Nicholas J. Eull

Sept. 18, 2012
Metro Transit Manager of Revenue Processing Nicholas J. Eull.

Metro Transit's buses and trains run not only on biodiesel and electricity, but they also run on money.

As manager of passenger fare revenue processing, Nick Eull ensures that cash collected on buses and trains is properly safeguarded, counted and deposited. And he ensures that the equipment that collects transit fares is properly purchased, maintained and upgraded.

The annual result? Some $25 million in cash collected, more than $80 million cash and pre-paid rides recorded and a $35 million inventory of fare collection equipment in top-notch working order.

Prior to Metro Transit he spent nearly three years as operations manager for Jefferson Lines, overseeing a 70-bus fleet and 120 employees.

Eull joined Metro Transit as a transit control center supervisor in 2002 and moved to the finance division a year later as revenue operations analyst where he was integral to the design and implementation of the regional smartcard fare collection system. He assumed his current position in 2006. 

In his current position, Eull manages the work of 40 employees who care for fare collection equipment on 877 buses, 25 rail platforms, two transit stores and more than 70 retail sales outlets. Under his leadership, equipment reliability increased 40 percent over two years. These achievements are particularly remarkable given the range of equipment — 20-year-old fareboxes, 15-year-old magnetic-stripe card readers and cutting-edge smartcard electronic technology.

Eull led the fare collection equipment implementation of Metro Transit's first commuter rail line in late 2009, marking the first time the region had undertaken distance-based fares. This added complexity required a system software upgrade and extensive testing, all of which were delivered on time and within budget.

Eull has demonstrated a particular commitment to process improvement and employee productivity. He led his maintenance group in implementing automated work order and inventory management as well as standardizing quality measures for maintenance and equipment performance.

Eull is a graduate of the University of Minnesota with a B.S. in economics. While on-the-job, he earned a Master's in business administration from Metropolitan State University and a Mini-Master's certificate in LEAN management from the University of St. Thomas.

He is an occasional presenter and participant in APTA Fare Collection and Transit Technology conferences. Most recently, he contributed enlightening presentations as part of Fare Collection 101 and “Using Data to Develop a Fare Collection Equipment Maintenance Plan” at the 2012 conference in Fort Worth.

Technology Advancements

"I had an opportunity to get directly involved when Metro Transit implemented its automated fare collection system and learn about fare collection from the ground up. Gaining that understanding helped me realize how adaptable the equipment is in meeting our customer's evolving fare collection needs. It also helped me understand the amount of data that is available to help drive maintenance and efficiency efforts with Metro Transit's fare collection equipment.

"[I would like to see a] continued effort to leverage the latest technologies in everyday operations. In the past 10 to 15 years, we've seen automated fare collection systems, AVL systems, hybrid buses and open payments (to name just a few) weave their way into fabric of mass transit. I'm excited to see what the next 10 years brings on that front."

Outside the Office

"I'm an avid fisherman. Summers are short in Minnesota and there's no better way to spend it than outside on a lake somewhere with family and friends."