Training
Texas Transit Association Statewide Training Initiative
TTA is now expanding access to educational resources by launching a Statewide training initiative covering the many obstacles that transit staff face, including funding, procurement, and regulatory compliance. This training opportunity is made possible with a grant through TxDOT.
To administer this program, TTA will work closely with Easterseals, which has over 34 years of experience developing and implementing training programs and workshops for rural, suburban, and urban transit agencies. This training curriculum will be designed and delivered to be relevant to transit providers at various levels of management, accounting, and procurement professionals, front-line supervisors, dispatchers/ call center staff, and drivers. It will incorporate best practices from both the public and the private sector.
All courses, workshops, and webinars, in-person or virtual, are designed to be interactive and participatory. These courses will be offered to Transit agencies in Texas at no cost, but space is limited, so make sure that you and your staff don’t miss out on this great opportunity.
Upcoming Training
TTA’s Upcoming Courses
These courses are offered to transit agencies in Texas at no cost by grant funding through TxDOT.
Advanced Transit Management (2 day, in-person workshop)
Date: September 22-23, 2026
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Central each day
Location: Galveston Fire Station #1, 823 26th Street, Galveston, TX
Presenter: Carol Wright Kenderdine, Carol Wright Consulting
Description:
This 2-day workshop is designed for seasoned managers looking for new and improved approaches to managing their transit programs. It is a follow-up course to the Fundamentals of Transit Management. This course will challenge you to rethink some of the principles you thought you already knew. It will help you look at things from a number of different perspectives and provide you with hands-on activities and take-home resources that will enable you to implement what you learn in your own agency.
Modules for Advanced Transit Management include:
- Human Resources – Recruiting Good Employees; Performance Appraisals; Resolving Workplace Conflict (i.e., Managing Employee Conflict; Managing Difficult Employees; etc.); Succession Planning
- Financial Management – Evaluating Financial Capacity and Decision-Making
- Strategic Management – Benefits of Strategic Management; Implementing the Strategic Management Process; Marketing/Links to Stakeholders
- Advanced Service Planning -- Service Deployment; Technology Needs; Service Effectiveness & Efficiency; Setting Fares; Service Monitoring; and Best Practices
- Leadership Skills and Development
This workshop includes scenario-based exercises; problem solving exercises; valuable group discussions; hands-on training; best practices; and resources.
Grant Management and Procurement Fundamentals for Transit Agencies (webinar)
Date: October 20, 2026
Time: 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Central
Presenter: Anne Marie Coughlin, RLS & Associates
Description:
Participants will explore federal procurement requirements, contract administration, documentation, grant management responsibilities, common audit findings, and practical strategies for maintaining compliance throughout the life of a grant. Intended audience: Directors, Managers, Finance Staff, Grant Administrators.
Building Effective Community Partnerships: Expanding Transit Through Collaboration (webinar)
Date: October 22, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Central
Presenter: Robbie Sarles, RLS & Associates, RLS & Associates
Description:
Successful transit agencies do more than provide transportation—they build strong partnerships that expand mobility and improve community outcomes. This webinar explores practical strategies for developing and maintaining partnerships with healthcare providers, workforce agencies, schools, aging and disability organizations, local governments, veterans' organizations, and community nonprofits. Participants will learn how to identify potential partners, establish mutually beneficial relationships, develop referral processes, formalize partnerships through agreements, and measure the impact of collaborative efforts. The session will also highlight examples of successful partnerships that have expanded transportation access and improved community services. Intended audience: Transit Directors, Managers, Mobility Managers, Marketing & Outreach Staff.
Transit Operations Management: Strategies for Effective System Oversight (1.5-day, in-person workshop)
Date: October 28-29, 2026
Time: 8:00 a.m - 5:00 p.m. Central day 1
8:00 a.m - 12:00 p.m. Central day 2
Location: TBD
Presenter: Kristen Joyner, KJBackpack
Description:
This workshop will focus on transit leadership and management for directors with less than 3 years of experience. Administration, operations and planning, compliance plus communication and leadership skills will provide a good starting point with managers. Seasoned transit managers and regulatory experts will be utilized to provide key information and tips for success. Intended audience: Supervisors, Managers, Emerging Leaders.
Fatigue Awareness: Promoting Safety and Performance in Transit Operations (webinar)
Date: November 5, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Central
Presenter: Carol Kenderdine, Carol Wright Consulting
Description:
Fatigue can affect employee safety, decision making, and overall job performance across transit operations. This webinar helps participants recognize the causes and warning signs of fatigue, understand its impact on workplace safety and service, and explore practical strategies for managing fatigue. Intended audience: All Transit Employees.
Building High-Performance Transit Teams: Leadership, Accountability, and Employee Engagement (2-day, in-person workshop)
Date: November 18-19, 2026
Time: 8:00 a.m - 5:00 p.m. Central day
Location: TBD
Presenter: Laura Brown, RLS & Associates
Description:
Transit agencies consistently report that recruiting employees is only the first step—retaining and developing them is the greater challenge. This interactive workshop equips supervisors and managers with practical leadership strategies for creating engaged, accountable, and high-performing teams. Participants will learn coaching techniques, employee recognition strategies, performance management, workplace communication, conflict resolution, accountability, and methods for providing or supporting a positive workplace culture. Through group activities and action planning, attendees will leave with practical tools they can immediately implement to improve organizational performance. Intended audience: Transit Directors, Managers, Supervisors, Human Resources, Team Leaders.
Strengthening Employee Engagement to Improve the Rider Experience (webinar)
Date: December 3, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Central
Presenter: Carol Kenderdine, Carol Wright Consulting
Description:
Employee engagement directly influences customer satisfaction and organizational success. Participants will learn practical strategies for building engagement, recognizing employee strengths, improving workplace culture, and creating long-term organizational improvements that positively impact riders and employees alike. Intended audience: Directors, Managers, Supervisors, Human Resources, Team Leaders.
Dispatcher Decision-Making Under Pressure (webinar)
Date: December 9, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Central
Presenter: Carol Kenderdine, Carol Wright Consulting
Description:
Dispatchers make hundreds of decisions each day affecting safety, customer service, and operational efficiency. This webinar provides practical decision-making models, communication strategies, and problem-solving techniques for managing service disruptions, vehicle breakdowns, staffing shortages, ADA service issues, weather events, and other operational challenges. Intended audience: Dispatchers, Operations Supervisors, Managers.
Dispatcher Decision-Making Under Pressure (webinar)
Date: December 16, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Central
Presenter: Judy Shanley, Easterseals Project Action
Description:
Effective transit management depends on understanding and using performance data to improve service and demonstrate accountability. This webinar explores key performance measures for public transportation, including on-time performance, productivity, cost effectiveness, ridership trends, customer satisfaction, complaints, missed trips, and service quality. Participants will learn how to use performance data to identify issues, communicate results to boards and funding agencies, and support data-informed decision making. The session will also highlight practical approaches for establishing meaningful performance measures, creating easy-to-understand reports and dashboards, identifying trends over time, and using data to guide service improvements, strategic planning, and resource allocation. Intended audience: Transit Directors, Managers, Operations Managers, Mobility Managers, Planning Staff.
Agencies interested in hosting future training classes can contact Laura@TxTransit.org for details.
Host agencies are expected to provide the following:
Training Room with a projector that can accommodate up to 35 individuals classroom style.
Refreshments and coffee for morning and afternoon breaks.
Please note that the training location must be in close proximity to dining establishments to allow participants to leave and return within one hour.
Host agencies may also provide lunch if there are no dining establishments nearby.
The host agency is encouraged to offer tours of their facility.