Stephen Bland

Stephen G. Bland (born 1962-63) serves as the chief executive officer of the Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority and the Regional Transportation Authority in Nashville, Tennessee.[1] He was appointed MTA CEO in July 2014, and officially began his new duties on August 25, 2014. Previously, he was the Director/CEO of the Port Authority of Allegheny County serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[2] He was chief executive from June 12, 2006[3] until his employment was terminated without cause by a 5 to 3 vote of the Port Authority Board on February 1, 2013.[4] with the County Chief Executive wishing for more direct control of the agency.

Prior to coming to Pittsburgh he was the director of the Capital District Transportation Authority in Albany, New York from 2002–2006[5] and York, Pennsylvania's Rabbit Transit CEO for eight years.[6] Bland also served as chairman of both the Pennsylvania Public Transportation Association board of directors and the New York Public Transit Association as well as positions as Rabbit Transit general manager (3 years), the manager of operations planning for Syracuse's Central New York RTA (4 years), general manager at Cape Ann Transportation Authority in Gloucester, Massachusetts (1 year) and vehicle maintenance system coordinator at Dallas Area Rapid Transit (1 year).[6]

In the summer of 2012 Bland was considered among the top 2 candidates for the CEO position of both MARTA[7] and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority[8] as well as a featured speaker at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College.[9]

Pittsburgh initiatives

Bland was championed by area bike riders for his transit innovations that was inclusive of bicyclists, with such things as making the bus fleet completely bike capable in just 4 years, specifically training drivers and staff on bike needs and removing all restrictions on bikes with light rail.[10] Mr. Bland was also widely credited by the business community and other public leadership with spearheading significant improvements in the Port Authority's efficiency, leading a complete redesign of transit services resulting in greatly improved service efficiencies and negotiating two consecutive concessionary collective bargaining agreements with its employee unions.[11]

Private sector

Since February 2013 Bland has been a principal at Pittsburgh-based TransforMotion.[12]

Preceded by
Dennis Veraldi		 Port Authority of Allegheny County Director
2006–2013		 Succeeded by
Ellen McLean

References
  1. "Nashville MTA Executive Staff". Nashville MTA. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  2. "Our Region (Allegheny County)". Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
  3. "Port Authority of Alleghenty County Chief Executive". Retrieved September 18, 2012.
  4. "Port Authority board fires Bland". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. February 1, 2013.
  5. "Acting CDTA executive director named permanently to the post". Albany Business Journal. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
  6. http://www.spcregion.org/region/0606.html
  7. Saporta, Maria (September 13, 2012). "MARTA search for new general manager down to two finalists". Saporta Report. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
  8. http://old.post-gazette.com/pg/12262/1262636-147.stm. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. http://www.heinz.cmu.edu/news/news-detail/index.aspx?nid=1556
  10. http://bikepgh.org/blog/2013/02/04/former-port-authority-ceo-steve-bland-leaves-a-legacy-of-improved-transit-access-for-bicyclists/
  11. "Save the Port Authority: We must invest in public transit or watch our economy wither". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 22, 2012.
  12. http://www.linkedin.com/pub/stephen-bland/5/367/19a

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