Description

Attendees will learn how Tulsa's MetroLink program successfully integrates Microtransit and Paratransit services on a unified platform, achieving higher efficiency, cost savings, and improved rider satisfaction. They'll cover best practices for leveraging technology, enhancing service reliability, and creating a scalable, sustainable model for modern urban transit systems.

Valerie Courchesne, Director, Metrolink Tulsa

(16) Valerie Courchesne | LinkedIn

Valerie Courchesne is the Director of the Control Center for MTTA. She has been in the transportation world since 1994. She started as a bus operator and has worked in every aspect from routing, call center, dispatch, safety, training to management. In her short time back in Tulsa, she has worked in 3 different position, Transportation Director, Rideshare Director where she worked closely the RideCo Company in providing our new rideshare and micro system for our passengers to have a better way to travel. and now into her new position as the Director of the Control Center 

Valerie started in the transit world in 1994 with Tulsa School Transportation where not only was she the Support Operations Manager she built the Environmental and Safety Park which also housed the Tulsa Ropes Course. In doing so she raised 1.5 million in 18 months. In her time with the Tulsa Schools, she won the Humanity Award. 

Valerie has worked in several different states where she was able to achieve improve the transportation goals , In Cape Cod added a train car to carry the bike for visitors coming in the summer from Plymouth and Boston to cut down on the traffic and a bike trailer to travel across the city to P-Town for safety. In Cary NC she put together a tutorial training method to cut down on the customer complaint calls by 75% in less then 6 months and 90% in 1 year. While working in West Palm Beach FL, she held a seat on the board for COMTO where she was involved in many projects and charity work. 

She is now working closely with other in building the control center for the MTTA. Her other duties involve the Call Center, Security team, and Road Supervisors.

Valerie loves the transit world. She has 12 hours left in getting her flying license. 

Valerie is a visionary and always looks outside the box. She says it to crowed inside. 

Valerie is also very involved in her church and charity work. 

Brian Hageman, Senior Project Manager, RideCo

(16) Brian Hageman | LinkedIn 

Responsibility: As a Senior Project Manager—Customer Success at RideCo, Brian leads the end-to-end integration process, including project management, technical implementation, data migration, testing, training, and onboarding new clients. He nurtures trusted client relationships, emphasizing progress toward achieving KPI and operational goals. He is responsible for developing implementation plans and schedules, kick-off meetings and regular project management meetings, test and refinement plans, onboarding software/hardware, and installation requirements.

• Over eight years of microtransit and on-demand project management experience

Qualifications: Brian brings in-depth knowledge of public transit, on-demand microtransit and paratransit programs, and SaaS implementations. He has been in the industry for over eight years and uses his extensive real-world experience to ensure successful deployments. He also analyzes operational data to optimize services and exceed target KPIs. In addition, Brian has volunteered his time as a transit and connectivity board member in his local community for over six years.

Brian has launched and managed several on-demand projects at RideCo, including Tulsa Transit (microtransit and paratransit), Access Huntsville (AL), LeeTran (Lee County, FL), Bridgeport, Milford, and Hartford (CT), SporTran (Shreveport, LA), Plymouth Transit (Plymouth, MN), The M (Montgomery, AL), CK Rider (Concord, NC), and Gwinnett County, GA. Brian has launched and managed a wide range of SaaS on-demand systems at transit agencies and corporations nationwide throughout his transit career.