The Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) has selected Sam Sink to be the new director of planning and scheduling effective Jan. 18.
Reporting to GRTC Chief Development Officer Adrienne Torres, Sink will manage teams responsible for bus route planning, bus schedule creation, bus stop infrastructure (benches, trash cans, shelters and other stop accessibility), bus operator runs, data collection and analysis and Title VI equity analysis.
“I am thrilled to welcome Sam to the GRTC Family. She brings a wealth of knowledge and skill to GRTC and will help us plan for and deploy improved services for riders in Greater Richmond. Most local bus riders are commuting to or from jobs, and Sam will be crucial to ensuring these essential workers can rely on GRTC to connect with critical community resources such as food, health care, education and better paying jobs in a dignified way from the bus stop to the bus ride. This local focus shapes the regional planning efforts Sam will steer.”
Sink previously served in several planning positions at Hampton Roads Transit in Norfolk, Va., progressing from a data analyst in 2012 to director of transit development in 2020. Her experience spans multimodal transit planning at local, state and federal levels, including environmental analysis for planning activities and she has a successful track record of securing capital grant funding for projects.
“As a transit rider myself, I understand how important good transit planning is to the lived experience of riders, and why it’s critical to connect with customers during their commute to hear how transit can work better for them and how I can help improve their daily life,” said Sink.
Sink joins a deep bench of women in GRTC leadership roles, where the majority of executive, chief and director seats are currently held by women. GRTC is the WTS Central Virginia Chapter 2021 Employer of the Year Recognition Award Winner, recognized as a leading company in the transportation industry that has made outstanding contributions to advancing women in Virginia through career development.
As GRTC and the region recover from the pandemic, planned multimodal transportation growth efforts are expected to progress through regional prioritization and planning in the next several years, including in concert with the Central Virginia Transportation Authority (CVTA).
