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twc@transportcenter.orgResource Center
The Transit Workforce Center is pleased to host a curated collection of publications and other materials to assist stakeholders engaged in transit workforce development. The Resource Center includes case studies, training materials, research reports, and other materials of interest, including publications produced by federal government agencies, transit organizations, and independent research entities. Resources may be filtered by topic, resource type, and transit mode. This TWC blog post explains how to use the Resource Center.
We are continuing to update the Resource Center regularly. Please contact us via the Request Help menu option if you would like assistance using the Resource Center or are looking for resources on a particular topic. We also welcome suggestions of topics or specific resources to add.
Content in external resources linked from the Resource Center is solely the responsibility of the resource authors and does not necessarily reflect the perspectives of or endorsement by the Transit Workforce Center.
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Good Transit Requires Well Paid Union Workers
This report presents bus operator wages as compared with Area Median Income in 30 cities across the U.S., pointing out that in the last two decades, starting wages for our nation’s bus operators have fallen seriously behind the cost of living. In the face of a workforce shortage, the report makes the case for decision makers to ensure higher wages for frontline transit workers.
The National Campaign for Transit Justice
March 2024
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3 Ways to Make Bus Driving a Better Job
This report highlights ways that bus driving can be improved for workers to help increase retention and recruitment. The report explains three specific ways: redesigning the job for health and success, raising pay and creating opportunities for advancement, and making a more flexible schedule.
The National Campaign for Transit Justice
March 2024
TOPICS: Hiring and Recruitment, Policy and Planning, Retention, Safety and Health, Workforce Shortage
Transit, Belabored: Issues and Futures for California’s Frontline Transit Workforce
This report focuses on frontline transit workforce issues, including employee pay, issues before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and the workforce shortage. The report is mainly about transit operators, but also touches on mechanics. It draws on quantitative and qualitative data, including wage data by agency and sector, contracts and agency documents, and interviews with union leaders, agency managers, and operators themselves.
Institute of Transportation Studies
February 2024
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How to Deal with the Worker Shortage and Evolving Skill Requirements of the Public Transport Sector
This report provides a European counterpart to those produced within the United States on the transit workforce shortage. It gives an overview of the workforce shortage’s causes, as well as recommendations for addressing evolving skill requirements and more.
Expert Group on Urban Mobility, European Commission
February 2024
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Case Study: Golden Gate Transit & Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1575
Marin County, California-based Golden Gate Transit (GGT) operates commuter bus lines in four Bay Area counties, including San Francisco. Like many agencies, GGT has struggled with operator recruitment and retention. To address these challenges, the agency and the union representing operators, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1575, formed a labor-management partnership, the Workforce Investment Network (WIN). The WIN partnership has implemented bus operator mentorship, apprenticeship, and pre-apprenticeship programs; formed partnerships with educational institutions and community groups; and identified opportunities to remove particular barriers to entry for job seekers.
Transit Workforce Center
February 2024
TOPICS: Apprenticeship, Career Pathways, Community Engagement, Hiring and Recruitment, Labor-Management Partnerships, Mentorship, Policy and Planning, Trainer and Mentor Development, Training, Workforce Shortage
Read Rich Diaz’s Transit Career Story on the TWC Blog to learn more.
View the full case study below:
Recruiting Through Connection
This case study describes the OECC (Operators Engaging and Connecting Communities) program in Metro Transit, MN, which sends operators out to community events as a recruitment tool and to help the community understand the role of the operator.
Transit Workforce Center
November 2023
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Critical Conversations: The Public Transport Frontline Worker Crisis
Public transportation agencies across the country are facing challenges in attracting, recruiting, and retaining frontline employees. Critical Conversations provides insights from youth on transit’s frontline workforce crisis – bus and train operators, and entry-level mechanics. Researchers conducted a national survey targeting respondents under the age of 30, compiled agency-specific human resources information, and held focus groups asking participants to share their experiences and insights about challenges, lessons learned, and opportunities regarding the workforce crisis.
introducing youth to American infrastructure
November 2023
TOPICS: Community Engagement, Hiring and Recruitment, Policy and Planning, Retention, Workforce Shortage
Contributors: Dr. Jamaal Schoby, Dr. Beverly Scott
The Barr Foundation provided support for the research element of this important youth empowerment and “people-readiness” initiative.
Bus Operator Workforce Management: Practitioner’s Guide
This report is a practitioner’s guide that provides recommendations and resources enabling transit agencies to better assess, plan, and implement their operator workforce management programs. A link to a related TRB webinar is also included.
Transit Cooperative Research Program
August 2023
TOPICS: Apprenticeship, Career Pathways, Hiring and Recruitment, Labor-Management Partnerships, Low-No, Mentorship, Policy and Planning, Retention, Safety and Health, Training, Workforce Shortage
Contributor(s): National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Transportation Research Board; Transit Cooperative Research Program; Robert Puentes; Philip Plotch; Brianne Eby; Paul Lewis; Karitsa Holdzkom; Xinge Wang; Douglas Nevins; Kenyon Corbett; Melissa Huber