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TO: |
Board of Trustees |
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THROUGH: |
Jay Fox, Executive Director |
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FROM: |
Patrick Preusser, Chief Operating Officer |
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PRESENTER(S): |
Ali Oliver, Director of Operations Service Delivery |
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TITLE:
title
International Travel to Montreal, Quebec, Canada for Ali Oliver
end
AGENDA ITEM TYPE:
Other Approval
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation to approve international work travel for Ali Oliver, Director of Operations Service Delivery, April 6 - April 12, 2025, to Montreal, Quebec, Canada in order to attend the Fundamentals of Bus Scheduling 5-Day Training course provided by CSched.
BACKGROUND:
Board Policy 2.1 Financial Management, section J ‘Travel’ indicates that “The Board of Trustees will approve work-related international travel for the Authority’s employees in a public meeting.”
We have identified a need to address gaps in technical training and development for the Director of Operations (Service Delivery). The position is responsible for vehicle blocking, run cutting, vehicle assignments, schedule development, materials management, cost analysis, bid processes, extra board operations, and the monitoring of performance measures.
DISCUSSION:
We have conducted research to explore relevant training programs to address the needs described above. After reviewing options, we have identified a specialized course designed to further develop technical knowledge for the supervision and scheduling of transit operations. This training course is tailored for staff who wish to enhance their understanding of scheduling terminology, processes, and the complexities involved in creating timetables, blocking vehicles, assigning runs, and managing rostering.
The course covers key areas such as: Overview of the Scheduling Process, Timetabling, Optimization of Vehicle Assignments, Development of More Complex Schedules, Route Running Time and Minimum Layover Calibration, Optimization of Operator Assignments, and Rostering and Head Count Estimates.
This training also presents an opportunity for staff to exercise their newly acquired knowledge alongside other professionals in the transit industry, further strengthening cross-industry collaboration.
CSched is the North American expert in transit scheduling best practices.
With the approval of this action, we expect to enhance the skills of our staff, improving both their performance and our overall operational efficiency.
ALTERNATIVES:
This technical training is only offered by this organization at this location.
We have identified additional technical training opportunities that cover other subject matter that will be pursued separately.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Estimated cost of the training course is $2,625, and travel is approximately $3,172 (including airfare, hotel accommodations, and per diem)
The 2025 approved budget includes $3,172 for Travel and $2,625 for Training.
ATTACHMENTS:
None