Click here
to download in Adobe PDF format
Table Of Contents
|
Message from the Chair
By Kim Green, GFI Genfare
GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS
 APTA
Chair Dick White has set the theme for APTA this year — Getting
Down to Business. I believe that our association has never understood
and acknowledged the business perspective as well as it does today,
and Dick’s theme underscores the progress that we have made. While
this is a result of years of hard work by business members to change
their image within APTA, it is also the result of the evolution of the
industry from one primarily thought of as a social services provider
to one that understands the business of transportation and public transit’s
place in the fabric of society. Dick’s theme can be central in
our continuing advancement of this industry.
As the new chair of the Business Member Board of Governors,
I look forward to what we will accomplish together in the next two years.
With the business theme foremost in our minds, we need to focus our
energy and enthusiasm on building stronger ties to our public partners
while advancing the issues that are critical to us. We have come a long
way on the road to true partnership with our public sector allies in
APTA, and we need to continue those efforts. How can we capitalize on
the theme that Dick has laid out for APTA this year? We should start
with the premise that APTA’s business members have real contributions
to make to the association. We must focus on our common goals, our interdependence
and our willingness to act in the highest professional manner.
Transportation funding reauthorization will continue
to dominate our industry’s agenda until we get a good bill signed
by the President. With the election over, we must work diligently with
other transit stakeholders toward enactment of a
strong reauthorization package. As business members, we need to assert
ourselves this spring at the APTA Legislative
Conference in Washington, D.C., and take our message to the Hill —
that transit means business. Congress needs to understand that both
public and private sector members strongly support this bill and that
it is critical that it become law now
— not in another year. We need YOU to make the commitment to visit
the Hill with our public sector partners to deliver
that message clearly, and to let Congress know that the lack of a bill
is having an economic impact on the private sector.
Procurement reform will also continue as a high priority agenda item
for the industry in the next year. The APTA
Procurement Task Force did a great job of raising industry awareness
of this issue. We have to move forward
with needed improvements in the procurement process, improvements that
will continue to make the process more collaborative and less confrontational.
Growth may emerge as a priority agenda item in the
coming year. As business people we naturally focus on corporate growth,
and our public sector partners also understand that growth is a critical
component of the business of public
transportation. Ridership increases are essential to our industry. To
generate them, we must deliver safe, clean and efficient alternatives
to the auto. Business members provide the tools our public partners
need to increase ridership.
Growth is in everyone’s interest, and we need
to continue to work together to promote it. As your chair, I will do
all that I can to make sure that we focus on the critical issues facing
our members and that we build on our past
accomplishments and leverage the advances we
have made. We will work hard to accomplish
the objectives identified in the Business Member
Tactical Plan adopted last year. I look forward to
working with all of you and getting down to
business in 2005!
|
An Example For Us All
By Jim Srygley, S&A Systems Inc.
Some
people inspire us to set higher goals, to try harder, to keep working when
things get tough — and then encourage us and help us along the way.
I can think of no better definition of mentor. I was fortunate to have such
a mentor in Ellis Watkins, a former general manager of the Dallas Transit
System (now DART). His example still inspires me to work harder to enlist
new mentors and to be a better mentor myself. I met Ellis while working on
a consulting project for Dallas Transit in the late 1960s. He encouraged me
to start my own business, and would call to tell me I should go with him to
APTA meetings — always saying, “There will be people there you
need to meet.” When I obliged, he would take me around to all of the
hospitality suites introducing me to people. Ellis always kept an eye out
for young people in the transit industry that he thought were sharp and who
would do well in the industry — and made sure that I met these young
people. Once on a trip to a meeting in San Diego he told me that Tom Prior
had a young guy on his staff who was going far in the industry. He went out
of his way to introduce me to this young guy, named Roger Snoble. In Washington,
he introduced me to Jerry Premo and Don Sullivan, a couple of young guys working
for UMTA, and the list goes on.
Ellis always joked that when he started in the industry one did not apply
for a job, one tried out for a position on one of the company’s ball
teams. As a former All-State high school basketball player, that was no problem
for Ellis. In later years his game of choice was golf, at which he excelled.
A member of what Tom Brokaw has called “the Greatest Generation,”
Ellis took time off during World War II to fly B-17s and B-29s, and then rejoined
the transit industry. Ellis currently resides at 6155 E. Mockingbird Lane,
Apt. 218, Dallas, TX, 75214. I am sure he would enjoy a card or note from
those who remember him.
APTA is looking for people interested in serving as mentors
to its new members. If you are interested contact Helene Brett at hbrett@apta.com.
Record Number of Transit Victories Should
Improve Business Climate
By Cliff Henke, NABI, and Sharon Greene, Sharon Greene &
Associates
Voters across the country resoundingly approved a record
number of public transportation referendums as Americans
went to the polls on Nov. 2. The results should improve the business climate
through the end of the decade, as local and state match now exceeds the federal
share of transit capital funding, according to APTA data.
Among the measures approved by voters were a long-term transit
expansion plan in Denver that includes new construction of light rail; a $16
billion plan in Phoenix that includes light rail, BRT and other bus improvements;
and passage of a half-cent sales tax extension in San Diego that will fund
a major expansion of the region’s rail and bus system.
