On Board With… Rick Ramacier, former GM of County Connection
Rick Ramacier served as the General Manager of County Connection (Central Contra Costa Transit Authority) for 24 years, stepping down at the end of 2021. He led a suburban bus system of 131 fixed-route buses and 55 paratransit vans in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area, with an annual combined ridership of 4.6 million trips and operating budget of over $34 million.
Rick is the immediate past Chair of the California Transit Association’s State Legislative Committee. He is also the State Legislative Chair for California Association for Coordinated Transportation (CALACT)—a position he has held by popular demand since 2000. He is also a CALACT board member and former Chair (2013-2015). In addition, Rick is a member of several American Public Transportation Association (APTA) committees and is the former Chair of APTA’s Access Committee.
Correction: The email version of Transit California erroneously identifies Rick as “retired Executive Committee member.” The email version should have identified him as “retired State Legislative Committee Chair.”
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After 24 years at the helm of County Connection, what will you miss the most about leading a transit agency?
Ramacier:
While I will miss many things, I will miss the people the most. I do hope to see many colleagues and friends frequently as I remain active in the industry. However, I will miss the employees of County Connection, who I have nothing but awe and respect for. The jobs that the women and men who work at County Connection do every day are incredible and inspiring. I will miss being among those folks the most. I have also enjoyed the pleasure of working with some extraordinary policy makers in my career. I will miss that greatly.
Transit California:
Drawing on your experience as GM of County Connection, what do you wish the general public and decisionmakers understood about public transportation in California that would help the industry succeed?
Ramacier:
The answer to this question could be a well-written book. For public transportation to succeed in California in the manner public opinion suggests we want it too, or in the manner decisionmakers say they want it to, it must receive a level of support we have never provided it.
What does this mean?
We stop underfunding it. We must cast aside the great myth that public transit in California is adequately funded. It is not and never has been, especially in comparison to how public transit is funded in the many European countries we say we want to emulate relative to public transit.
We must recognize that historical performance metrics are largely meant to limit the amount of public transportation provided. They focus on efficiency rather than effectiveness. To the public, effectiveness means frequent, fast, comfortable, and safe. We should transition to metrics that measure public transportation coverage or access in terms of frequency and hours of service, and in terms of distance to public transportation stops or stations.
For the public to view public transportation as attractive, we need more of it in terms of hours of service so it can be frequent. Our public transit needs to be fast to be viewed as convenient. To be comfortable, it means everyone has a seat and can perform work while riding. To be safe, it needs to have a low-crime and clean environment.
Cities must step up and make good, reliable, and fast transit a priority over, say, free parking and other pro-car policies. This means bus-only lanes on arterials, customer-friendly public spaces for waiting for service, and strong support from public health and safety systems.
We must listen to the real experts in the public transportation arena. These are the women and men who run our transit systems. They are the real champions who will do great things if just given the opportunity.
Finally, we need the workers to do the jobs that make public transit succeed. This means paying people a good wage, and having workspaces that feel safe, secure, and clean for our employees.
This is the minimum of what public transportation in California needs to succeed in the manner we seem to want it to.
Transit California:
In addition to your role at County Connection, you have long been an active member of the California Transit Association (as well as the California Association for Coordinated Transportation). Why do you believe involvement in these organizations is important, and do you have any advice for the emerging class of transit professionals on how they can make the most of their membership in the Association?
Ramacier:
Our trade associations do two very important things. The first is that by coming together with common goals, we become a much stronger and more effective industry. Second, the professional development and nurturing I received throughout my career as an active member of both associations has been huge in any success I have had. This includes the vast professional network I was able to develop, as well as the number of mentors I found. Both of these were things I enjoyed right up to my last conferences this past fall.
I cannot recommend highly enough that all young professionals in our industry become as involved in the Association and CALACT as they can.
Transit California:
Among the positions you held in the Association is Chair of the State Legislative Committee. What legislative victories are you most proud of?
Ramacier:
Most of the “victories” were achieved over multiple years and/or during my time on the Committee, but not as Chair. Two things stand out. The first was the Association’s successful lawsuit against the state of California regarding illegal grabs of State Transit Assistance funding by the state for general budgeting purposes. I should admit: I was not in favor of the lawsuit approach when it first came up. Here, it was good to be wrong. But the infamous Gas Tax Swap made that a fleeting victory.
