Category Archives: Employees

ZevWeb features odyssey of Metro's rail team

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Supervisor Yaroslavsky's website features Metro's first all-female team of operators to compete in the APTA International Rail Rodeo. Image is a screen shot from Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky's website: zev.lacounty.gov

Supervisor Yaroslavsky's website features Metro's first all-female team of operators to compete in the APTA International Rail Rodeo. Image is a screen shot from Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky's website: zev.lacounty.gov

As seen in the latest edition of Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky’s Weekly Web Flash: They were the first operators to board the new Expo Line for the testing runs. On opening day, Operator Carolyn Kelly was behind the controls in the cab of the inaugural train that broke through the banner at the Expo Park/USC Station. Operator Sheila Celestain was holding the banner, train right. A few days later, the top performers scored first and second at Metro’s Rail Rodeo, a local competition that showcases rail operating skills and also determines the team who will represent Metro at the International Rail Rodeo put on by the American Public Transportation Association. This weekend, the operator team, along with top-scoring maintenance technicians Charley Houck, Blue Line Fleet Services, and Jose Padilla and Alan Addie, both of Green Line Fleet Services, are in Dallas for the Internationals, taking on rail teams from across the nation and Canada. Go Metro!

Operator Carolyn Kelly is at the controls of the inaugural train at the opening of the Expo Line. Operator Sheila Celestain, at left, is holding the banner. Barely visible, holding banner at right, is the third original Expo Line operator, Narvolean Jackson.

Operator Carolyn Kelly is at the controls of the inaugural train at the opening of the Expo Line. Operator Sheila Celestain, at left, is holding the banner. Barely visible, holding banner at right, is the third original Expo Line operator, Narvolean Jackson.

 

Vigil held for Metro bus operator Alan Thomas

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A vigil was held Monday evening in West Hollywood for slain Metro bus operator Alan Thomas, who was shot and killed by a passenger on Sunday morning while driving the 105 line bus. Many dozens of Alan’s colleagues at Metro attended, as did several members of his family.

Alan, 51, enjoyed working different bus lines out of Metro’s Division 2 in downtown Los Angeles — Division 2 serves West Hollywood, West L.A., South L.A., Compton, Long Beach and other areas — and had worked for Metro for nearly five years. He was a graduate of Jefferson High School in Los Angeles, handily beat many of his colleagues at dominoes and in his spare time rebuilt cars — mostly recently restoring a 1972 Chevy.

He is survived by his wife Debbie and his four sons and one daughter, 10 grandchildren and his mother and stepfather.

Here is a nice segment on Alan and the vigil by KABC-TV reporter Leanne Suter:

And here is a report from Fox:

“A Computer Told Me To Shoot The Bus Driver”: MyFoxLA.com

Members of Alan Thomas' family at last night's vigil. Photos by Steve Hymon/Metro.

Why You Ride: Bicycle Edition

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To celebrate Bike Week LA, we’re publishing a Why You Ride series with the winners of the 2012 Golden Pedal Awards. The Golden Pedal Awards are Metro’s annual competition for great stories about commuting via bicycle. Our first winner is Jung Lee, a Metro intern who is seriously dedicated to biking to work.

Name: Jung Lee
Start: Torrance, CA           
End: Union Station
Distance: 18 miles, one way
Time: 45 minutes

Photo courtesy of Jung Lee.

Jung commutes from Torrance to Union Station in downtown Los Angeles on his bicycle – an 18-mile ride. Clocking in at 45 minutes, his commute is as fast as it would be if he were driving during rush hour!

Jung was nominated by his colleague Joe Simpson, who writes:

“Jung is what I aspire to be someday. He arrives to work dripping wet and promptly cleans up for a very productive day. Because I’m a chicken, I ride the Santa Clarita bike paths on weekends, but Jung rides through traffic, over the hillside, on the river bikeways, and anywhere to get in to work. Sometimes he even does a workout ride before riding in. He doesn’t own a car and bikes EVERYWHERE. Very inspiring.”

Continue reading →


Shadow retires: Service planner's Guide Dog was also systems tester, poster girl, hospitality greeter, tour guide for Metro

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Photos courtesy of Access Services, Inc.

  • I myself have known some profoundly thoughtful dogs. – James Thurber, humorist and cartoonist for the New Yorker magazine and a great lover of dogs.

Here at Metro, that would be Shadow, the 10-year-old black Labrador who recently retired as a Guide Dog to Agustin Moreno, a systems analyst in service planning who’s been totally blind since the age of 16.

Shadow

Shadow wears her Metro employee badge for the last time.

A constant and unerring companion, Shadow seemed always at Moreno’s side since taking up the post in 2004.

At first, Shadow’s job description was strictly within the scope for a Guide Dog.

Whether it was on the elevator, in the cafeteria, on trips to bus or rail divisions, taking transit home to Highland Park or napping in Moreno’s cubicle on the 7th floor of Metro’s HQ, Shadow’s presence was calming, giving all of us a reassuring pause that grace and ease will get us to where we’re going.

