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TRANSIT
TCRPREPORT 103
COOPERATIVE
RESEARCH
PROGRAM
Sponsored by
the Federal
Public Transportation Transit Administration
Operating Agencies as
Employers of Choice
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TCRP OVERSIGHT AND PROJECT TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2004 (Membership as of January 2004)
SELECTION COMMITTEE
(as of January 2004) OFFICERS
CHAIR Chair: Michael S. Townes, President and CEO, Hampton Roads Transit, Hampton, VA
J. BARRY BARKER Vice Chair: Joseph H. Boardman, Commissioner, New York State DOT
Transit Authority of River City Executive Director: Robert E. Skinner, Jr., Transportation Research Board
MEMBERS MEMBERS
KAREN ANTION MICHAEL W. BEHRENS, Executive Director, Texas DOT
Karen Antion Consulting SARAH C. CAMPBELL, President, TransManagement, Inc., Washington, DC
GORDON AOYAGI E. DEAN CARLSON, Director, Carlson Associates, Topeka, KS
Montgomery County Government JOHN L. CRAIG, Director, Nebraska Department of Roads
RONALD L. BARNES DOUGLAS G. DUNCAN, President and CEO, FedEx Freight, Memphis, TN
Central Ohio Transit Authority GENEVIEVE GIULIANO, Director, Metrans Transportation Center and Professor, School of Policy,
LINDA J. BOHLINGER Planning, and Development, USC, Los Angeles
HNTB Corp. BERNARD S. GROSECLOSE, JR., President and CEO, South Carolina State Ports Authority
ANDREW BONDS, JR.
SUSAN HANSON, Landry University Prof. of Geography, Graduate School of Geography, Clark University
Parsons Transportation Group, Inc.
JAMES R. HERTWIG, President, Landstar Logistics, Inc., Jacksonville, FL
JENNIFER L. DORN
HENRY L. HUNGERBEELER, Director, Missouri DOT
FTA
ADIB K. KANAFANI, Cahill Professor of Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
NATHANIEL P. FORD, SR.
RONALD F. KIRBY, Director of Transportation Planning, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
Metropolitan Atlanta RTA
CONSTANCE GARBER HERBERT S. LEVINSON, Principal, Herbert S. Levinson Transportation Consultant, New Haven, CT
York County Community Action Corp. SUE MCNEIL, Director, Urban Transportation Center and Professor, College of Urban Planning and Public
FRED M. GILLIAM Affairs, University of Illinois, Chicago
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority MICHAEL D. MEYER, Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of
KIM R. GREEN Technology
GFI GENFARE KAM MOVASSAGHI, Secretary of Transportation, Louisiana Department of Transportation and
SHARON GREENE Development
Sharon Greene & Associates CAROL A. MURRAY, Commissioner, New Hampshire DOT
JILL A. HOUGH JOHN E. NJORD, Executive Director, Utah DOT
North Dakota State University DAVID PLAVIN, President, Airports Council International, Washington, DC
ROBERT H. IRWIN JOHN REBENSDORF, Vice Pres., Network and Service Planning, Union Pacific Railroad Co., Omaha, NE
British Columbia Transit PHILIP A. SHUCET, Commissioner, Virginia DOT
CELIA G. KUPERSMITH C. MICHAEL WALTON, Ernest H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering, University of Texas, Austin
Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and LINDA S. WATSON, General Manager, Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority,
Transportation District Corpus Christi, TX
PAUL J. LARROUSSE
National Transit Institute EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
DAVID A. LEE MARION C. BLAKEY, Federal Aviation Administrator, U.S.DOT
Connecticut Transit SAMUEL G. BONASSO, Acting Administrator, Research and Special Programs Administration, U.S.DOT
CLARENCE W. MARSELLA REBECCA M. BREWSTER, President and COO, American Transportation Research Institute, Smyrna, GA
Denver Regional Transportation District
GEORGE BUGLIARELLO, Chancellor, Polytechnic University and Foreign Secretary, National Academy of
FAYE L. M. MOORE
Engineering
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation
THOMAS H. COLLINS (Adm., U.S. Coast Guard), Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard
Authority
JENNIFER L. DORN, Federal Transit Administrator, U.S.DOT
STEPHANIE L. PINSON
ROBERT B. FLOWERS (Lt. Gen., U.S. Army), Chief of Engineers and Commander, U.S. Army Corps of
Gilbert Tweed Associates, Inc.
