AC TRANSIT RECOGNIZED AS EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR BY THE WOMEN’S TRANSPORTATION SEMINAR
AC TRANSIT RECOGNIZED AS EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR BY THE WOMEN’S TRANSPORTATION SEMINAR
AC Transit did not disappoint in its contributions to women, says WTS
OAKLAND, Calif. – The Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) is proud to announce that our transit district has been awarded the illustrious Employer of the Year Award 2021, by the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS). Since 1977, WTS has been focused on promoting the advancement of women in the transportation industry. With 64 professional chapters spanning the globe and 6,500 members, this award marks a historic milestone during the historical Women’s History Month, and an equally historic anniversary: our 60 years of service in the East Bay.
In highlighting the factors giving rise to AC Transit’s selection as Employer of the Year 2021 WTS writes, “Despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic, AC Transit advanced innovative projects to improve service quality and reliability. Nominees in this award category needed to articulate the contributions women in the agency had in the agency’s successes, and AC Transit did not disappoint!”
More specific, AC Transit is currently 2,189 employees strong, with 850 of those positions held by women. Women have achieved 17 Executive level and Board member positions. Of our transit district’s 109 senior level positions, 45 women are trusted advisors. In our manager’s group, just over half or 18 of 34 managers helping to guide careers here are women. On the frontlines, 7 of our 17 superintendents are women.
“Public transit has quite literally driven monumental change in our nation; a tradition we continue to embrace at AC Transit,” says Board President Elsa Ortiz. "Women, particularly women of color, represent nearly half of our highly skilled bus operators, women fiscally managed our budget to achieve the prestigious S&P AA credit rating, women are actively procuring our industry-leading zero-emission fleet, as well as leading our advancements in innovation and technology. And for the first time in our 60 years of operations, our voters have chosen a woman majority board of directors. So, I am immensely proud that as a transit district we refuse to push the repeat button but instead consciously select reset.”
Central to AC Transit’s inclusive workforce is a Strategic Plan, which places employee recruitment, training, and retention as a key objective. Another recent initiative is the Women Leadership in Maintenance (WLIM) program, which launched in 2020. Women are historically underrepresented in transit maintenance. As a result, WLIM seeks to identify, prepare, and promote women into leadership positions within AC Transit’s maintenance department. What’s more, WLIM strives to understand the root causes of underrepresentation, take corrective actions should negative cycles be identified, and create sustainable change. WLIM has an active cohort of 20 women.
For more about our commitment to equal employment opportunity, careers, recruitment process, position specifications, and much more, please visit actransit.org.
The Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District is California’s third-largest bus agency, providing an average of nearly 180,000 daily passenger trips with 151 bus lines throughout the 364-square-mile service area. AC Transit provides safe, convenient, courteous and reliable service in 13 cities and adjacent unincorporated areas in Alameda and Contra Costa counties as well as carrying almost 13,500 daily riders across the bay to San Francisco. For map and schedule information, visit actransit.org or call 511 and say “AC Transit.”