Jablonski named APTA 2014 Outstanding Public Transportation Manager
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefPaul Jablonski, CEO of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), was recognized as the Outstanding Public Transportation Manager for 2014 by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).
The award was presented to Jablonski at APTA’s annual meeting and EXPO in Houston. The award was based on Jablonski’s contributions to the transportation industry and for the achievements he has made over his 11-year career as the chief executive of MTS. APTA also cited his outstanding leadership over his 45 years in the public transportation business, both in the public and private sectors.
Jablonski joined MTS in 2003, shortly after many of the administrative and planning functions were transferred to the San Diego Association of Governments. Among his major accomplishments since then are:
• Setting a record for ridership in FY 2014 with more than 95 million trips.
• Leading a capital improvement program that includes a $660 million Trolley Renewal project, an ongoing bus procurement process to get more than 80% of the fleet on compressed natural gas, and the rebuilding of two major bus maintenance facilities.
• Launching a new network of Rapid bus service.
• Reorganizing MTS to consolidate functions with bus and Trolley divisions under the MTS umbrella.
• Leading a market-driven redesign of the entire bus network, resulting in an annual savings of $9 million and a 9.6% increase in ridership.
• Directing a preventative maintenance program that increased the average distance between road maintenance calls for buses from just 2,500 miles to nearly 12,000 miles.
• Renegotiating 14 labor contracts without a work stoppage.
• Reducing pension costs for management and represented employees.
• Helping MTS earn APTA’s Most Outstanding Transit Agency of the year in 2009/2010.
“I am proud of this award,” Jablonski said. “I am even more proud of the team of professionals at MTS that make our system the very best it can be for our passengers.”
“The San Diego region is exceptionally lucky to have Paul leading the public transportation effort,” said Harry Mathis, chairman of the MTS Board of Directors. “MTS has never been in better shape in terms of vehicles, facilities and sustainability. Thanks to Paul, MTS is one of the nation’s most efficient transit agencies and it is poised to meet the challenge of providing transportation choices of the future.”
MTS operates 93 bus routes and three Trolley lines on 53 miles of double-tracked railway. Every day there are about 300,000 passenger trips taken on MTS bus and Trolley services.
