Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates
Principal, September 2007 to present

Mr. Slater has been involved in the planning and design of transit services in North America and overseas since 1980 and has worked for Metropolitan Planning Organizations, transit systems, and as a consultant. Notable projects have included the development of one of the country’s first BRT lines and the redesign of commuter rail service throughout post-apartheid South Africa. Other projects have included the development of service plans for BRT in Connecticut, the redesign of bus services in many American cities, demand forecasting for new light rail lines in Colombia South America, and the development of new commuter rail lines in Boston, MA.

• Project manager responsible for the development of a transit policy plan for Virginia’s George Washington Region. This effort consisted of the development of a comprehensive plan to improve transit in this rapidly growing area. Key components included the development of transit service improvements, the determination of the most appropriate governing agency, and the development of a regional consensus on new funding sources.
• Responsible for the identification and evaluation of institutional options, and financial and funding analyses intended to lead to the development of a new transit authority in the Charlottesville, Virginia area.
• Responsible for the determination of shuttle bus service changes that was required to provide connections to Phoenix’s new light rail line and to serve major airport improvements that included a new terminal, an automated train, and parking and roadway changes. Also identified best contracting practices to assist with the development of new RFPs for the operation of airport shuttle services.
• Project Manager responsible for identifying, evaluating, and recommending bus service improvements for South Portland Bus Service, Shuttlebus, and ZOOM bus services that operates south of Portland.
• Project manager responsible for evaluating the use of DMUs on the MBTA’s Fairmount Line, which is an existing commuter rail line that is being upgraded to add stations to provide better service within the City of Boston. Study evaluated service, operating cost, capital cost, and environmental impacts of the use of DMUs.
• Responsible for developing service plans for commuter rail, BRT, and express bus alternatives for three potential corridors in Miami, Florida. Also contributed to the development of operating and capital cost estimates.
• Project Manager responsible for COA aimed at reversing on-going ridership declines in Manchester, NH, in a very financially constrained environment. Developed new service plan that will significantly improve service for most existing riders, and attract new riders with no increase in cost. MTA will implement the proposed changes in the summer of 2007.
• Project Manager responsible for developing, evaluating, and prioritizing transit improvements for Vermont's Addison County, which is a rural county that has been very successful in providing innovative transit services. Developed plan to improve and expand local services, improve and expand service between the county's three largest communities, and to expand and implement new commuter services, including from New York State.
• Project Manager for the development of a set of wide-ranging service improvements to serve transit needs over the next 10 years. Work consisted of the (1) Preparation of transit market assessment profiles of Hillsborough County, (2) development of service improvement options to address the opportunities identified in the market analysis, and (3) evaluation of alternatives. The work was conducted with a particular emphasis on areas that are either unserved or underserved with transit, with potential improvements included in HART’s “Vision 2016” Transit Development Plan.
• Project Manager responsible for developing a workable transit circulation concept for Downtown and Midtown Atlanta broadly supported by all affected stakeholders, citizens, businesses, and institutions. Employing a collaborative problem-solving approach, developed a Bus Transit Circulation Plan that balanced regional transportation needs with local environmental concerns for the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), the City of Atlanta, MARTA, the suburban express bus operators, and Downtown/Midtown stakeholders.
• Project Manager responsible for analysis of a variety of issues relating to the construction of a busway along the Griffin Line, including conceptual engineering studies, service design, and environmental analysis. Documented current and future freight operations on the line and determined the freight impact of each proposed transit alternative. Was also responsible for bus service designs using the proposed busway and potential alternative routes. In support of alternative evaluations, was responsible for estimating bus operating costs and preparing rolling stock requirements for each alternative.
• Project Manager for detailed analysis of bus transportation improvement options along the Hartford Manchester/Vernon Corridor. This location is identified as having a high potential for successful BRT service. Working with the Connecticut DOT and the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG), conducted a detailed analysis of bus transportation improvement options along potential guideways identified by Hartford’s CRCOG’s 1998 Long Range Transportation Plan.
• Project Manager for transit analysis component of study to redevelop a four-acre site in the heart of downtown Pottsville, providing comprehensive evaluation of the current fixed route transit services and recommending changes to maximize the transit oriented development opportunities. Also developed the public transportation program to support the design and construction of the proposed Union Station Intermodal Trade and Transit Center and participated in site selection and review of architectural and engineering designs. The completed project includes a public bus terminal, commercial office and retail space, open space for community-sponsored events, a passenger train terminal, park and ride facilities for tourists and commuters, and a hospitality center for visitors.
• Took lead role in conducting a feasibility study and in designing a set of circumferential service alternatives to be evaluated for Chicago’s Metra system. Provided an operational analysis, researched rail-to-rail transfer station issues, and assessed the non-resident airport travel market. Also developed a set of feasible operating schedules, detailed design, operations, and constraints information for rail station transfer facilities, and researched airport to airport transfer experience in New York, San Francisco, and London. Chicago’s Metra system is currently comprised of a dozen radial routes that focus on the Chicago Central Business District.
• Project Manager responsible for developing preliminary estimates of ridership for potential new rail, bus, and ferry services in the corridor; developing service plans for corridor and local transit services; and developing detailed estimates of demand to support development of transit services between Bangor, Mount Desert Island, and Acadia National Park, one of the nation’s most heavily visited parks. Potential new corridor services included commuter rail, light rail, BRT, and conventional bus. BRT alternatives included on-street BRT options and exclusive right-of-way alternatives.
• Project Manager for development of a strategic transit plan to improve transit within the New Haven region. Evaluated existing services, developed potential improvement strategies, and evaluated the effectiveness of identified alternatives. Working closely with local officials, stakeholders, and the riding public, developed ten strategies for detailed examination.
• Conducted analyses to estimate the cost effectiveness of transit service in different Metrowest travel markets and the feasibility of the establishment of a RTA for the region. Identified potential costs for the services required for the potential markets and develop ridership estimates for those identified services.
• Project Manager responsible for developing and assisting the implementation of service and operating plans to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Metrorail (South Africa) Commuter Rail Service, including revision of schedules, operating plans, security procedures, and fare collections procedures. The strategies employed in these plans have reduced train operating costs by 15-20% and rolling stock requirements by over 10% while improving service to customers.
• Project Manager and Transit Specialist to develop new service plan for Rio de Janeiro’s commuter railroad, which had been recently privatized. The service changes were designed to make SuperVia services more competitive with parallel bus services in order to attract the additional riders needed to become profitable.
• Project Manager and Senior Analyst responsible for demand projections and fare studies for project to design, build, operate, maintain, and transfer concession for a 16km, 45 vehicle, light rail system in the City of Cali, Colombia. The system is projected to carry approximately 135,000 riders on a typical weekday.

