People in charge of transit agencies should ride the system (Dunwoody: 2014, Home Depot)

[cqholt]

I know Keith Parker pledged to ride the train from Dunwoody to Lindbergh Center, but does he still do it? How many of the board members ride?
Why the People in Charge of Transit Systems Should Be Required to Actually Ride Transit - CityLab

[bu2]

I think the majority of people in charge of transportation policy should have to work jobs with limited flexibility in hours. Don't think many of them ever have to drive/commute in rush hour.

[tikigod311]

I totally agree. I hope he still rides and also uses other parts of the system. If he actually used the College Park station that broken sign at the entrance that looks so ratchet would be fixed by now.

[LynnHarris]

I agree with this. I also think that actual MARTA riders should have a "special" seat on the board. This would really provide valuable insight into what changes are needed the most on bus routes and rail lines.

[arjay57]

They should also pay the same fare as everyone else, as that is an important part of the experience.

I like Lynn's idea of having a "riders" seat on the board.

[ATLTJL]

This idea isn't unique to transit, it's true of all business.

I've never been an astute student of finance, but I did have to take courses in it in both undergrad and graduate school. One of the key takeaways from one of my smartest finance professors went like this: Financial measures can give you key indicators to the performance of a company, but never underestimate the value of first-hand experience.

The example he gave was that he didn't care what the numbers said about K-Mart (this was around the time Sears was buying K-Mart), he argued that all you had to do is actually walk into a K-Mart store to understand it was failing.

I think there's a lot of wisdom in that, which is why Home Depot started doing really well around the same time all employees had to spend a certain amount of time working in stores in customer facing roles. It's important to keep your finger on the pulse of what affects your business.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by LynnHarris

I agree with this. I also think that actual MARTA riders should have a "special" seat on the board. This would really provide valuable insight into what changes are needed the most on bus routes and rail lines.

They can show up to board meetings and talk.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by bu2

I think the majority of people in charge of transportation policy should have to work jobs with limited flexibility in hours. Don't think many of them ever have to drive/commute in rush hour.

Based on experience, I know that GDOT's management works normal 8-5 hours and commutes like the rest of us.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by arjay57

They should also pay the same fare as everyone else, as that is an important part of the experience.

I like Lynn's idea of having a "riders" seat on the board.

Many years ago, MARTA tried that by putting a housing project resident as chairwoman, and it was a complete disaster.

[DragonflyMom]

Any MARTA exec who rides MARTA should also ride in the stinky, pee coated elevators in the stations, and take the escalators....I dare them to put their hands on the handrails without getting someone else's DNA on them.