It didn’t take long before Shadow’s attention to detail and expert assistance to Moreno caught the attention of managers looking for an eager upstart who could handle whatever they threw at her.

Continue reading →

Top performers compete in Metro Bus Roadeo

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Operators must negotiate 11 maneuvers on the obstacle course.

Operators must negotiate 11 maneuvers on the obstacle course.

Top performers who operate and maintain Metro’s bus fleet competed Saturday in the 36th annual Metro Bus Roadeo. The event was staged in the massive parking area of the Santa Anita Racetrack in Arcadia.

Top-scoring mechanics team, from left, Angel Feria, David Klinkenborg and Jose Moya

Top-scoring mechanics team, from left, Angel Feria, David Klinkenborg and Jose Moya

San Gabriel Valley Division Bus Operator Mark Holland, and the downtown L.A. Division 10 mechanics team of David Klinkenborg, Angel Feria and Jose Moya, emerged as champions in the Operators and Mechanics categories. They’ll carry Metro’s flag at the APTA Internationals set for next May in Long Beach.

The annual local competition event showcases the professional skills of Metro bus operators who traverse the 1,433 square miles of L.A. County 24/7 along 183 bus routes and 15, 967 bus stops and the mechanics who maintain the fleet of more than 2,200 buses.

Top operator and returning champion Mark Holland

Top operator and returning champion Mark Holland

The competition puts operators through a precise 11-point obstacle course. In the mechanic’s competition, teams of three raced against the clock to diagnose and repair performance-related bus problems.

Thirty-four operators and 11 maintenance teams vied for championship trophies in this year’s event. The trophies are considered badges of honor at Metro.

Metro wins federal grant for workforce training

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Below is the good news from Metro’s government relations team. This may not be the most glamorous issue, but Metro CEO Art Leahy and others of his ilk have noted that many transit agencies will face a lack of expertise in the future if something isn’t done to reverse course.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Announces Workforce Development Grant for Our Agency – Grant is Second Largest in the Nation

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced the award of $3 million from the Federal Transit Administration’s Innovative Workforce Development Program to support programs around the country that train, hire, develop and retain transit workers.

Our agency’s proposal (“Metro University: Developing the Next Generation of Transportation Professionals”) is among 12 programs selected for funding from a total of 35 applications that were received from across the nation. Our $480,000 grant request was fully funded and represents the only grant awarded in the State of California and the second largest nationwide (with a $500,000 grant ceiling). Continue reading →

Metro mechanic wins reality TV modeling show

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Metro bus mechanic Marilin Archie walks the runway on the final episode of TV Land's "She's Got the Look" modeling competition reality show. Photo courtesy of TV Land.

Metro bus mechanic Marilin Archie has won TV Land’s “She’s Got the Look” modeling reality show.

“I never thought I would make it this far,” she says in the show’s blog. The mother of two, whose career as a bus mechanic spans 20 years, said she gave modeling a shot early on and even made it all the way to Ford Models in New York.  ”I took a lot of chances and made big sacrifices at a very young age to achieve my goal of becoming a model,” she said.  “I never stopped trying.”

The TV Land press release is below and here’s a previous post on Marilin:

38-year-old Bus Mechanic and Mother of Two To Receive  Contract with Wilhelmina Models, Inc., and Photo Spread in SELF Magazine

Los Angeles, CA September 30, 2010 – Marilin Archie was named the winner of season three of TV Land’s 35 and older modeling competition “She’s Got the Look.” Host Brooke Burke announced Marilin as the winner of the competition after she impressed the judges with her stand-out performance in the final runway challenge where she faced off against fellow finalists Julie Love-Templeton of Tuscaloosa, AL and Rachelle Love of Memphis, TN.

In last night’s season finale, the three finalists strutted their stuff on the catwalk at a fashion show in an airport hanger complete with a jetliner and moving runway.   Continue reading →

Metro mechanic vies for modeling contract on national television show

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Metro mechanic Marilin Archie featured on TV Land Channel's "She's Got the Look" modeling show.

The many looks of Metro Mechanic Marilin Archie: Clockwise, from top left, a makeover from celebrity stylist Laurent Dufourgty, cover shot, modeling jeans on the runway, in the mechanics' pit at Metro inspecting a CNG bus, on the runway in Hollywood. Photos courtesy of TV Land.

It’s not her regular gig, but Marilin Archie, a Metro mechanic who ordinarily overhauls CNG engines and checks brake systems on Metro buses, is busy competing for a modeling assignment on a national television show. Chosen as one of ten contestants from thousands who applied to “She’s Got the Look” show on the TV Land Channel, Archie has emerged as a strong contender for the show’s top prize: A contract with Wilhelmina Models agency and a photo spread in Self Magazine.

