Association Unveils Blueprint for Long-term Viability of Industry and Organization
By Jacob Herson
Managing Editor
Transit California
On December 19, the Association released its 2023-2028 Strategic Plan, adopted at the November 15 Executive Committee meeting. As part of a year-long effort directed by the Executive Committee — led by Chair Karen King, CEO of Golden Empire Transit District, and Vice Chair Sharon Cooney, CEO of San Diego MTS — the Association’s new Strategic Plan serves as a blueprint for meeting the changing needs of the public transit industry and the communities, workers, and families across California it serves.
Purpose & Overview
“The Association’s 2023-2028 Strategic Plan comes at a moment when our industry faces serious existential threats — slow ridership recovery, a fiscal cliff, and a widening workforce gap,” said Chair King. “At the same time, we are committed to playing active roles in broader societal efforts to address climate change and structural inequality.”
King continued, “In addition to refining our Vision, Mission, and Values, this Strategic Plan for the next five years identifies objectives and performance measures to advance our longstanding goals: advocating for critical funding and policy at the state and federal levels; providing the best service to our members; maintaining the strongest possible Association; and building a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible public transit industry.” 
“Under the last strategic plan, the Association helped deliver major legislative, regulatory, and budgetary victories that are helping to transform our industry,” said Executive Director Michael Pimentel. “These victories include, among other things, the historic passage of Senate Bill 1, providing approximately $1 billion in new funding for capital and operations to California’s transit agencies annually; the negotiation and successful implementation of the Innovative Clean Transit regulation, which will facilitate the transition of all transit buses in California to zero-emission technologies by 2040; the enactment of numerous sponsored bills; and the enactment of one-time COVID-19 relief measures, including new federal funding, and state-level statutory and regulatory relief.”
Pimentel continued: “As we look ahead, the challenges and opportunities are significant. Our goal is to make certain there is ongoing, sustainable funding and the workforce that allows agencies not only to preserve, maintain, and expand current services in the face of immediate post-pandemic challenges, but support the transformation of our industry into one that is cleaner and more adaptable. Long-term viability is core to this plan. Additionally, for fleets to be 100 percent zero-emission by 2040, the ZEV transition will require more funding for vehicles and infrastructure, and ongoing workforce training.”
The refreshed Strategic Plan also expands efforts within the Association and at member agencies to build a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible public transit industry. As the Association examined in its 2021 report, Actions for a More Inclusive, Diverse, and Equitable Association, transportation infrastructure and mobility services have a history that includes discrimination, displacement, the dividing of communities, and the unequal distribution of benefits and impacts.
“The 2023-2028 Strategic Plan formalizes — for the first time — our Association’s commitment to increasing equity, inclusion, and access in our strategic planning," noted Vice Chair Cooney. "The results of this increased focus will be visible in the policy positions we take and the educational content we deliver to members. We’ll be partnering with racial and social justice and transportation equity organizations who are already leading in this work, as well as bolstering the work of the Association’s own Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Task Force in developing best practices and equity assessment tools. Ultimately, we expect to see greater diversity across our Association and our industry — especially in leadership positions."
Process of Developing the Plan
In November 2020, the Association’s Executive Committee extended its existing 2017-2021 Strategic Plan through 2022 in recognition of the significant operational and financial challenges facing the industry at the height of the pandemic. In November 2021, the Executive Committee directed Association staff to initiate in 2022 a process for forging a new consultant-facilitated 2023-2028 Strategic Plan by the end of the calendar year.
At the Executive Committee Retreat on April 18, 2022, the Executive Committee reviewed and approved a draft Request for Proposals (RFP), including a scope of work, schedule, and list of potential vendors, prepared by Association staff. The Executive Committee further directed Association staff to establish a Strategic Planning Task Force, with membership selected by Chair King, to oversee the release of the RFP, the competitive bid process, the selection of a vendor, and the finalization of the scope of work.
The Strategic Planning Task Force was comprised of the following Executive Committee members and Association leaders:
- Doran Barnes, Access Services, Inc.
- Hillary Blackerby, Santa Barbara MTD
- John Drayton, Burns Engineering
- Beverly Greene, Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District
- Michael Hursh, Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District
- Kristin Jacinto, Orange County Transportation Authority
- Rodd Lee, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District
At its kick-off meeting on July 1, the Strategic Planning Task Force approved the Executive Director's recommendation to engage MIG as the strategic planning consultant and immediately began its effort to finalize the scope of work.
CEO Daniel Iacofano led the work on behalf of MIG. “The process was strongly based on Association membership engagement, through the Executive Committee,” said Iocafono. “The Task Force guided the details of the process and provided critical guidance and direction all the way through. All facets of the association were engaged in the process.”
Iacofano added: “One particular innovation we focused on is a set of performance measures for each of the four major goal areas that can be used to ensure progress on the objectives, both quantitative and qualitative.”
In July, Iacofano held one-on-one meetings with all Executive Committee members as well as the Chairs of the State Legislative Committee, Federal Legislative Committee, Operations Committee, Maintenance Committee, Zero-Emission Vehicle Task Force, and IDEA Task Force. There was a three-hour facilitated session with the Executive Committee, after which Iacofano met with Pimentel to shape an initial Strategic Plan framework. In August, both the Strategic Planning Task Force and Association staff reviewed this initial Strategic Plan framework.
September saw an initial draft of the 2023-2028 Strategic Plan, which was reviewed by Iacofano and Pimentel and then in an Association-wide Strategic Planning Session. The Strategic Planning Task Force met to receive input on the initial draft and begin to review performance measures. A two-hour facilitated session occurred with the Executive Committee.
In October, Iacofano and Pimentel met to develop a path forward for finalizing the plan. MIG provided a draft proposed plan, which Association staff returned with edits from select team members: Pimentel, Chief of Staff Rob Finley, Public Affairs and Communications Director Kristian Ross-Patchin, Legislative Advocate Matt Robinson. In early November, a refined draft was provided, and Association staff returned final edits. Iacofano presented the proposed 2023-2028 Strategic Plan at the November 15 Executive Committee meeting. Pimentel led the discussion, leading to the plan’s adoption.
Get Involved, Support & Engage in the Strategic Plan Implementation
At the core of this plan is the long-term viability and success of California's public transit systems. Your continuing support, engagement, and partnership are mission critical to the work we are leading for the benefit of our industry and all Californians. We encourage you to join us for a special webinar on the 2023-2028 Strategic Plan, which will be held in mid-January with Association leadership and staff. We will present on the major elements of the plan and ways for you and your organizations to support this effort. Stay tuned for more information regarding the webinar.
Read the California Transit Association’s 2023-2028 Strategic Plan