying needs for and gaps in program progress and success, creating comprehensive plans, identifying priority projects for funding, and assessing risks to the plan.
Effective program managers are long-term partners to a transit agency’s big picture plans. They’re not guided by individual project success, but instead they focus on a program’s strategic outcomes, return on investment, and countering headwinds that could derail the agency’s vision.
Assisting with Operations
Transit agencies’ ability to acquire additional funding is important, and the federal government is an significant source for BRT funding. The U.S. Department of Transportation and other stakeholders require that agencies are accountable to taxpayers. This means the intricate intra-agency process and procedures with state departments of transportation and other jurisdictions must be streamlined and completed within reasonable timeframes.
With staffing and funding challenges, transit agencies seek streamlining and swiftness in program delivery, but resources can be limited to strategize change. Effective program management firms can supplement transit agencies with additional resources, enabling transit officials and employees to spearhead process improvements, streamlining, and agility. These additional resources could be technology, data, and personnel.
Process engineering is another important facet of an effective program manager. For transit agencies that need an outside perspective on their workflows, program managers can use process engineering, data analytics, and other tools to direct streamlined procedures that better position transit agencies to access additional funding.
Effective program managers can create a framework of key performance indicators (KPIs), metrics, and communication that promotes accountability within an agency, equipping senior staff and agency leadership with data to champion success. This data enables leadership to share important testimonials and case studies to advertise the project to various funders.
Partnering in Implementation
Program managers should be an essential resource in the implementation of transit agencies’ strategic plans. Program managers prioritize not only scope, schedule, and budget but also strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Leadership is often an assumed trait of a program manager, but good leaders are rare. Leaders must rally busy people to achieve a transit agency’s goals and vision; build trust inside and outside of the agency; translate high-level strategic goals into actionable tasks; and excel at collaboration. Through leadership, but also coordination, monitoring, relationship management, risk management, and collaboration with a variety of partners, an effective program manager enables transit agencies to transform their strategic goals into tangible outcomes that benefit the communities they serve.
Collaborating as Strategic Partners
Transit agencies who want to capitalize on the growing momentum for BRT should evaluate their organization’s need for program management and see how a program manager may benefit them. While program management is typical for larger projects, it is also scalable and customizable to fit whatever needs a transit agency may have. Ultimately, an effective program manager should be your strategic partner that champions the project with policymakers, neighbors, and local business leaders in your communities. The best program managers flex to your needs, while empowering and equipping transit agencies to overcome the challenges of today and tomorrow.
Jeremy Busby is an accomplished program manager and consultancy services leader at Gresham Smith, where he leads program management efforts across the firm. Throughout his career, Jeremy has managed a wide variety of programs and projects for state departments of transportation and local municipalities across the nation. As a strategic advisor to clients, he’s an expert on the successful delivery of projects via schedule management, project controls and effective risk management.
