Last November Erik Rousseau was selected to be administrator for the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA) which serves a 10-town area, including the cities of Fall River and New Bedford, Mass.
Rousseau began his transit career while still an undergraduate, driving for the campus bus system at the University of Connecticut. He rapidly rose through the ranks at UConn Transportation, serving as dispatcher, driver trainer and coordinator of preventive maintenance before graduating in 2008 with a degree in business administration.
His passion to pursue a career in transit management led to his hiring as a management associate by First Transit where he worked as part of the management team at CTTransit in Hartford. That led to a six-month assignment as manager of a campus bus system at Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in Atlanta before returning to Connecticut as First Transit's assistant general manager for the Greater Hartford Transit District's regional paratransit system. In that capacity, Rousseau oversaw operations of a fleet of more than 110 vehicles.
Last fall, Rousseau was selected ahead of four other finalists for the position of SRTA administrator. In that position, he is responsible for a budget of more than $14 million, as well as garages and downtown terminal facilities in both New Bedford and Fall River, and a fleet of more than 85 fixed-route and paratransit vehicles.
He is active in the Massachusetts Association for Regional Transit Authorities (MARTA) and the NorthEast Passenger Transportation Association (NEPTA).
Providing for the Public
"It is my mission to help as many people as possible. We have to be strategic with allocating our limited resources to meet the never-ending need in the communities we serve. The process is fluid and demands that once we think we are finished that we reevaluate and see where we can push the boundaries even more to help the most people possible."
"I strongly believe that my time spent driving a bus fuels my passion for constantly trying to improve an operation. Each passenger you meet is an opportunity to make a difference; you never know when a simple smile or a genuine “good morning” will change someone’s outlook on his or her day ahead. We are here to serve the public in every way possible and providing quality customer service should be the norm, not the exception."
"I am a transportation enthusiast and I enjoy the constant innovation in all aspects of the industry. I cannot wait for the next new technology that creates a previously unrealized efficiency. Each time we are able to innovate either through technology or philosophy it leads to improving our customers' transportation experience.
"Customers come first."