ROBERT H. PRINCE, JR. Engineers
DMJM+HARRIS EDWARD R. HAMBERGER, President and CEO, Association of American Railroads
JEFFREY M. ROSENBERG JOHN C. HORSLEY, Exec. Dir., American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
Amalgamated Transit Union RICK KOWALEWSKI, Deputy Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U.S.DOT
PAUL P. SKOUTELAS WILLIAM W. MILLAR, President, American Public Transportation Association
Port Authority of Allegheny County MARY E. PETERS, Federal Highway Administrator, U.S.DOT
LINDA S. WATSON SUZANNE RUDZINSKI, Director, Transportation and Regional Programs, U.S. EPA
Corpus Christi RTA JEFFREY W. RUNGE, National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT
ALLAN RUTTER, Federal Railroad Administrator, U.S.DOT
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS ANNETTE M. SANDBERG, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT
WILLIAM W. MILLAR WILLIAM G. SCHUBERT, Maritime Administrator, U.S.DOT
APTA ROBERT A. VENEZIA, Program Manager of Public Health Applications, National Aeronautics and Space
MARY E. PETERS Administration
FHWA
JOHN C. HORSLEY TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
AASHTO
Transportation Research Board Executive Committee Subcommittee for TCRP
ROBERT E. SKINNER, JR.
TRB MICHAEL S. TOWNES, Hampton Roads Transit, Hampton, VA (Chair)
JOSEPH H. BOARDMAN, New York State DOT
TDC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JENNIFER L. DORN, Federal Transit Administration, U.S.DOT
LOUIS F. SANDERS GENEVIEVE GIULIANO, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
APTA WILLIAM W. MILLAR, American Public Transportation Association
SECRETARY ROBERT E. SKINNER, JR., Transportation Research Board
ROBERT J. REILLY C. MICHAEL WALTON, University of Texas, Austin
TRB LINDA S. WATSON, Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority, Corpus Christi, TX
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TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
TCRP REPORT 103
Public Transportation
Operating Agencies as
Employers of Choice
WATSON WYATT WORLDWIDE
Washington, D.C.
AND
FOCUS GROUP CORPORATION
Alexandria, VA
S UBJECT A REAS
Public Transit
Research Sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration in Cooperation with the Transit Development Corporation
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
WASHINGTON, D.C.
2004
www.TRB.org
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TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM TCRP REPORT 103
The nation's growth and the need to meet mobility, Project F-11 FY'2002
environmental, and energy objectives place demands on public ISSN 1073-4872
transit systems. Current systems, some of which are old and in need ISBN 0-309-08791-0
of upgrading, must expand service area, increase service frequency, Library of Congress Control Number 2004104645
and improve efficiency to serve these demands. Research is
© 2004 Transportation Research Board
necessary to solve operating problems, to adapt appropriate new
technologies from other industries, and to introduce innovations into Price $28.00
the transit industry. The Transit Cooperative Research Program
(TCRP) serves as one of the principal means by which the transit
industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to meet
demands placed on it.
The need for TCRP was originally identified in TRB Special
Report 213--Research for Public Transit: New Directions,
published in 1987 and based on a study sponsored by the Urban Mass
Transportation Administration--now the Federal Transit Admin-
istration (FTA). A report by the American Public Transportation NOTICE
Association (APTA), Transportation 2000, also recognized the need The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the Transit Cooperative
for local, problem-solving research. TCRP, modeled after the Research Program conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the
longstanding and successful National Cooperative Highway approval of the Governing Board of the National Research Council. Such
Research Program, undertakes research and other technical activities approval reflects the Governing Board's judgment that the project concerned is
in response to the needs of transit service providers. The scope of appropriate with respect to both the purposes and resources of the National
TCRP includes a variety of transit research fields including plan- Research Council.
