Michael Tann, the executive director for Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority in Erie, Pennsylvania, has been hired to lead Wichita Transit, City Manager Robert Layton announced.
Tann has served as the chief executive of the Erie transit operation since 2013; he oversees a system with 74 fixed route and 64 paratransit vehicles, a $20 million annual operating budget and more than 3.5 million annual trips on 31 routes in the Erie County metro area and over 250,000 annual paratransit trips. The system serves five universities, the Erie School District and a downtown trolley circulator.
Tann starts his job in Wichita on May 7.
“Michael Tann will bring a wealth of transit knowledge to Wichita,” Layton said. “He has successfully operated a regional transit system in Erie with over 3.5 million annual trips. With a strong operational background and significant experience with community partnerships, Michael is well positioned to develop a sustainable transit system in Wichita.”
Before serving head of the Erie Transit system, Tann worked in public and private sectors as director of operations Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority from 2007-13; domestic logistics and traffic management for Lord Corporation — Logistics Plus (2004-07); general manager at TWL Corporation (1998-2004); and vice president of operations for Dodsworth Incorporated (1992-98). He has a bachelor’s of arts in business and political science from Gannon University in Erie.
"I am extremely excited about the opportunity to lead, grow and make Wichita Transit a vibrant, community and eco-minded, dynamic and growing transportation option for all citizens of Wichita,” Tann said. “I’m eager to be a part of the team assembled by Mr. Layton and to work with all departments of the city of Wichita.”
As head of Wichita Transit, Tann will manage 144 employees, a $15.5 million annual budget and the largest transit system in the state of Kansas. Serving more than 1.3 million passengers in 2017, Wichita Transit operates 46 buses, 24 vans and 7 trolleys. Currently, 17 fixed bus routes operate six days a week, from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Transit services include traditional fixed routes, a newly expanded downtown trolley service and a demand-response paratransit service for persons with physical or cognitive disabilities. The Transit department operates from several facilities downtown, including a Transit Operations Center, a 2011 built van maintenance facility and a centrally located Transit Center.