By way of background, Archie, 38, a married mother of two, is a former model and singer who joined Metro at the age of 18. Now a certified bus mechanic, the gregarious employee is active in community affairs and often volunteers to represent Metro at outreach events. Beauty and brains are all in the family, in this case. Archie follows in the footsteps of her mother, who retired from Metro in 2000 after 23 years of service and community outreach.

“She’s Got The Look” airs on the TV Land Channel in over 70 countries. Catch episode 2 this Wednesday at 9 p.m. (PST) when the nine remaining finalists receive makeovers from a celebrity stylist for a surprise photo shoot in an unlikely setting. Full episodes of the original shows are updated every week on tvland.com during the series run.

After the jump: the backstory, and a video, by Rich Morallo. Continue reading →

Metro engineer appointed to cabinet post in Somaliland in eastern Africa

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Engineer Hussein Farah departs Metro for cabinet post in Somaliland, his native country located on the eastern horn of Africa.

Engineer Hussein Farah departs Metro for cabinet post in Somaliland.

Hussein Farah, an engineer who’s been managing facilities contracts here at Metro, has been appointed to the cabinet of the newly elected president of Somaliland.

The Republic of Somaliland, where Hussein was born in 1957,  is is the size of Greece, bordering Somalia and Ethiopia with a coastline that stretches some 456 miles along the Red Sea.

Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed Silyano announced the appointment of Hussein as the Minister of Mining, Energy and Water Resources on July 28 from the country’s capital city of Hargeisa. Hussein holds dual citizenship in his native country and the U.S. He will serve in the cabinet under his official birth name of Hussein Abdi Dualeh.

Hussein joins three other expatriates in the 20-member cabinet, which includes two female cabinet members for the first time. “The composition of the cabinet, which brings a world view and women’s rights to the table, is seen as a progressive move by the new administration,” said Hussein. “This is an advance that is hailed by Somaliland citizens, women’s organizations and international observers.” Continue reading →

Why I Ride: Jeff Boberg, Research Manager

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Why I Ride‘Why I Ride‘ is a series where Metro employees share their transit routines – read more about the concept here.

Name: Jeff Boberg
Position: Research Manager

How often do you take transit?

At least 5 times a week and usually more.

I commute by transit, but I also take transit after work to Disney Hall, Mark Taper Forum, Staples Center, Dodger Stadium, the Hollywood Bowl, the Arclight Theater, Amoeba Music or just to dinner.

Also, I usually take rail anytime I go to downtown Los Angeles or Long Beach on the weekend.

What lines/routes?

I mostly take the Blue Line and the Red/Purple Line from Wardlow Station to Union Station.

You can find me on the 720 about once a month. I’ve also taken the 204 and the 16/316 several times for errands or shopping at the Grove/Farmer’s Market.

During the school year, about 1-2 times a week I try to pick up or drop off my three boys since their schools are near the Anaheim and 1st Street Blue Line Stations.

Are you car-free? If so, why? If not, why not?

I am not, but we are a one-car household. We do a lot of hiking, sports and visiting during the week and a car is necessary for most of those trips.

Do you use any other alternative transportation (bicycle, rideshare, etc)?

My wife and I share a bike locker at the Wardlow Station, but she usually rides and I usually drive there.

I ride my bike to most (non-Costco) destinations within 5 miles of my house, which is 90% of them.

The whole family always rides our bikes to one our favorite restaurants, Hole Mole, which is about a mile from our house.

Do you think being a regular Metro rider is important to your job?

I do.

As part of my job, I go out and monitor surveyors on all the bus lines – so I’ve ridden parts of most Metro bus lines.

I get to see and experience the good and the bad of taking transit. I know why customers never forget when a bus operator leaves the bus stop as you are hurrying from the connecting bus with several other passengers. I know, as a choice transit rider, it’s frustrating when there is a breakdown in the rail system and I don’t find out about it until I’m already on the platform (usually by asking someone next to me). I also know what it’s like to watch operators brighten people’s day by greeting every passenger, waiting for disabled riders to board, or making sure someone who is unfamiliar with the system gets to their correct stop.

Why do you love transit?

I love to read, and I miss that when I have to drive. I also find it the perfect transition from a hectic office to an even more hectic household. I think I am a more patient human being when I’m not fighting traffic on the way home. I feel that Americans use an unsustainable amount of non-renewable energy and blaming oil companies isn’t really a viable strategy.

Also, one thing I learned from having children is they tend to speak up if my actions don’t match my words.

Finally, I find that if I take the stairs instead of the escalators, I get a little bit of exercise each day without any extra effort.

Is there anything else you’d like to add (anecdote, advice, etc)?

My suggestion is for everyone to leave their car at home once a week.

For a lot of people in Los Angeles County, it’s hard to take transit every day, but most people can carpool, bicycle or take a bus/train to work once a week. Just doing that would cut the miles driven by 20% which would make a meaningful difference in our traffic congestion and energy consumption.