“This has been a record year for transit initiatives,”
said Stephanie Vance, program manager for the Center for Transportation Excellence.
“We’ve seen a significant jump in the number of transit initiatives
on the ballot and in how many passed.” Of
the 36 successful initiatives tracked by the center, the measures are worth
$54 billion, with at least $22 billion for public transit.
“This clearly is not a partisan
issue,” Vance added. “Of the states
that passed initiatives Nov. 2, seven
went for President Bush and four
went for Senator Kerry.”
Page 2 lists a rundown of how each initiative fared in the
election.
Task Force Reports Progress on Marketplace
Early Warning System
By Don Nelson, The Washington Group
In response to feedback from its members, the BMBG established
an “early warning system” for marketplace and procurement information
as a high priority in the tactical plan it adopted last year. Since then,
a task force was established to research and make recommendations for implementing
such a system. As noted below, progress on the idea has been encouraging.
The task force began by establishing general parameters for the project. The
three most important are:
- No more than the 50 largest agencies would be included in the initial
phase.
- A two-year horizon from a “rolling” project list would be used,
based on the projects and procurements scheduled by the monitored agencies.
- The list should be revised on a quarterly basis, if practicable.
The task force then canvassed the targeted agencies to determine
the availability of long-term capital plans and to identify, if appropriate,
these agencies’ contact personnel for acquiring the initial information
and to establish an ongoing flow of information thereafter. From this effort
a matrix was constructed, which also established a framework for future data
collection.
In order to implement this system, several challenges must
be overcome. First, it must be determined which procurements should be monitored,
as many in the capital plans of these top agencies have already been awarded.
Second, an entirely new arrangement between transit agencies
and APTA staff will be required. Essential to this new arrangement will be
both the willingness of these agencies to provide information not now required
by either the association or the government, as well as the funds to cover
the cost of this proposed new APTA service. The BMBG would presumably have
to subsidize this expense since business members are the sole beneficiaries.
The task force continues to collect data and refine its
collection process for the system matrix. Working with the APTA staff we will
develop recommendations in 2005 to address the issues mentioned above.
Transit Ballot Measures Scorecard
Here are the key measures considered in the election this
past fall:
Phoenix: Maricopa County half-cent sales tax extension
and $16 billion regional transportation plan, funding light rail and BRT.
Passed 57%–43%.
San Francisco Bay Area: $980 million bond issue to
pay for BART earthquake safety modifications.
Approved 56%–44%.
Contra Costa County, Calif.: Renew Measure C, a half-cent
sales tax funding $1.6 billion in highway and transit projects, and update
the county’s growth management plan.
Approved 70%–30%.
Sacramento: Extension of Measure A, the existing
half-cent transportation sales tax, which would raise $4.7 billion for road
and transit improvements.
Approved 75%–25%.
San Mateo County, Calif.: Renewal of Measure A, a
half-cent transportation sales tax, worth $1.5 billion over 25 years in road
and transit projects.
Approved 75%–25%.
Santa Cruz, Calif.: Half-cent sales tax to raise
$530 million for road, trails and transit.
Defeated 43%–57%.
San Bernardino, Calif.: A $6 billion, 30-year transportation
plan, including commuter rail, light rail and BRT.
Approved 79%–21%.
Marin County, Calif.: Half-cent sales tax increase
for road and bus projects.
Approved 79%–21%.
Ventura County, Calif.: Half-cent sales tax increase
for road and transit improvements.
Defeated 40%–60%.
San Diego: Transnet, a $9.5 billion plan for transit
and highway projects.
Approved 67%–33%.
Denver: FasTracks, a $4.7 billion expansion plan
for several new light rail and commuter rail lines.
Approved 57%–33%.
Garfield County, Colo.: Whether the county should
join the Roaring Fork Transit Authority (Aspen).
Defeated 39%–61%.
El Paso County, Colo.: A plan to raise the sales
tax by a penny to fund road and transit improvements and to form the Rural
Transportation Authority, which would serve county communities, including
the Colorado Springs region.
Approved 55%–45%.
Aspen, Colo.: A bailout of the Roaring Fork Transit
Authority.
Approved 77%–22%.
Florida (statewide): To repeal a provision to develop
and operate a state high-speed ground
transportation system.
Approved 64%–36%.
Kalamazoo City, Mich.: A $1 million property tax
renewal for $1.56 million in transit service.
Approved 67%–32%.
Charleston, S.C.: A half-cent sales tax increase
to fund transit, green space and roads.
Approved 59%–41%.
Austin, Texas: Sales tax increase for a commuter
rail starter line, at a cost of less than $100 million.
Approved 62%–37%.
Fairfax County, Va.: $300 million bond issue for
transportation, human services, parks and libraries, a third of which is for
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority renewal, improvements and expansion.
Approved 76%–24%.
