Gary Blazinsky, Administrator of Harford Transit LINK’s in Harford, Maryland was named the 2021 Community Transportation Manager of the Year by the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) at its annual EXPO – held this year in Richmond, Va. – in recognition for his innovative leadership at LINK throughout the pandemic.
The award, presented annually at the Association’s national EXPO, recognizes excellence by managers of community transportation systems in serving the needs of people in their communities. Randy Zobrist, Midwest Regional Director of the Association’s Board of Directors and Executive Director at River Bend Transit in Davenport, Iowa noted how Blazinsky has gone above and beyond to improve his community and its mobility.
“Pre-pandemic, Blazinsky was able to increase ridership by 22 percent due to his vision and tireless efforts to improve on-time performance and his system’s existing route structure. Additionally, thanks to Blazinsky’s leadership, this agency has increased access to work, school, shopping and more; truly enhancing the lives of its riders by connecting them to life’s most important opportunities. His forward-thinking approach has improved ridership satisfaction, led to the smart use of alternative fuels, and helped his system implement innovative transit technology by modifying existing services to remain flexible throughout the pandemic.
Not only is this winner dedicated to his communities, but also to its employees. He recognized that a reliable workforce is key in providing quality service to riders. Blazinsky encourages ongoing professional growth and works with the local government to increase wages and provide greater benefit packages,” said Zobrist in presenting the award.
“I am extremely privileged to receive this award. To be recognized by my peers and transit associates is one of the most significant accomplishments of my professional career. However, it is due to the hard work, support and diligence of the Harford Transit LINK team, so while I’m the one receiving the award, this is really their achievement as everything we work to accomplish, we do as a team,” said Blazinsky.
The Community Transportation Association, established in 1989, is a national non-profit, membership association committed to removing barriers to isolation and improving mobility for all people. The Association provides informational resources, technical assistance, training and certification, and many additional resources to communities, transportation providers, and other groups to increase mobility and improve the quality of community and public transportation
