Business View Magazine - January 2024

around 2017-2018, marks a significant milestone in our journey towards modernizing RoadRUNNER Transit,” he reflects. However, the journey wasn’t without its challenges. The switch from diesel to electric buses required renegotiating funding with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), as electric buses are more expensive. “The cost difference meant we couldn’t acquire as many buses initially, but we have been working steadily to secure additional funding,” he elaborates. The COVID-19 pandemic further complicated matters by causing inflation and rising costs, but the team remained resilient in their pursuit of improvement. ELECTRIFICATION AND INNOVATIVE FACILITIES RoadRUNNER Transit’s journey towards a sustainable future is marked by significant steps in electrification and the development of a new operations facility. Bartholomew discusses the long-term vision and the challenges of transitioning to a greener, more efficient public transport system. “When I joined nearly 22 years ago, the idea of a new facility was already on the table,” he recalls. Initially, the plan did not account for electric buses, 245 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 01 ROADRUNNER TRANSI T