January/February 2024 - 15

Operations: Challenges and opportunities foreseen in 2024
Recruitment/retention challenges 46%
Inflation and/or pricing challenges
Supply chain related challenges
Inflation and/or pricing challenges
Supply chain related challenges
Delivering on customer expectations
Delivering reliable service
Communicating transit's value to
local and/or state officials
Inflation and/or pricing challenges
Supply chain related challenges
Inflation and/or pricing challenges
Supply chain related challenges
Delivering on customer expectations
Delivering on customer expectations
Delivering reliable service
Delivering on customer expectations
Delivering reliable service
Communicating transit's value to
local and/or state officials
Delivering reliable service
40%
40%
16%
22%
31%
Communicating transit's value to
local and/or state officials
Communicating transit's value to
local and/or state officials
Recruitment/retention challenges 44%
Inflation and/or pricing challenges
Supply chain related challenges
Inflation and/or pricing challenges
Supply chain related challenges
Delivering on customer expectations
ommunicating transit's value to local
and/or state officials
Raising starting salaries of
certain new hires (such as operators,
maintenance staff, other front-line staff)
pecialty training (such as obtaining a CDL)
Inflation and/or pricing challenges
Supply chain related challenges
Inflation and/or pricing challenges
Supply chain related challenges
16%
8%
Delivering reliable service 6%
Delivering on customer expectations
Delivering on customer expectations
3%
Delivering on customer expectations
18%
Communicating transit's value to local
and/or state officials
Of those respondents who selected recruitment/retention as the most
pressing challenge, what efforts has your agency taken to remedy this?
Communicating transit's value to local
and/or state officials
certain new hires (such as operators,
maintenance staff, other front-line staff)
Paying for all or some aspect of
Investing in training/development
of the agency workforce
partnerships with outside institutions
(such as universities or trade schools,
to promote transit as a career)
certain new hires (such as operators,
maintenance staff, other front-line staff)
Raising starting salaries of
specialty training (such as obtaining a CDL
Paying for all or some aspect of
Paying for all or some aspect of
certain new hires (such as operators,
maintenance staff, other front-line staff)
specialty training (such as obtaining a CDL)
specialty training (such as obtaining a CDL)
Paying for all or some aspect of
Investing in training/development
of the agency workforce
Retention bonuses for
existing employees
Second chance hiring/training
Investing in training/development
of the agency workforce
Investing in training/development
of the agency workforce
Retention bonuses for
existing employees
77%
50%
50%
23%
27%
initiatives for non-violent offenders
Other
23%
Retention bonuses for
existing employees
New partnerships with outside institutions
(such as universities or trade schools,
to promote transit as a career)
New partnerships with outside institutions
(such as universities or trade schools,
to promote transit as a career)
Second chance hiring/training
New partnerships with outside institutions
(such as universities or trade schools,
to promote transit as a career)
4%
Retention bonuses for
existing employees
Second chance hiring/training
Second chance hiring/training
initiatives for non-violent offenders
Other
initiatives for non-violent offenders
Other
18%
77%
77%
50%
50%
23%
50%
50%
50%
23%
23%
27%
27%
23%
initiatives for non-violent offenders
Other
23%
4%
4%
4%
27%
23%
Additional actions taken
to improve recruitment and
employee retention include
issuing signing bonuses
and improving operator
work schedules.
BUSINESS COMMUNITY:
Where does your organization
see opportunities in 2024?
20%
New
collaborations
13%
The launch of
new
products/
services
BUSINESS COMMUNITY: What is the main challenge anticipated in 2024?
27%
20%
Supply chain issues
Inflation concerns
Supply chain issues
Inflation concerns
Recession concerns 13%
Supply chain issues
Inflation concerns
ession c
Staff retention challenges
Other
Staff retention challenges
Other
Staff retention challenges
Other
27%
New hiring challenges 7%
7%
7%
7%
Staff retention challenges
Other
27%
27%
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 | MassTransitmag.com 15
7%
27%
27%
27%
Supply chain issues
RecInflation concerns
20%
13%
27%
20%
20%
New hiring challenges 7%Recession concerns 13%
Recession concerns 13%
New hiring challenges 7%
New hiring challenges 7%
20%
Improving
processes
Bandwidth and
maintaining performance
goals were additional
challenges identified by
respondents within the
business community.
11%
Investing in
technology
upgrades
9%
Investing in
staff training/
development
2%
Adding
headcount
2%
Building
resilience into
the supply
chain
18%
Improving
client/customer
experience
4%
Other
77%
Raising starting salaries of
Raising starting salaries of
Communicating transit's value to local
and/or state officials
TRANSIT AGENCIES: What challenges are anticipated in 2024?
Recruitment/retention challenges 46%
Recruitment/retention challenges 46%
Recruitment/retention challenges 46%
40%
40%
16%
22%
31%
40%
40%
16%
22%
31%
40%
40%
16%
22%
31%
TRANSIT AGENCIES: Which would classify as the most pressing challenge?
Recruitment/retention challenges 44%
Recruitment/retention challenges 44%
Recruitment/retention challenges 44%
16%
8%
16%
8%
3%
3%
16%
8%
Delivering reliable service 6%3%
Delivering reliable service 6%
Delivering reliable service 6%
18%
18%
TRANSIT AGENCIES:
Where do you see
opportunities for your
agency in 2024?
29%
More
contactless
ways to pay
for transit fare
8%
Exploring zero
fare options
18%
New fare
structures
38%
Delivering
reliable service
36%
Investing
in new
technologies
for improved
rider
experience
30%
Investing
in new
technologies
to deliver
internal
efficiencies
27%
More or
improved
integration
of mobility
options or
regional
services
7%
Other
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January/February 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January/February 2024
