A Bid for Better Transit: Webinar Recap

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to host Stephanie Lotshaw from Transitcenter to share A Bid for Better Transit. This research investigates how and under what conditions transit agencies can contract bus or rail operations to improve transit service while preserving essential labor protections.

Stephanie shared six case studies — three in Europe (Oslo, Stockholm, and London) and three in North America (Vancouver, New Orleans, and Los Angeles). A full version of the webinar can be found here.

Webinar attendees raised several interesting points in the following Q+A section. One example was thinking critically about which entity, government or the private sector, should take on what risks. Stephanie brought up the fact that transit agencies are best suited to bear the risk of factors outside of an operator’s control (e.g., fuel costs) whereas private operators are well suited to take on risks of labor and insurance costs.

An audience member raised a separate question regarding the amount of time needed to do a good before/after comparison of contracted versus non-contracted service. The best practice for an agreement between an agency and an operator is a five-year contract with two option years. Conducting an evaluation after the five-year mark is likely going to produce the most accurate results given the uncertainty of the early years of a new contractual agreement.

Thanks to our audience members who attended and please be sure to check out other Remix events and webinars.