Valley Metro Organizational Integration Advancing the Future of Transportation in the Metropolitan Area of Phoenix, Arizona
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
2014
Subject Area
mode - subway/metro, place - north america, organisation - management, organisation - performance, organisation - workforce planning, organisation - contracting, planning - service improvement, planning - integration, economics - benefits
Keywords
Valley Metro, Transit, Integration, Cost savings
Abstract
Seeking efficiencies, the boards of directors of Valley Metro Regional Public Transportation Authority and Valley Metro Rail, Inc., selected a single chief executive officer (CEO), Stephen R. Banta, in February 2012. Charged with creating one integrated agency, Banta embarked on an effort to advance an integrated, robust, and effective transit organization to serve transit riders and communities throughout the region. He began by engaging an expert consultant team to facilitate the effort. This paper describes the integration actions undertaken by Valley Metro leadership and the consultant team, from March 2012 and through fiscal year 2013 to create the organization needed to carry out the new agency's mission and advance the vision of the CEO and the new leadership team. A 15-step organizational integration methodology resulted in a streamlined functional structure with more than $2 million in total salary savings. Two agencies and 10 total divisions were integrated into a single agency with six divisions. Additional efficiencies were achieved through staff reassignments and attrition, which also made it possible to reduce reliance on consultants and contractors in several functional areas of the agency. In addition to the cost savings, benefits included staffing efficiencies, administrative efficiencies through joint contracts, improved service delivery, and elevated visibility of the agency and its efforts within the local community.
Rights
Permission to publish the abstract has been given by Transportation Research Board, Washington, copyright remains with them.
Recommended Citation
Ketcherside, C.L. & Menon, M. (2014). Valley Metro Organizational Integration, Advancing the Future of Transportation in the Metropolitan Area of Phoenix, Arizona. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Vol. 2420, pp. 55-61. Published by Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, DC.
