The Virginian-Pilot
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Hampton Roads Transit will debut an online tool today that tracks how well the agency is meeting its financial and operational goals, something critics say has been lacking at the agency.
"It will do wonderful things for transparency and accountability because it puts you out there in front of the public," said HRT President and CEO Philip Shucet.
Shucet modeled the HRT Performance Dashboard after a popular Web tool he launched as Virginia Department of Transportation commissioner that is also called the Dashboard. VDOT was struggling with credibility at the time.
Likewise, HRT has been criticized for poor communications. Since HRT started construction of Norfolk's light-rail project more than two years ago, Norfolk City Council members have expressed frustration over a lack of information from the transit agency.
Additionally, late last year, HRT board members accused its leadership of failing to report to them more than $100 million in light-rail overruns.
When Shucet was hired earlier this year to lead HRT, its chairman Jim Wood, a Virginia Beach councilman, charged him with the task of raising the agency's credibility.
The Dashboard will graphically show how HRT is faring with light-rail construction, budget goals, bus punctuality, customer complaints and other measures.
"We want people to know what we're doing," HRT spokesman Tom Holden said. "In the past, it was not easy to figure out where HRT was in its budget or what its bus timeliness was."
"People will be able to see that easily now," he said. "It will give a much clearer insight into the service HRT is providing."
Holden also said that HRT will use the performance measures to improve service delivery.
The Dashboard is available at www.gohrt.com.
Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com
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JUST ANOTHER...
warm fuzzy for the low rider transit and the choo choo trolley. Will this publicity convince more people to get on the bus, Gush? I got good news, I saved 15% off my car insurance by switching to.....LOL!!!
Meet The Needs of the customers
Hampton Roads is the earliest rising population of anny metropolitan area in the United States. HRT (and TRT before them) have never understood that. That's why the only people that ride the bus around here are people who can't afford a car or can't get a driver's license. Approx 110,000 people work at NOB. The Silverleaf Station park-n-ride is centrally located in Va Beach. The only reason the MAX buses from Silverleaf to NOB are not packed to capacity is that the buses arrive after people have to be at work and make the last return trip before people go home. If the first bus completed its route by 5am and the last afternoon bus didn't leave until 7pm, that route would be packed. Additionally, if that route ran every 2 hours 24/7, there would be enough shift workers on the buses to justify the schedule. People in Hampton Roads don't use mass transit because the only company that provides it doesn't meet their needs.
Amen
HRT has, in my neighborhood, used large buses in confined areas, at odd hours, (as in your working schedule example), and then canceled service because the ridership did not justify the expense. Remember the definition of chutzpah? The guy who kills his parents and asks for leniency on the grounds that he's an orphan? HRT has done that.
HRT - Shucet
Agree completely with Kak. It is easy to say that you are on time and hitting the budget mark when you have reset the deliverable timeline and adjusted the budget. Shucet is just making himself look good; same as he tried to do with VDOT when he was commissioner. HRT is a can of worms that really needs a complete overhaul inside and out. Shucet is not the person to do that as this is just a stepping stone for him to toot his hubris horn!!
Justifying Shucet's huge salary?
Lately, Shucet has made sure his face is all over the news. Patting himself on the back seems to be taking up a lot of his time lately. Is he trying to justify his yearly salary of over $400,000 a year or is he getting ready to run for office? Being on time or on budget is not that difficult if you up your budget and lengthen your timeline when things are out of whack. What about the money that was stolen? How is that going? Is that going to be on your dashboard? How about just doing your job and stop with the "dig me" moments. You were not VDOT's savior and I seriously doubt you will be HRT's either.
STEALING MONEY FROM THE HRT....
was so easy....even a caveman could do it....LOL!!!
Failblog?
Failblog?