Former Metra Board member and CTA executive Elonzo “Lonnie” Hill is being posthumously inducted into the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) Hall of Fame, Metra Executive Director/CEO Don Orseno announced July 23.
The APTA Hall of Fame was started in 1983 as a special honor reserved for individuals who have had long and distinguished careers in the transit industry, made extraordinary contributions to public transportation and actively participated in APTA activities. Hill’s achievements will be saluted during APTA’s 2015 awards ceremony on Oct. 6, at the organization’s annual convention in San Francisco.
Hill served on the Metra Board of Directors from 2003 until his passing in 2009. One of his greatest accomplishments was providing leadership to secure funding to replace the entire fleet of Highliner cars on the Metra Electric Line. To honor his advocacy and his memory, the Metra Board of Directors in 2012 named the first new Highliner car after Hill and held a dedication ceremony in his honor attended by elected officials, business leaders, family, friends and colleagues.
“We are pleased to join APTA in saluting our friend and colleague who accomplished so much during his career. He was a kind-hearted person who was truly committed to making the transit industry better for all customers,” said Orseno.
Hill’s long service and accomplishments in the transit industry began at the CTA. He joined the agency as a bus operator in 1961 and served the agency for 37 years, demonstrating leadership abilities, integrity and professionalism. He forged a legacy of excellence and accountability at the CTA as he rose from bus supervisor to deputy executive director operations to vice president, service delivery. Under his leadership, the CTA accomplished major projects across the entire region, including the reconstruction of the Green Line, the opening of the Orange Line to Midway Airport and the realignment of the Red and Green lines.
“Lonnie Hill is truly deserving of this Hall of Fame award because he personified excellence, professionalism and dedication to our industry, and he was a sought-after leader on the local and national level,” said CTA President Dorval Carter.
Hill’s legacy in the transit industry is truly nationwide. As one of the developers and coordinators of the CTA Transit Institute, he is responsible for introducing professionals to operating processes and procedures for bus and rail that have become the industry standard. Procedures developed by Hill and taught through the CTA Transit Institute have been adopted by transit agencies in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Denver, Washington, D.C., Boston, New York, Salt Lake City, St. Louis and Toronto.
In addition, Hill was tapped by the Atlanta’s transit system (MARTA) to provide advice and guidance on transportation issues for the 1996 Olympics. He was also a founding member of APTA’s Rail Safety Audit Task Force, and headed the APTA Task Force on Accident Reductions in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Atlanta.
From 1987 through 1989, Hill chaired APTA’s International Bus Rodeo Committee. While in this position, he developed APTA’s Rail Rodeo to expand the competition to transit agencies providing rail service in the U.S. and Canada. The Rail Rodeo continues to this day with 15 to 20 transit agencies participating annually.
Hill was also a staunch advocate for positive service, growth and diversity in the transit industry and was a strong supporter of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO), whose mission is to advance the careers of minorities in the transit industry. Throughout his career, Hill’s work ethic, civic-mindedness and charitable outreach favorably impacted the transportation industry and the community.