ning, service configuration, equipment, facilities, operations, human The members of the technical advisory panel selected to monitor this project and
resources, maintenance, policy, and administrative practices. to review this report were chosen for recognized scholarly competence and with
TCRP was established under FTA sponsorship in July 1992. due consideration for the balance of disciplines appropriate to the project. The
Proposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, TCRP was opinions and conclusions expressed or implied are those of the research agency
authorized as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation that performed the research, and while they have been accepted as appropriate
Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). On May 13, 1992, a memorandum by the technical panel, they are not necessarily those of the Transportation
agreement outlining TCRP operating procedures was executed by Research Board, the National Research Council, the Transit Development
the three cooperating organizations: FTA, The National Academies, Corporation, or the Federal Transit Administration of the U.S. Department of
acting through the Transportation Research Board (TRB); and Transportation.
the Transit Development Corporation, Inc. (TDC), a nonprofit Each report is reviewed and accepted for publication by the technical panel
educational and research organization established by APTA. according to procedures established and monitored by the Transportation
TDC is responsible for forming the independent governing board, Research Board Executive Committee and the Governing Board of the National
designated as the TCRP Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Research Council.
Committee. To save time and money in disseminating the research findings, the report is
Research problem statements for TCRP are solicited periodically essentially the original text as submitted by the research agency. This report has
but may be submitted to TRB by anyone at any time. It is the not been edited by TRB.
responsibility of the TOPS Committee to formulate the research
program by identifying the highest priority projects. As part of the
evaluation, the TOPS Committee defines funding levels and
expected products. Special Notice
Once selected, each project is assigned to an expert panel,
appointed by the Transportation Research Board. The panels prepare The Transportation Research Board of The National Academies, the National
project statements (requests for proposals), select contractors, and Research Council, the Transit Development Corporation, and the Federal Transit
Administration (sponsor of the Transit Cooperative Research Program) do not
provide technical guidance and counsel throughout the life of the
endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers' names appear herein
project. The process for developing research problem statements and
solely because they are considered essential to the clarity and completeness of the
selecting research agencies has been used by TRB in managing
project reporting.
cooperative research programs since 1962. As in other TRB activ-
ities, TCRP project panels serve voluntarily without compensation.
Because research cannot have the desired impact if products fail Published reports of the
to reach the intended audience, special emphasis is placed on
disseminating TCRP results to the intended end users of the TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
research: transit agencies, service providers, and suppliers. TRB are available from:
provides a series of research reports, syntheses of transit practice,
and other supporting material developed by TCRP research. APTA Transportation Research Board
Business Office
will arrange for workshops, training aids, field visits, and other
500 Fifth Street, NW
activities to ensure that results are implemented by urban and rural
Washington, DC 20001
transit industry practitioners.
The TCRP provides a forum where transit agencies can and can be ordered through the Internet at
cooperatively address common operational problems. The TCRP http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore
results support and complement other ongoing transit research and
training programs. Printed in the United States of America
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The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished schol-
ars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology
and to their use for the general welfare. On the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in
1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and techni-
cal matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Acad-
emy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration
and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for
advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs
aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achieve-
ments of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the
services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to
the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of
Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, on its own initiative,
to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the
Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate
the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and
advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Acad-
emy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and
the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific
and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both the Academies and the Institute
of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the
National Research Council.
The Transportation Research Board is a division of the National Research Council, which serves the
National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. The Board's mission is to promote
innovation and progress in transportation through research. In an objective and interdisciplinary setting, the
Board facilitates the sharing of information on transportation practice and policy by researchers and
practitioners; stimulates research and offers research management services that promote technical
excellence; provides expert advice on transportation policy and programs; and disseminates research
results broadly and encourages their implementation. The Board's varied activities annually engage more
than 4,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and
private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is
supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of
the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the
development of transportation. www.TRB.org
www.national-academies.org
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COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS STAFF
ROBERT J. REILLY, Director, Cooperative Research Programs
CHRISTOPHER W. JENKS, TCRP Manager
GWEN CHISHOLM, Senior Program Officer
EILEEN P. DELANEY, Managing Editor
PROJECT PANEL F-11
Field of Human Resources
BEVERLY A. SCOTT, Sacramento Regional Transit District (Chair)
GAIL CHARLES, The Wright Choice Consulting Services, Inc.
