Katrina Heineking, general manager of Sun Tran and Sun Van, the public transportation system and comparable paratransit service in Tucson, Az., was recently awarded the Outstanding Transit Individual Award from Arizona Transit Association (AzTA) and the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). The awards luncheon was held April 12 during AzTA’s annual conference in Mesa, Az.
The Outstanding Transit Individual Award recognizes an individual who has provided outstanding leadership and contributions to public transportation programs to improve the quality of transit service.
Since joining the Sun Tran and Sun Van staff in 2004 and serving as general manager of both systems since March 2006, Heineking has led major transit expansion in the Tucson area. She has launched an 18 percent service level expansion funded by the Regional Transportation Authority, encouraged the utilization of technological advancements to enhance service, built Tucson’s first “green” transit facility to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) specifications, and converted the entire transit fleet to utilizing cleaner-burning fuels and hybrid technology. During her tenure at Sun Tran and Sun Van, Heineking has also been recognized as General Manager of the Year by Professional Transit Management, Outstanding Person of the Year by the Tucson chapter of Women’s Transportation Seminar, and a Women of Influence 2010 by Inside Tucson Business.
“This award is really for my entire staff, although I am truly humbled by this recognition,” said Heineking. “All that has accomplished to improve our transit options in the Tucson community is due to the hard work of all our employees.”
Sun Tran and Sun Van are operated by Professional Transit Management Ltd. (PTM), an affiliate of Veolia Transportation, and under contract with the city of Tucson. With nearly 900 employees and a fleet of 365 buses and vans, the systems provided more than 20 million passenger trips last fiscal year.
