On Board With… Tri Delta Transit CEO Rashidi Barnes
Rashidi Barnes was appointed the CEO of Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority, known as Tri Delta Transit, in September 2022, replacing longtime CEO Jeanne Krieg who retired after 32 years at the agency.
Mr. Barnes started his transit career twenty years ago as the Western Sales Manager for Transit Marketing Group, a leader in marketing and sales for transit product manufacturers. From there he became the Director of Procurement for Foothill Transit and also served as Foothill Transit’s Disadvantaged Enterprise Liaison Officer during his tenure. His next five and a half years were spent with Central Contra Costa Transit Authority (County Connection) where he served as Senior Manager of Transportation, Senior Manager of Innovation and Shared Mobility, and then Director of Innovation and Shared Mobility. His other roles at CCCTA included oversight of the daily operations of 160+ bus operators, 12 supervisors, and one transit manager.
In 2015, Rashidi Barnes was listed by Mass Transit Magazine as one of the Top 40 Under 40 to watch and follow. Most recently before Tri Delta Transit, Mr. Barnes worked for First Transit as the Director of Mobility as a Service, a national position where he worked with various transit agencies, TNCs, payment solution companies, and micro mobility providers to deliver innovative mobility solutions.
Transit California:
You became CEO of Eastern Contra Costa County Transit (Tri Delta Transit) in late 2022, succeeding longtime CEO and Association Executive Committee Member Jeanne Krieg. What are you most excited about for the agency right now?
Rashidi Barnes:
First of all, I want to thank Jeanne Krieg and Steve Ponte (former COO) for the 50+ combined years of service to our community and development of an amazing staff. Without them laying the groundwork, Tri Delta Transit would not be in the position it is in today.
I am most excited about what our region’s mobility trends will look like post-pandemic. In the public transportation space, we are in a unique situation today where historical commuter travel trends have changed, which is forcing Tri Delta Transit, and the region, to pivot. Pivot in how we interact with passengers, the unhoused population, and with the 26 other public transit agencies in our nine-county region, which is unique to the Bay Area. Tri Delta Transit has an opportunity to recreate the preverbial wheel.
Transit California:
What challenges is the agency facing? How is Tri-Delta Transit approaching these challenges?
Rashidi Barnes:
Managing operational growth within our financial constraints. Eastern Contra Costa County is growing at a very steady pace, which potentially can expand our 225 square miles of service area. Couple this population growth and service expansion with the introduction of zero-emission vehicles, which currently have limited range, and we now find ourselves in an operational quagmire. We have to manage this operational growth methodically by making sound decisions when it comes to understanding changing travel trends, future zero-emission equipment purchases, expansion/improvements of our current facilities, and workforce development.
Transit California:
You served as Director of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) for First Transit. What is MaaS and what role do you see for it in the future of public transit? How has that role changed due to the pandemic?
Rashidi Barnes:
“Mobility as a service” (MaaS), in its simple form, is the monetization of mobility. Mobility has many different services that can be monetized (i.e. fare payment, trip planning, TNCs, parking, and micro mobility). The combination of these public and private transportation services provides a personalized mobility journey plan which is based on a traveler’s real-time needs. The key is stitching these ever-changing services and unique travel needs together into a single platform for public use.
As far as the pandemic, it has changed how and when people move. The greatest feature of a MaaS application is that its inherent flexibility allows for a new mobility option to be presented to a user based on their real-time needs.
Transit California:
At Central Contra Costa Transit Authority (County Connection) you served as Senior Manager and then Director of Innovation and Shared Mobility. What were some of the innovations you were able to achieve with the agency?
Rashidi Barnes:
At the time, the County of Contra Costa was very interested in piloting shared autonomous vehicles for public use. GoMentum Station is located in Concord, which is in the heart of County Connection’s service area. GoMentum Station is the nation’s largest dedicated secure testing facility for automated vehicle technology, which is now owned by AAA Northern California, Nevada, and Utah. At the time, I worked closely with the county to provide operational advice about public transit and how a shared autonomous vehicle could improve one’s journey.
In 2018, our local County Congestion Management Agency received permission from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and permission from the California DMV to operate a shared autonomous shuttle on public streets within a local business park. Being a part of that operation and deployment was tremendous and helped with my transition into the private sector. Also, while with County Connection, I had the opportunity to be a part of planning conversations with Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) and various micro mobility companies, who would all become a normal travel option within our nation’s transportation network today.
Transit California:
At County Connection, you also served as Senior Manager of Transportation. What experiences did you take forward from this role?
Rashidi Barnes:
Labor relations was a major part of this position. At the time, I had two major labor groups reporting to me from within the operations department. This included the operations supervisor and dispatch team, as well as all of the bus operators. I worked with a great team and gained a lot of transferable skills outside of labor relations that have helped me throughout my career.
Transit California:
Throughout your career, you have leaned into professional development opportunities, including Leadership APTA and the Eno Transit Executive Seminar. In what ways did these opportunities support your career growth? What advice would you offer to transit professionals just beginning their careers?
Rashidi Barnes:
These professional development opportunities allowed me to work and collaborate with my peers from across the country. Some of the people I met are now close friends today.
Relationship building and the willingness to constantly learn have been key to my success, and without programs like Leadership APTA and Eno and the many mentors that I have, I would not be in the position I am in today. My advice to those who are just beginning their careers is: public transportation is what you make of it. Be proactive and shape your career by welcoming varying experiences and perspectives.
Transit California:
It may surprise some people that you have been a professional football player and are a self-described "transit nerd." How have you bridged these seemingly different worlds?
Rashidi Barnes:
A past job and a long-standing passion are easy to separate. My past experiences have truly been a blessing which afforded me opportunities to see the world through the lens of travel. For example, when living in Frankfurt, traveling on the high-speed InterCity Express (ICE) train to Berlin changed the way that I viewed public transportation. But my love for public transportation began years before that with growing up in Berkeley, CA, where AC Transit and/or BART were the only ways for me to get to and from practice or a game. Now that I look back, for me, public transportation gave me the freedom to grow and prosper. I owe it to give back.