(Joseph A. Calabrese, is donating one hour of his time to the winning bidder.)


Joseph A. Calabrese was named the Chief Executive Officer and General Manager/Secretary-Treasurer of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) on Feb. 22, 2000.


Calabrese has made many changes at RTA. With a motto of "back to the basics", he has led an aggressive bus replacement program, rail system renovation program, and increased emphasis on image, finances and enhanced customer service.

On the high-tech side, he has worked to install a new integrated communications system where all buses and trains are tracked via GPS technology, including electronic real-time passenger information displays and has upgraded the Web site, www.rideRTA.com.

The focus on customer service has resulted in a quarterly report card relating to RTA's performance in key areas, employee incentive bonuses to improve the grades on the report card, and an unconditional customer guarantee, Ride Happy or Ride Free.

Calabrese, thinking regionally, also led an effort for a five-county regional agreement whereby a customer can travel throughout the region while paying only one fare.

Calabrese uses public transit as often as possible. He is certified as both a bus and rail operator. In spring 2002, two magazines, the local Inside Business and the national Bus Ride, featured Calabrese and RTA.

Calabrese is no stranger to public transit.

His transit career includes experience in both the public and private sectors. From 1975-1986, Calabrese held various positions of increasing responsibility in the areas of Labor Relations, Training, Human Resource Management and Operations at the CNYRTA.

In 1986, he left as Assistant General Manager to co-found a private company providing customer information services to the transit market and established offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Boston. He took the company public in 1991 and sold the company in 1993.

He came to Cleveland from the Central New York Regional Transportation Authority (CNYRTA), where he served for six years as Executive Director/ President of a public agency that oversees and operates public transportation and related services in a seven-county region of Central New York State. He was credited with reversing a 15-year trend of decline in ridership, and significantly improving the agency's financial performance through an entrepreneurial management style.

Joe previously served on the Executive Committee and as President of the New York Public Transit Association, and is currently on the Executive Committee and an Officer of the Ohio Public Transit Association.

Calabrese holds a degree in economics from Syracuse University, and an MBA from the University of Buffalo. He completed post-graduate fellowships at Northeastern University, The University of Chicago and at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Recently, a national study conducted by the Center for Urban Transportation Research named Calabrese as one of the most innovative and creative managers in the industry.

RTA is an integral part of the community and so is Joe Calabrese. Joe serves on numerous Boards and Committees to further the economic vitality of our region and to enhance the quality of life for its residents.