A more lasting victory was achieved by getting transit funding into SB1, then helping get SB1 enacted, and then successfully defending it with the defeat of Prop. 6. That for me is a very satisfying set of victories that we all worked on and could not have occurred without everyone doing their part.
Another victory that I played my small part in was the defeat of a bill by former Assembly Member Bernie Richter. Richter drafted legislation in 1996 that would have allowed each county to keep our Transportation Development Act funding for purposes other than public transit. That legislation surprisingly gained legs at one point. Our collective defeat of that legislation stands out for me.
Transit California:
On a similar note, what initiatives or projects at County Connection are you most grateful to have overseen?
Ramacier:
County Connection was the transit operator to buy the first battery-electric buses from GILLIG under a prototype project funded with a federal Clean Fuels grant. These were also the first inductively charged battery-electric buses put into regular service on a heavily used route in the U.S. When I heard Vince Valdez of the Federal Transit Administration tell our project manager, Scott Mitchell, “I had to meet the person who finally brought GILLIG to the battery-electric bus party,” I could not have been more proud of our agency and my staff!
Transit California:
You played a vital role in the Association’s negotiations on the California Air Resources Board’s Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) regulation, and spearheaded County Connection’s transition to zero-emission technologies. The regulatory environment on GHG emissions and development and adoption of cleaner technologies is complex. How have you helped the general public and decisionmakers appreciate the intricacies of these issues or understand the impacts they have on your agency or transit agencies in general?
Ramacier:
As with any complex challenge that we face in public transit, I always believed in clear, direct, and forthright communication with our partners and the public. This is how I approached the work we did with the ICT.
In these times, new ways of doing things that promise to improve something bring a lot of excitement with them, especially if they are technology based. Innovation is very popular today. However, many of these new ideas are not nearly as easy to implement as advertised. This is when the experts—in this case, the transit operators—have to be steadfast in communicating with stakeholders what the true challenges and potential pitfalls are. This is not to stonewall, but rather to get to a place where there is a greater chance of success, and in a manner that is less disruptive. We always have to remember the existing transit rider in all of this desire for doing things better. We should always be willing to identify and acknowledge possible unintended outcomes. I think we did this with the ICT, by working together, debating together, and listening to each other.
Transit California:
What was your role on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Blue Ribbon Transit Recovery Task Force, and how did the leadership push the industry forward during the pandemic?
Ramacier:
I served as one of 32 Task Force members. Where I think I may have been useful to this important process was as a link between the larger and smaller operators of the region in support of the transit operators’ overall approach and goals with respect to the Task Force. I think we had some success with this. Of course, more is yet to come as MTC pushes forward in 2022 with implementing the Transformation Action Plan and determining how to implement some form of transit network management.
Transit California:
As transit agencies emerge from the pandemic, American society has placed increased focus on achieving racial and social equity and environmental justice. What is transit’s role in delivering on these societal goals?
Ramacier:
Public transit is well positioned to be front and center in successfully attacking these vital issues. Transit is already established as one of the very few places where the American melting pot actually takes place. Get on any bus, anywhere, and you can see this. Public transit, when done right, is a great equalizer. Public transit can and does link communities of need with opportunity for work, health, education, socializing, and more. Mobility is freedom, and freedom requires mobility. Public transit is a stellar provider of mobility, provided it is adequately supported with good resources.
Transit California:
What’s next for Rick Ramacier?! Any parting words for California Transit Association readers who want to get in touch?
Ramacier:
First, I need to thank everyone in this industry whom I have gotten to know over 32 years. Without the great support of all of you through organizations like the Association, my career would not have been anywhere near as successful. I will be thinking of you all often.
I will be exploring a number of things. I intend to do select work as an independent contractor. I might try my hand at teaching a class at a community college. I may just get back into playing music as I once did prior to my public transit career.
Regardless, I will be maintaining membership in the Association and chairing the CALACT Legislative Committee in 2022. I intend to be around the industry, and I will be keeping in touch with folks. To that end, I can be reached at: rramacier@outlook.com or 925-383-2268 (text or call). So it’s not goodbye; it’s see ya later!