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Wendel Expands Public Transportation Planning Capabilities
Wendel is pleased to announce that Marlene Connor and Jim McLaughlin have joined our firm to expand our public transportation management and planning services. Ms. Connor will serve as Wendel’s Director of Public Transportation Planning.
Marlene and Jim will assist in coordinating Wendel’s public transportation group with other Wendel staff in many areas of planning including municipal services, land use, waterfront development, colleges and universities, comprehensive community-based, energy efficiencies, and health care to offer a full service approach to the issues that affect communities. Most recently, Jim and Marlene have worked with customers to incorporate many current planning concepts, such as livability and sustainability, state of good repair, complete streets, and mobility management into their local and regional plans.
Marlene was previously the Director of Public Transportation for Wilbur Smith Associates and the Administrator of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority in Springfield, MA and has over 30 years of experience in transportation management and planning. As project director for many comprehensive transit projects, her efforts have involved statewide, regional, and local transit system analysis; regional mobility plans; management performance reviews; national research; suburban and community public transportation plan development; and service coordination.
Additionally, her experience includes the full range of bus service operations from ADA paratransit to Bus Rapid Transit as well as working with other transit intensive cities to develop grant applications for Very Small Starts, Bus Livability, and Bus Circulator grant funding.
She is very involved in the American Public Transportation Association including serving on APTA’s legislative steering committee and as the chair of the intergovernmental issues subcommittee.
Jim has over 30 years experience in the transportation industry including ten years with consulting firms and has worked with Marlene on a number of public transportation projects around the country. His experience includes his role as Director of Transit Planning for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, in charge of such diverse projects as the Metro Rapid BRT program, planning for the Universal Fare System, and communication with municipal, local and private sector operators. Jim also worked for the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation as its initial Chief of Transit Programs, implementing local shuttle, commuter express, and community transportation programs for the city.