JOAN CRAWFORD, Motor Carrier Passenger Council of Canada
SUZANNE FOSSEY, British Columbia Transit
SAUNDRA FOSTER, SL Foster & Associates
KEITH J. GREENE, Society for Human Resource Management
PRIM LA CAPRA, New Jersey Transit Corporation
JOAN MARTIN, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
JAMES E. MOORE, II, University of Southern California
JEFFREY M. ROSENBERG, Amalgamated Transit Union
PAM WARD, Ottumwa Transit Authority, Ottumwa, IA
LYDIA E. MERCADO, FTA Liaison Representative
MATTHEW J. WELBES, FTA Liaison Representative
PAMELA BOSWELL, APTA Liaison Representative
PETER SHAW, TRB Liaison Representative
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TCRP REPORT 103: Public Transportation Operating Agencies as Employers of
FOREWORD Choice documents principles, techniques, and strategies that are used in workforce
By Gwen Chisholm recruitment, development, and retention. The report includes a companion document,
Staff Officer Communications Strategy and Implementation Plan, Positioning the Public Trans-
Transportation Research portation Operating Agency as an Employer of Choice that describes strategies and
Board solutions that offer the greatest potential for positioning public transportation operat-
ing agencies as an employer of choice. The Toolkit will assist transportation policy-
makers and practitioners in implementing more effective human resources business-
planning processes.
The success and overall competitiveness of the public transportation operating
agency is directly tied to its human resources--the quality, responsiveness, and com-
mitment of its employees at all levels. At a time of sharply increased demand for its
services, the public transportation industry faces serious problems in recruiting, devel-
oping, and retaining a skilled workforce. The public transportation industry would like
to be positioned as an "employer of choice."
Research reveals that public transportation operating agencies have struggled with
integrating human resources into strategic business-planning processes. Today, public
transportation operating agencies are facing workforce changes that threaten their tra-
ditional patterns of recruitment and retention. Some of these are general trends in the
society: demographic changes, changes in worker expectations, and changes in educa-
tion and training. Other challenges are more specific to the public transportation oper-
ating agency. The public transportation operating agency is increasingly less attractive
as a career choice in part due to its image, work culture, and compensation. Traditional
sources of transit recruitment are no longer as productive as they were in the past.
Today, operating agencies are also challenged to use technology to recruit and develop
their workforce.
Although research has been completed on workforce challenges in public trans-
portation, there are still significant gaps. Building on the work that has been completed
to date, the Toolkit is designed to provide U.S. public transportation operating agencies
with a variety of resources, methods and techniques for workforce recruitment, devel-
opment, and retention.
Watson Wyatt Worldwide prepared this report for TCRP Project F-11. To achieve
the project's objective of assembling a toolkit--based on principles, techniques, strate-
gies, and available resources--that can be used to recruit, develop, and retain the pub-
lic transportation workforce, thereby positioning public transportation agencies as
employers of choice, a comprehensive literature review was undertaken to identify fac-
tors that positively affect public transportation operating agency workforce recruit-
ment, development, and retention.
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To ensure that the Toolkit would be responsive to the needs and concerns of the
transit industry, Watson Wyatt Worldwide conducted interviews, surveys, and focus
groups to solicit input from public transportation operating agency employees on their
perceptions of (1) the positive aspects of the public transportation operating agency as
an employer and (2) the obstacles preventing the public transportation operating agency
from being an employer of choice. The information gathered from the data-collection
effort shaped both the content and organization of the Toolkit. The Toolkit includes
strategies and best practices that address how a public transportation operating agency
can become an employer of choice.
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CONTENTS 1 COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Introduction, 1
Communications Strategy and Implementation, 2
Measuring Effectiveness of Initial Communications, 4
Communications Beyond Year 1, 5
Communications Strategy and Implementation Plan Guidelines, 5
6 EXHIBIT A: Sample EOC Key Messages
11 EXHIBIT B: Sample Tactical Plan for Year 1--Industry
12 EXHIBIT C: Sample Tactical Plan for Year 1--Agency
CD-ROM CONTENTS
Toolkit as PDF
Toolkit as PowerPoint