Jacobs Engineering/Edwards and Kelcey/KKO and Associates
Senior Associate, 1997 – 2006
Manager of Transit Planning, 2006 to Present

• Managed and conducted a variety of transit studies in North America and overseas designed to develop effective new transit services and to improve existing systems, with a particular focus on rail, bus, and BRT services. (Note: company changes were the result of corporate acquisitions.)

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Boston, MA
Director of Planning, 1993-1996

• Directed planning activities for the MBTA, the sixth largest transit agency in the United States, providing a mix of rapid transit, light rail, bus, commuter rail, ferry, and paratransit services. Responsible for both technical and policy aspects of short range service planning, long range capital planning, development of new services, assessment of existing services, and the development of improved methods to improve service quality and delivery. Also responsible for environmental compliance, community affairs, and scheduling.

Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS), Boston, MA
Manager of Transit Service Planning, 1988-1993
Senior and Principal Transportation Planner, 1986-1988

• Managed department conducting operations and service planning studies for the MBTA and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation and Construction (EOTC). Work consisted of technical studies to determine the costs and benefits of the new services and changes to existing services in terms of ridership, operating and capital costs, and air quality, traffic and other impacts.

Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Oakland, California
Transportation Planner/Analyst, 1982-1986

• Acted as liaison between MTC and Santa Clara County Transit (SCCTD) and CalTrain with respect to service and funding issues for bus, light rail, and commuter rail service in the San Francisco/San Jose areas. Performed analysis of various operating strategies for commuter rail service.