Transit has hired David Block-Schachter as its chief business officer. Block-Schachter, the former chief technology officer at the MBTA in Boston, will be joining Transit as the company deepens its offerings for transit agencies.
As Chief Business Officer, Block-Schachter will oversee a team that develops strategic partnerships with agencies as Transit continues to expand its role as the preferred platform to plan and pay for multimodal trips. He will also lead a research and analytics team to help partners and cities better understand how Transit’s users engage with the variety of transportation options available in the app.
Showing all the options for getting around cities has earned Transit the trust of millions of users, making it North America’s leading mobility platform. Transit is the official partner of dozens of agencies, including the MBTA in Boston, the STM in Montreal, MDOT MTA in Baltimore, and VTA in Silicon Valley. As Chief Business Officer, Block-Schachter will deepen the company’s commitment to working with agencies and mobility providers as Transit helps cities better serve riders across multiple modes, operators and payment systems.
Prior to joining Transit, Block-Schachter served as chief technology officer at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, where he directed the agency’s upcoming transition to a new automated fare collection system, brought a new, flexible approach to technology partnerships and procurements, and hired a team of customer-focused engineers, designers, and product managers.
Block-Schachter was also chief scientist and chief technology officer at microtransit startup Bridj, where he led the team that designed and built Bridj’s proprietary vehicle routing system. He received a Doctorate in Transportation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he oversaw student research at the MIT Transit Lab.
Block-Schachter rides the bus daily. While this isn’t technically an academic or professional credential, it is an unofficial requirement for working at Transit.
“David brings experience from a transit agency that has embraced technology as a way to expand access to public transit, grow ridership, and better serve city-dwellers,” Sam Vermette, Transit CEO. “David’s deep background in transportation technology, combined with our mission to help people get from a to b without their own car, makes him a natural fit for our leadership team.”
“I’m excited to help build a product that’s essential to millions of commutes, including my own,” Block-Schachter said. “Cities are enabling more and more mobility offerings, and public agencies are at the heart of that progress. The team at Transit is committed to helping cities improve the rider experience, and I’m thrilled to be a part of that.”
