Tell
us how long you have been with MCDOT and describe your career path within
MCDOT.
My
journey with MCDOT began fifteen years ago. I started working as a Ride On bus
operator, where I had the opportunity to interact with many members of my
community. I find it intrinsically rewarding being able to get them to their
destinations in a safe and timely fashion. A few years later, I became a
Transit Coordinator, where I helped operators resolve issues they encountered
and conducted the appropriate investigation to avoid those issues in the
future. Currently, I work as a Central Communications Leader at Central
Communications, where I help operators provide a smooth service to the
community by lowering the delay time, they could encounter from incidents like
road closures or broken-down buses.
Please
describe the day-to-day activities pertaining to your work.
One
of the most important parts of my work is relaying information. For that
reason, having missed routes uploaded in a timely manner to the internet is one
of my priorities. This allows the riders to be informed of any changes, as
quickly as possible.
Covering
open runs is another task I do. It involves calling operators that are at the
end of their runs and getting them to pick up runs that are still open due to
lack of personnel.
Other
everyday tasks include dealing with broken-down buses, incidents on buses, and
accidents involving our buses or roads closure/blocked. Broken-down buses are
dealt with using a two-step process. The first step is to find a replacement
bus and second is to call mechanics to fix the broken-down bus. Dealing with
incidents in the bus and with accidents, involves calling paramedics and police
if the situation requires it. Dealing with roads closed/blocked involves
sending the proper detours to the buses to minimize delays. Lastly, keeping
upper management abreast via calls and e-mails when serious incidents occur.
Please
provide some examples of the direct impact of your role on Ride On operations.
One
example, in the winter when snow falls and causes some roads to be hazardous, I
must immediately find alternative routes and send them to the buses as soon as
possible, to make sure that the riders do not experience much delay.
What
other organizations does your team interface with to ensure successful
operations?
We
always receive prompt assistance from the Montgomery County Police, Highway,
other Law enforcement and Paramedics.
Many
organizations were forced to close or suspend operations due to the pandemic,
but Ride On never shut down operations. What role did you and your team play to
ensure that Ride On continued its services?
During
the pandemic, my team and I made sure to work as efficiently as possible to
deal with the issues that happened on buses to keep the routes on schedule.
Such as coordinating the provision of sanitizing materials to our operators and
enforcing the use of masks by our customers while they were on the buses.
The
COVID-19 pandemic led many organizations to reevaluate their services and
operational protocols. What impact did that have on your team and how did they
respond?
At
Central Communications, we had a reduction of personnel on site for several
months that forced us to step up on our daily activities. Although it was a bit
challenging, we were able to fulfill all the tasks we were required to.
What
are the most challenging parts of your job?
I
think that dealing with people is the most challenging part of any job. For
that reason, I prioritize this area so I can positively affect the normal
development of their activities on a day-to-day basis.
What
is the best part of your job?
At
the end of the day, I feel great satisfaction of having helped our operators
solve issues they encountered during their workday. I feel it is very
rewarding.
What
experience and personal characteristics are the best matches for this job?
Some
personal characteristics that best match this job are patience and
perseverance. Other than that, being knowledgeable about the routes around the
County and having experience using computers is paramount to fulfill the tasks
for this position.
If
you could improve one thing about your job, what would it be?
The
only thing I always require in any job is to have the proper tools and enough
training to use these tools to provide the best service to our customers.
