Principal, 2006 - Present
Ms. Soper has recently been hired to expand the firm's expertise in the areas of: transit service planning and coordination, accessible services and paratransit program service design and delivery, and social service transportation coordination.
Transit Service Planning and Coordination
- Led regional efforts to implement California State legislation (SB 1474) intended to promote transit coordination efforts within the region.
- Project manager for Transit Connectivity Study currently underway, which identifies opportunities to improve the ways customers use public transit.
- Project Manager for I-80 HOV Lane Report.
- Project Manager for Santa Rosa Transit Center Improvement Study.
- Developed and facilitated agreement of regional ADA Eligibility Program used by 20 different transit agencies, including establishment of a regional ADA eligibility database
- Project Manager for Regional Paratransit Plan.
- Project Manager for Older Adults Transportation Study and follow-up Toolkit.
- Developed and Implemented Paratransit Technical Assistance Program (PTAP).
- Designed special transportation service networks including route and schedule formation.
- Conducted analysis and reported on paratransit performance measures.
- Supervised subcontracted paratransit programs.
- Primary author for Lifeline Transportation Network Report, which conducted map-based (GIS) analysis of the ability of the public transit network to meet the needs of low-income communities.
- Developed and managed program oversight for Low Income Flexible Transportation Program (LIFT), which provides grants for the provision of employment related transportation services.
- Conducted program evaluation of LIFT Program activities.
- Supervised completion of the Regional Welfare-to-Work Plan and other county-based planning activities.
- Developed service improvements and new programs in coordination with citizen advisory committees, local governments and subcontractors.
- Staffed regional Elderly and Disabled Advisory Committee.
- Conducted public meetings, facilitated workshops, convened various stakeholder groups to inform and participate in developing regional programs and policies.
Ms. Soper's work experience includes tenure with:
Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Oakland, CA. MTC is the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the San Francisco Bay Area.
Tri-Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (Tri-Met). Tri-Met is the public transit service provider for the Portland, OR Metropolitan area.
Presentations
- TRB (co-authored and presented paper "Survey Methodology and Vehicle Replacement Schedule of Specialized Transportation Providers in the San Francisco Bay Area")
- CalACT (California Association for Coordinated Transportation) Conferences: efforts to identify unmet paratransit needs in the Bay Area; The effects of the ADA on Bay Area transit operators; ADA paratransit eligibility; successful legislative efforts in Oregon for paratransit funding, and others.
- California Taxi Association
- National Conference on Specialized Transportation
- APTA Annual Meetings and other various APTA conferences and meetings.
- Chair, APTA Access Committee. During her three-year tenure, APTA adopted a policy position with respect to funding the ADA, increased the availability of technical assistance to operators responsible for the ADA, and responded, on behalf of the association, to proposed legislation.
- Member, Board of Directors, California Association of Coordinated Transportation (CalACT)
- Member, Project ACTION National Steering Committee
- Member, International Transit Training Program to Scandinavia
