Transit California sat down with Christy Wegener, new Chair of the Association’s Small Operators Committee and Executive Director of the Livermore/Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA).
By Arianna Smith
Managing Editor
Transit California
Transit California: You are the new Chair of the Association’s Small Operators Committee, which provides opportunities for small operators to influence the Association’s positions and policy. It also provides a forum for small operator issues. What are top priorities for the Committee’s work in 2027-28?
Top of mind will be ensuring that small operators’ interests are well represented in the proposed amendments to the California Air Resources Board’s Innovative Clean Transit regulation. Implementing zero-emissions technology is a different lift for small operators – both in terms of planning, funding and project delivery - and that deserves consideration.
Transit California: For the first time, you will be opening the Small Operators Awards Lunch that is taking place at the Annual Conference & Expo this October. What do you see as the importance of these awards? Beyond connections for small operators, what value do you see in attending the conference, and why should Association members go?
The Association’s Fall Conference has always been one of my favorite industry events. It provides a forum to exchange ideas and best practices, and the opportunity to learn from peers from across the state who are facing similar challenges. The ideas for the conference sessions and breakout tracts are cultivated from within the Association’s membership, making the topics especially relevant to California operators each year.
The Small Operator Awards Lunch is an important piece of the event; it provides the opportunity to pause and celebrate our colleagues’ success and the remarkable achievements made from within our small operator community. And now it’s lunch (not breakfast), so you have no excuse not to attend!
Transit California: You’ve been active with the Association for many years. How did you get your start? What advice would you give to Association members who want to get more involved?
My involvement in the Association has deepened as I have advanced in my career. As Director of Planning at LAVTA over 10 years ago, I was given the opportunity to present at various Association conferences about the work underway at the agency. That opportunity provided an important foundation of experience that I’ve been building on for the past decade. Stepping into the Small Operators Committee came naturally as I transitioned to Executive Director, and it was an honor to be asked to serve as Committee Chair this year.
For those wanting to get more involved, I suggest starting small with conference presentations or participating in a committee, as well as attending networking events during the conference.
Transit California: You serve as the Executive Director of the Livermore/Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA), which celebrated 40 years of service in 2025. What are some opportunities and challenges that your agency is currently facing in the year ahead?
The opportunities are exciting. After receiving a $64 million FTA Low-No Grant in 2025 to develop our new Atlantis operations/administration and maintenance facilities, LAVTA is now focused on moving the project into the construction phase. We are also advancing smaller-scale projects that will improve the customer experience and support ridership growth, including more than $4 million in bus stop improvements along our Rapid corridors, as well as an upgrade to our transit signal priority system.
Now for the challenges: Securing sustainable funding for LAVTA, and for all Bay Area transit operators, is the top priority. Without critical operating dollars, I’m afraid we will be facing the transit-death spiral in the Bay Area and eventually, across the state - so it’s important that we start beating that drum loudly now. A critical milestone will be the November election, where voters across five Bay Area Counties will decide whether to support a 14-year sales tax measure for transit operating funding.
Transit California: LAVTA is one of several small operators in the East Bay Tri-Valley region. How does your agency work alongside others to help riders get to their destinations?
As transit professionals, we know that travel patterns do not fit neatly inside transit agency service area boundaries, particularly out here in the Bay Area. Our local routes are anchored to the BART train schedule and ensuring that we have reliable connectivity to both our own routes but also to BART is a top priority. LAVTA also participates in the regional fare integration initiatives including free/reduced interagency transfers, the low-income Clipper START Program, as well as the all-agency Clipper BayPass.
On the paratransit side, LAVTA is proud to partner with the County Connection, Tri Delta Transit and WestCAT to offer a regional One-Seat Ride Paratransit service, which eliminates the transfer for paratransit customers with destinations outside their home service area. This innovative service operated as a pilot for several years and was made permanent in 2025, and we hope to see further expansion in the Bay Area in the coming years.
Transit California: You helped develop LAVTA’s partnership with rideshare companies Uber and Lyft. How are riders using this trip option?
Our TNC program has come full circle over its 10 years. Originally conceived as Go Dublin to provide coverage in the City of Dublin after the elimination of unproductive fixed route bus service, it was expanded during the Pandemic to Go Tri-Valley and became the victim of its own success with out-of-control ridership gains and no sustainable funding. Since 2024 we have been trimming back the program, implementing trip caps, a reduction in the subsidy, and most recently a modification of the span of service (now available 9p-6a). Moving forward, I’m interested in seeing how we can supplement fixed route and first/last mile with microtransit, especially when we build out Atlantis and have the capacity to operate and maintain smaller vehicles.
Transit California: You graduated from the American Public Transportation Association’s Leadership APTA program. What did you take away from that experience, and how do you apply those lessons today?
Leadership APTA was truly career changing. It gave me exposure to facets of the transit industry that I otherwise wouldn’t have experienced at that stage of my career and provided me with important industry connections that I continue to leverage. The relationships I developed have been the most important – having a bench of colleagues to call on when I’m in need of advice or just to vent is invaluable.
Transit California: You serve as a Board Member of the California Transit Training Consortium (CTTC), which provides statewide transit workforce training programs. What is your primary focus as a member of the Board?
CTTC is a wonderful organization whose mission is to support the transit industry’s transition to zero and low-emissions technology. As CTTC members, agencies have access to in-person and virtual training resources across a variety of topics. As a Board member, I am focused on building out CTTC’s training curriculum through grant and partnership opportunities. CTTC also provides educational scholarships to transit agency employees looking to further their education- and of course, hosts the annual Jim Ditch Golf Tournament, which is an important fundraiser for the foundation.
Transit California: September was Transit Month. How is LAVTA celebrating?
Wheels staff were out in the community all month spreading the transit love! We held senior outreach events, participated in the City of Dublin’s Annual Splatter event, and I joined my fellow Bay Area CEOs for a ride-along across four transit systems on September 11th!