MD: MTA Honors Operator of the Year

March 21, 2013
The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) announced Tony Brown as its top bus operator of the year, an initiative designed to recognize peak performers within the agency

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) announced Tony Brown as its top bus operator of the year, an initiative designed to recognize peak performers within the agency.

“Tony Brown is one of our best,” said MTA Administrator Ralign T. Wells. “He takes the job seriously and exemplifies what we want to see in our operators: someone who always has public service in mind. Tony maintains an outstanding safety record and I’m proud to name him MTA’s Top Operator of the Year.”

The top operator of the year award is determined by data tracked through the performance evaluation and reward criteria (PERC) system. Employees are ranked based upon their performance associated with accidents, attendance, logging in on the radio and farebox, and on-time performance. The operator with the best combined score in these four areas is then selected as the top operator of the year.

This ranking system allows the MTA to identify the top achievers and the employee with the best overall score is named top operator of the year. The MTA established PERC as a way to track the positive performance levels of operators and rank their level of accomplishments in four key areas.

“Professional bus operators do so much more than just drive a large vehicle,” Wells said. “Tony typifies so many of our great MTA operators who combine demonstrated skills with an outstanding attitude to provide quality service for our customers.”

The MTA recognizes that consistently performing the duties of a professional Bus Operator are very challenging and encourages employees to meet performance measures associated with this position. The PERC system is critical to the MTA’s success and has enabled the organization to establish a formal, unbiased recognition program based on measurable criteria. This boosts employee morale, creates friendly competition among divisions and encourages high levels of performance from our bus operators. 

The same criteria were used to determine the MTA’s Top Division of the Year. That award was given to the MTA’s Eastern Division.

Brown joined the MTA in 1991. He works at MTA’s Northwest Bus Division. The 22-year veteran is an avid car buff and enjoys spending time with his family.