BUSRide JULY 2020 | Página 6

FROM THE EDITOR
Paul Jablonski (1953-2020)
San Diego’s Public
Transportation Champion
In lieu of our normal Editor’s Letter, BUSRide is dedicating
this space to Paul Jablonski, who passed away suddenly
on May 10, 2020. These words come directly from Paul’s
colleagues at the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System
(MTS), where he served as chief executive officer.
Paul Jablonski
Fittingly, Paul Jablonski began his career as a bus driver. He worked his
way through college for the campus bus system while attending University of
Massachusetts - Amherst.
Many of the attributes bus drivers learn from being behind the wheel – leadership,
attentiveness, accountability, public service, and more, Paul applied to every position
he held in a career that spanned more than 40 years.
All of his skills and attributes were put to the test when he arrived at the San Diego
Metropolitan Transit System on January 1, 2004.
“We don’t have the personnel to run payroll” was how Paul was greeted on his first
day at the helm of MTS, which, due to legislation passed prior to his arrival, had been
decimated of leadership and staff. Planning functions had been stripped. Finance, HR
and Marketing were cut to the bones. Trolley, Bus and Contracted Services divisions
operated in silos with duplicative functions. The Metropolitan Transit Development
Board (as MTS was formerly known) was not a smooth-running multi-modal public
transit provider on Day One of Paul’s tenure; but he developed one almost from scratch.
MTS provides services to almost every corner of San Diego County, serving
the urban core and rural areas of more than 3,200 square miles. Mr. Jablonski’s
responsibilities include 54 miles of double-tracked light rail and more than 95 fixed
routes, paratransit services, taxicab administration and oversight freight rail lines
stretching to the California desert. MTS and its contracted services employ more than
2,800 people. And he positioned the agency to expand ever more.
MTS is considered a large-sized transit agency. And Paul’s work to turn the
agency into a top performing transit system did not go unnoticed by his peers
around the country. Under his leadership, the agency received national recognition
on a number of fronts. Recent achievements included: 2008 Outstanding System
of the Year; 2014 General Manager of the Year for Paul Jablonski; 2015 Bus Safety
Excellence Award for reducing preventable accidents; 2017 Bus Safety Excellence
Award for improving pedestrian safety; and 2018 Rail Safety Excellence Award for
downtown safety improvements.
Paul’s influence in the public transportation industry extends far beyond the past 16
years and the work he has accomplished to transform MTS. He has been contributing
to the industry for more than 40 years. He has worked around the world, initiating
transit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and helping Mendoza, Argentina, establish its first light
rail system. He has brought innovations to both the private and public sectors.
While Paul started his transit career behind the wheel of a bus, he became a
seasoned and polished transit professional by the time he joined MTS. His other
relevant experience included time as CEO and general manager of the Southwest Ohio
Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) in Cincinnati, Ohio; director of operations for the
Cleveland Public School System; senior operations consultant for ATE Management
working for Dallas Area Rapid Transit; general manager of the Merrimack Valley
Regional Transit Authority outside of Boston; and at Capital District Transportation
Authority in Albany, New York.
A steady theme throughout Paul’s career was about contributing to advancement
of transit in the United States and around the world. Paul had a team-first collaborative
nature. He had a firm belief in the American Public Transportation Association (APTA)
and the California Transit Association (CTA). He was respected among his peers. He
was always asked to be a keynote speaker, to participate on panels and contribute to
the greater-good of transit. And he always obliged.
Away from work, Paul’s number one passion was family. He enjoyed daily hikes with
his wife and long hiking trips with his children. Paul cherished his visits back east to see
his grandchildren. He also enjoyed fly fishing. With his Massachusetts background, Paul
was also a New England Patriots fan – his favorite player was Rob Gronkowski. Paul is
survived by his wife Debbie, four children and two grandchildren.
VOLUME 56, NUMBER 4
Richard Tackett
CEO / Editor in Chief
[e-mail]
Judi Victor
Publisher
[e-mail]
Stephen Gamble
Art Director
[e-mail]
Mitch Larson
Business & Accounting Manager
[e-mail]
Skylar Griego
Assistant Editor
[e-mail]
Amy McCraken
Senior Account Executive
[e-mail]
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6 | BUSRIDE.COM | JULY 2020