Sharika Foster
Eastvale
Summary
Transportation Operations Manager with over 28 years of experience at Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA/PTSC). Demonstrated success in leading bus operations, improving service performance, and promoting safety and accountability. Skilled in labor relations, incident investigations, cost control, and emergency response coordination. Proven ability to mentor employees and collaborate across departments to achieve operational excellence.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Manager, Transportation Operations
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA)
Los Angeles
02.2014 - Current
- Lead operations of a high-volume bus transportation division, managing over 375 employees, including Operators, Supervisors, and support staff.
- Developed and implemented division-wide operational plans; improved on-time performance, with current metrics trending at only 2.2% early arrivals.
- Reduced preventable traffic accidents through procedural updates, targeted retraining, and performance tracking.
- Conducted division shake-ups and managed bidding procedures in accordance with collective bargaining agreements.
- Resolved over 90% of passenger complaints through structured investigations, retraining, and policy enforcement.
- Oversaw disciplinary processes, provided coaching and counseling, and testified in unemployment and workers' comp hearings.
- Maintained compliance with Metro safety policies, labor regulations, and reporting standards.
- Collaborated with training department to revise SOP-based instruction modules and performance-based retraining.
- Directed staff scheduling, budget tracking, daily executive summaries, and emergency response strategies.
- Worked cross-functionally to coordinate procedural improvements, ensuring published headways and service levels were met.
Director, Transportation Operations (Interim)
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA)
Los Angeles
04.2019 - 08.2019
- Directed daily transportation operations within Division 10.
- Supervised senior operations staff; aligned operational objectives with agency-wide strategic goals.
- Chaired interdepartmental meetings and led rapid response teams during service disruptions.
Transit Operations Supervisor
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA)
Los Angeles
01.2007 - 07.2015
- Supervised 420+ Operators at Divisions 1, 3, 5, and 18; ensured service delivery and adherence to safety protocols.
- Implemented frontline safety and service training; supported employee development and policy compliance.
- Responded to incidents, service delays, and labor grievances in real-time.
- Collaborated with upper management on operational improvements and cost-saving initiatives.
Schedule Checker
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA)
Los Angeles
06.2005 - 07.2007
- Collected and analyzed ridership data, arrival/departure intervals, and route efficiency metrics.
- Generated executive-level data insights used in schedule optimization and service planning.
Transit Bus Operator
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA)
Los Angeles
07.1997 - 05.2005
- Safely operated fixed-route buses with exemplary safety and attendance records.
- Delivered courteous, accessible service to thousands of passengers annually; ensured ADA compliance.
Education
Completed Coursework - Business Administration
California State University, Long Beach
1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, CA. 90840Skills
- Transportation oversight and planning
- Operational leadership
- Labor relations and grievance resolution
- Incident and accident investigation
- Budget management and cost control
- Emergency and crisis management
- Training program development
- Employee mentorship and succession planning
- Performance metrics analysis
- Policy compliance and regulatory interpretation
- Customer complaint resolution
- Safety standards implementation
- Public transit systems knowledge
- California vehicle code knowledge
- Code of regulations knowledge
- Metro operations and safety procedures
- Route management and scheduling systems
- Collective bargaining agreement interpretation
- Transportation software proficiency
- Microsoft Office applications proficiency
- HASTUS and Power BI proficiency
- Swiftly, Safe-7, CCATS, TransitSafe, SmartDrive proficiency
- Operations training and data analysis tools proficiency
- SOP systems proficiency
- Written and oral communication skills
- Stakeholder collaboration
Certification
- Legal Development and Ethics
- ADA & Interactive Process Training
- Emergency Response Team Member
- Sexual Harassment Prevention & Correction
- Drug & Alcohol Post-Accident Testing Protocols
- Labor Relations & Just Cause Principles
- Workplace Violence Prevention
- Fundamentals of Bus Collision (TSI)
Essential Knowledge And Skills
- Extensive knowledge of public transit systems, California Vehicle Code, and Code of Regulations.
- Proficient in Metro operations, safety procedures, route management, and scheduling systems.
- Experienced in collective bargaining agreement interpretation and application.
- Adept with transportation software, Microsoft Office, HASTUS, Power BI, Swiftly, Safe-7, CCATS, TransitSafe, SmartDrive, Operations Training, data analysis tools, and SOP systems.
- Strong written and oral communicator; effective at collaborating with stakeholders at all levels.
Timeline
Director, Transportation Operations (Interim)
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA)
04.2019 - 08.2019
Manager, Transportation Operations
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA)
02.2014 - Current
Transit Operations Supervisor
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA)
01.2007 - 07.2015
Schedule Checker
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA)
06.2005 - 07.2007
Transit Bus Operator
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA)
07.1997 - 05.2005
Completed Coursework - Business Administration
California State University, Long Beach
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