New BRTA Administrator Keen on Getting People Where They Need to Go
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The new Berkshire Regional Transit Authority administrator has officially started work alongside outing Administrator Robert Malnati.
Kathleen Lambert was chosen as the new administrator back in September to replace the retiring Malnati.
Lambert was the administrator of Haverhill's $37.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds. Previously, she was deputy administrator at the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority, and was in transportation planning and administration in Arkansas and community development in Philadelphia. She has more than 30 years experience in transportation, planning and sustainability, and earned her master's degree in community and regional planning from Temple University.
One of the reasons she took the job is her passion for the RTA and her connections.
"I'm familiar with the RTA system in Massachusetts, having worked in it for quite a long time, and I know quite a few of the administrators. So I think that that is an advantage setting up the transit system. This area is beautiful, and so to come out here and be able to hike and ski and play golf and do those kinds of things," she said.
"The service has tremendous value to help people get to the things that they need, their job, education, health care, you know, basic needs. And I think that's really the primary motivation for us. To continue putting out the service, and also to be as transit professionals. That's my motivation."
Lambert started work at the BRTA on Dec. 1 and will be working closely with Malnati until he retires in a few months. She said her first week has been great and sees how much the BRTA is cared for.
"All the folks here are just really terrific. You know, although I found over my career that folks in transit generally, really, they care so much about what we're doing, I care about it, and so most of the people who work in this area really care about it. So I appreciate that," she said.
Lambert said working with Malnati has been great so far and that he is helping to transition her into the role.
"Bob's a terrific guy. I had met him before, but we're really getting to know each other very well. He's such an amiable guy, and he really cares about the service," she said. "And I think, like all administrators, it's hard for people to sort of let go. But he's told me he's ready for the transition, and he's here to help me, and I'm here to help him and the community move forward. So I wish him all the best. We're going to miss him, though he's a good guy."
During her interview for the position, Lambert was asked about some of the challenges she believes the BRTA is facing. She said she took a bus out to Great Barrington a couple of days before her interview to get a sense of the transit line. She found that there needs to be more bus signage and a more efficient run time.
"But in order to make the transit system run efficiently, other than having a beautiful station, which we do, it's hard for people to see where the bus goes. And if they can see where the route runs, they might say, 'Oh, I saw a bus sign the other day. It's not too far down the block for me. Let me, you know, let me give it a try. I have to put my car in the shop, and I still have to get to work,'" Lambert said.
"When I think that's the time when you really need it, like if you have a broken ankle and you can't drive, paratransit can come get you, because we can give you a temporary service for something like that."
Lambert said another effective change could be updating the agency's Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) software, which provides information to the drivers as well as public information on bus run times and how many are on the bus.
Lambert is also very invested in microtransit.
"I think those are the kinds of things that I would really like to progress forward with and micro transit. I think micro transit could work very well here in Pittsfield, probably North Adams, Williamstown connection, that kind of corridor there," she said.
Lambert said she is interested in helping the authority hire more bus drivers as that is a challenge among many RTAs. She says that new federal regulations have caused it to be harder for drivers to maintain their CDL and hopes to speak to make it a little more easier for drivers to come on board.
"That would help you know if that rule were changed, and that's something we can talk about to our legislators to make a rule that's not very practical, a little more appropriate."
Lambert also said she would like to work with the local trade schools as well to help hire more for the BRTA team. Trade schools are great for people to make their way into certain positions, she said.
"I think union training is great, our union is the Teamsters. We give people full training. It's a great union job, union pay, union benefits. You know, you work your way up into the union, and basically you have a good living, have a good life," she said. "And it would be nice if we could convince more people that that's an appropriate pathway."
Lambert said she wants to be transparent and be a part of the community. She said her door will always be open and anyone can contact her to talk.
"I would love people to schedule a time if you want to come sit one on one. I'm happy to do that."
Tags: BRTA,
