Mass Transit

SEP-OCT 2014

Mass Transit magazine features agency profiles, industry trends, management tips and new product information.

Issue link: https://masstransit.epubxp.com/i/385405

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 32 of 105

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 | MassTransitmag.com | Mass Transit | 31 Luis R. Gonzalez General Manager Transit Management of Spartanburg/ First Transit LUIS GONZALEZ began his early transit career as an operator for the Uni- versity of Massachusetts. While at UMass, he moved from operator to trainer. He then went on to become a driver supervisor and later worked as a radio operator. Gonzalez joined First Transit afer his grad- uation in 2004. He held interim positions on Cape Cod in Manchester, New Hampshire, as well as Northampton and Spring- feld, Massachusetts, through the First Transit Management Associate Program. In November 2004, Gon- zalez was promoted to the position of assistant general manager of the Spartanburg Area Regional Transit Agen- cy (SPARTA) in Spartanburg, South Carolina. SPARTA is a system with 11 buses and eight fxed routes serving the city of Spartanburg. He served in that position for six years before being named to the general manager position in August 2010. During his tenure at SPARTA, Gonzalez has completed numerous projects at the agency, including a bus replacement program which placed four new low-foor buses into service; negotiated a multi-year collective bargaining agreement; and worked on bids for a number of purchases involved with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) grants program, including a mod- ern security surveillance system for the facility. The SPARTA system strives to constantly improve its customer satisfac- tion and increase transit us- age. Gonzalez has embraced this with the addition of pas- senger amenities through the design of effective routes and schedules and by time spent with SPARTA customers to ensure their needs are met. Ridership in Spartanburg and satisfaction with the service are both on the rise as a result of his strong management and customer service skills. Gonzalez is active in the Transit Association of South Carolina (TASC) and actively partic- ipates in numerous federal and state meetings and learning opportunities. www.MassTransitmag.com/11617628 Luis Gonzalez General Manager Transit Management of Spartanburg Way to go! Congratulations to Luis Gonzalez for being named in Mass Transit's Top 40 Under 40 for 2014 from your friends and colleagues at First Transit! Find out more about First Transit 1-866-949-7620 • www.frsttransit.com Do you have star power like Luis? Bring your skills to First Transit, the leading passenger transportation company in North America! For more information, visit www.MassTransitmag.com/10064892 "I would like to see public transit used as the main mode of transportation throughout the country and to see the choice rider be the majority of the passengers on the vehicle."

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Mass Transit - SEP-OCT 2014