TARTA Welcomes Oscar Correa As New Director of Transportation
As the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) continues to grow and improve, it is vital to have the right people in the right leadership positions to ensure that those improvements are sustainable and customer-focused.
TARTA is thrilled to welcome Oscar Correa, a transit professional with decades of experience, as its Director of Transportation. Oscar’s first day on the job was May 6.
“I think one of the things that drew me to TARTA was forward-thinking leadership,” Correa said. “That’s hard to find in this industry. It’s great to be surrounded by people and leadership who are not just focused on maintaining the status quo, who understand that we need to change and progress in order to serve the customers who depend on us.”
Correa has 25 years of experience in the transportation industry, and comes to Toledo after serving as a Public Assistance Program Delivery Manager for the Department of Homeland Security in Little Rock, Arkansas. He has also served in leadership posts at the Metropolitan Tulsa Transit Authority, Hoosier Transit, and the Sacramento Regional Transit District.
“We are incredibly lucky to have Oscar on our team, and I think everyone who uses our service will benefit from his expertise,” said TARTA Chief Human Resources Officer Ursula Barrera-Richards. “He has a history of improving technology, operational safety and efficiency wherever he’s been. His considerable skill set will be so important to us as we continue to build this system.”
Correa will be a key part of the team preparing TARTA for its push for zero emission vehicles, TARTAZero. By 2040, TARTA’s goal is to have fully electric fixed route and paratransit fleets.
A federal and state grant received in 2023 will help cover the cost of eight full-sized electric buses, six chargers for those vehicles and a training program for employees working on those vehicles.
TARTA’s first three plug-in electric paratransit vehicles are on the road, with delivery of three more expected in the coming months.
“We’re excited to be developing a training program for our operators and mechanics focused on the new vehicles that we will have on the road in the coming years,” he said. “It is going to be an adjustment, but in the big picture the adoption of electric vehicles is a game-changer for our entire industry and for the people who use to get to work, medical appointments and so many other important destinations.
“A strong training program has always been key in this industry. As electric vehicles arrive that technology continues to evolve, it will become even more important.”