New Member Profiles
Browz Group LC
13997 S. Minuteman Drive
Draper, UT 84020
(877) 392-7699
www.browz.com
Profile: Browz Group collects, verifies and manages supplier/contractor
compliance requirements, including insurance verification, licensing, financial
scores, safety, quality, environmental and security. Clients access this information
via the Internet using patented web-based content management technology, resulting
in reduced cost, minimized operational risk and improved business performance.
Transit-related products/services: Web-based contractor/supplier compliance
verification certification, information and consulting services.
Cimage
NovaSoft USA
1 New England Executive Park
Burlington, MA 01803
(781) 221-0365
www.cimagenovasoft.com
Profile: Cimage NovaSoft is a global provider of e-business application
solutions to industry-serving companies with industries that are highly competitive
or highly regulated. The company was founded in 1989 and is headquartered
in Bracknell, U.K., with subsidiary offices in Burlington, Mass., and Aberdeen,
Scotland.
Transit-related products/services: Industry-specific e-business templates
that help lower the cost and implementation time required for supply-chain
management and other enterprise solutions.
GVI Security Solutions Inc.
2801 Trade Center Drive
Carrollton, TX 75007
(888) 595-2288
www.samsungcc.tv
Profile: GVI is a provider of complete video surveillance and security
solutions incorporating a complete line of video surveillance, access control
and detection systems to the homeland security, professional, business-to-business
and retail market segments. The company is the exclusive distributor of video
surveillance products for Samsung Electronics in North, Central and South
America to professional end users and a major national retailer.
Transit-related products/services: Full range of security and monitoring
equipment, both onboard and fixed installations. In addition, its GVI Enterprise
Solutions Group is designed to offer users such as transit systems a complete
integrated solution to a security project.
Marconi
BBRS Sales, Marketing, Manufacturing & Services
1000 Marconi Drive
Warrendale, PA 15086
(866) 627-2664
www.marconi.com
Profile: Marconi is a multi-regional designer, manufacturer and supplier
of telecommunications and information technology equipment and services, enabling
its customers to evolve narrowband networks to next-generation broadband networks.
Transit-related products/services: Core activities are network equipment,
including a variety of communications systems that transmit and switch voice,
data and video traffic, and network services, including consultancy, installation,
commissioning and maintenance. Marconi’s transportation-specific offerings
include vehicle management, real-time passenger information systems, train
monitoring equipment and asset management systems.
What It Takes for Prime and DBE Partnering
Success
By Delceno Miles, The Miles Agency
Despite the growing outreach, there are some remaining barriers that DBEs
and small businesses must overcome if they are to do business in the public
transportation industry. While shared with firms many times their size, these
challenges pose disproportionately greater barriers to small companies. They
include:
- Insurance requirements (amount/cost).
- Adequate cash flow.
- Ensuring subcontractors understand they may not get their first check
for work performed for 60 days vs. the usual 15–30
days at the project start.
- Bonding projects.
As mentioned, big companies such as prime contractors know these problems
as well, and partnering strategies can minimize
the burdens of the issues for all companies in a project team. Some helpful
tips for DBEs and primes to work together
toward success are:
- DBEs should get to know specific primes they wish to partner with before
a project becomes available for bid.
- DBEs should develop a company profile that can be e-mailed to potential
primes to introduce their business before scheduling a meeting with the
primes.
- DBEs should know their business and industry well, and that means homework.
- DBEs should show primes how they can add value to their team.
- DBEs should attend networking forums, expos, monthly and quarterly chambers,
councils and other events where primes are and get to know them.
- Primes should extend an invitation for DBEs and small firms to learn how
to become a member of their team.
- Primes should become mentors to a select number of DBEs and small firms
to help them develop the necessary skill set
for projects on which they will participate.
With hard work, a strategy, communication and commitment to building a successful
relationship among all team members, future DBE subcontractors will not only
be valuable parts of original equipment manufacturers' and agencies’
supply chains but eventually the smaller firm might be able to render services
as a prime contractor itself. However, the commitment of all participants
— prime, client and the DBEs — must be the first step in this journey.
Although transit authorities are the real leaders in determining the level
of DBE participation, most private sector companies will display a good faith
to adhere to the procurement’s rules.
|
Upcoming Meetings
In 2005 the BMBG is scheduled to meet :
4 January 19–21
Coral Gables, Fla.
Biltmore Hotel
4 March 6
Washington, D.C.
APTA Legislative Conference,
JW Marriott Hotel
4 May 15
Columbus, Ohio
APTA Bus and Paratransit
Conference
4 September 26
Dallas
APTA Annual Meeting
and EXPO
|
|
Business In Motion
The official newsletter of the American Public Transportation Association's
Business Members
Chair
Kim Green,
GFI Genfare
Chair, Outreach Committee/Publisher
Cliff Henke, NABI
Associate Publisher
Frank Di Giacomo,
METRO Magazine
Editor
Leslie Davis,
METRO Magazine
Graphic Designer
Joni Hutton,
Bobit Business Media
APTA Staff Advisor
Fran Hooper
Ensure a positive R.O.I. …Get active in APTA. To receive Business in Motion electronically, email Fran Hooper at
fhooper@apta.com.
|
Some of these pages may include links to documents in the Adobe PDF format. Please download the Adobe PDF reader if you have not already done so.
