After completing a bachelor's degree in commerce and a master's degree in urban and rural planning, Dave Reage began his career in public transportation with a private sector consulting firm in 2005 where he completed several high-profile consulting projects in public transit and other areas of transportation planning.
In March, 2007, Reage began work with Metro Transit, the public transit provider for Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), in Nova Scotia, Canada. His first position with Metro Transit was as coordinator of Project Planning, responsible for key transit projects to support Metro Transit through significant growth in service and ridership. He quickly rose through the ranks and is now the manager of Planning & Scheduling, leading a team of 10. He is accountable for the planning and scheduling of all transit service (currently more than 818,000 annual service hours), along with capital planning for Metro Transit's $30 million annual capital budget, strategic planning and maintenance of all bus stops in HRM.
During his time with Metro Transit, Reage has led several projects that have - or will - reshape the face of public transit in HRM. These include the replacement of Metro Transit's busiest transit terminal with a new 16-bay, $12 million facility that will see significant improvements to capacity and passenger/bus operator amenities. He also managed the implementation of the national award-winning MetroX rural commuter service, which provides express transit services from rural communities to Downtown Halifax. Finally, Reage was project manager for Metro Transit's current Five-Year Strategic Operations plan, which provides the framework for Metro Transit's current service growth, its' two companion strategic plans for Metro Transit's ferry and para-transit services.
Metro Transit played a key role in the successful execution of the 2011 Canada Winter Games held in Halifax. As a co-lead for bus transportation, Reage was a member of the team responsible for the day-to-day operations of most bus service during the games, successfully and safely transporting thousands of games' participants. Metro Transit won a CUTA National Recognition award for this project.
Reage is active in many transit organizations; he is a member of the APTA Bus Rapid Transit Technical Standards Working Group and has been very involved with the CUTA Youth Summit on Sustainable Transportation. Reage was profiled in a CUTA publication that profiled Youth Summit Alumni that went on to work in the transit industry.
He is also involved with the School of Planning at Dalhousie University. He has lectured classes and frequently provides information to students, supporting them in their work, all with a goal of contributing to training future planners/transit professionals.
A Fun Experience in Transit
“I look back to my childhood in the Greater Toronto Area; whether it was my parents taking me to my favorite park to watch GO trains go by, or taking me to a hockey game on the subway, I've always associated public transit with a fun experience. I can still remember the excitement of the “moving through the crowds” and hordes of ticket re-sellers at College Subway Station as we walked up to Maple Leaf Gardens to watch a game. I've heard that when trying to choose a career, you should think back to what you enjoyed most as a child … that has certainly worked for me!
“Working in public transit allows me to positively impact a large number of people's lives and see the results of my actions relatively quickly. A career in public transit allows me to pursue something I can be passionate about and perform work that I really enjoy. Also, there's a great camaraderie between public transit professionals and I've had the opportunity to meet and work with a lot of very talented, dedicated people during my career so far. This team atmosphere extends across North America, and would be difficult for any other industry to rival.”
