Westport Seeks Volunteers For 2 Transit District Director Posts

WESTPORT, CT — The town is seeking two volunteers to serve as directors of the Westport Transit District, the Representative Town Meeting Transit Committee Chair Peter Gold and First Selectman Jim Marpe announced.

The new directors for these volunteer positions will replace Marty Fox and Patsy Cimarosa, who plan to transition their responsibilities later this year after having served as the two WTD Directors for the last four years. The RTM will appoint one eligible Westport resident for a term expiring in April 2022 and the other for a term expiring in April 2024.

Eligible applicants must be registered voters in Westport.

The WTD provides public transportation in the Town of Westport with minibuses operated under subcontract with the Norwalk Transit District. Its services include commuter shuttles operating to and from the Saugatuck and Greens Farms rail stations and daytime Door-to-Door transportation for seniors and residents with disabilities.

The WTD Directors determine the scope of operations of the Westport bus system after considering the input of Town officials and the public, oversee arrangements with Norwalk Transit and manage activities such as marketing and budgeting.

Some specific duties of the Westport Transit Directors include:

• Establishing the strategic direction for the WTD after considering the input of Town officials and the public.
• Determining the scope of services to be provided including routes, schedules, fares and target service levels.
• Evaluating WTD’s operations for opportunities to increase efficiency.
• Overseeing NTD’s operations in Westport under its subcontract with the WTD.
• Preparing and submitting the annual WTD budget to the Westport Board of Finance and the RTM, with the assistance of the NTD and the Town’s Director of Finance.
• Analyzing ridership trends and financial results against budget.
• Developing and implementing plans to increase ridership and awareness of WTD’s services, including new marketing programs.
• Staying informed on evolving transportation issues and technology, new methods of providing public transit and evaluating the potential application to Westport.
• Working with the RTM Transit Committee to keep it apprised of the WTD’s operations.
• Holding at least 4 public meetings per year and any public hearings required for fare increases and material service changes.
• Working with the NTD to apply for available State and federal grants.

Those interested in being considered, should email a resume and/or statement of interest including contact information to both pgold@westportct.gov and selectman@westportct.gov.