March 9, 2021
Media Contact:
Scott Peterson, Director of Communications, Office of Public Information, 202-277-9412
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – The Regional Transportation Agency (RTA) of Central Maryland serving Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County and the City of Laurel announced the selection of Jason Quan as its new General Manager. The selection was made after former General Manager, Cristin Tolen under the Transportation Management Services contract with First Transit was promoted to a new position within First Transit as of January 1.
“The RTA is a vital regional partnership for central Maryland, and we’re so pleased to have Jason Quan selected as the new General Manager,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. “Howard County recognizes the importance of creating more transit options for our residents, especially as we work towards a more multi-modal community. The RTA is a central component of that plan, and there are many new and exciting opportunities for the RTA to modernize in the coming years.”
“On behalf of the RTA’s partner jurisdictions, I’d like to welcome Jason to his new position,” said Bruce Gartner, Administrator of the Howard County Office of Transportation. “Having served as a consultant on the region’s Transit Development Plan adopted in 2018 and as our Transit Planning Manager in Howard County, Jason brings a wealth of experience to the RTA.”
“Thanks to Cristin and Jason’s experience in the transit industry, the RTA has been able to improve on time performance, implement a real-time bus location software system and react to the challenges of the pandemic during these unprecedented times,” said Allen Cornell Chairman of the Central Mobility Transportation and Mobility Commission. “We look forward to Jason’s leadership as we continue to address these challenges, implement a new mobile fare payment system and plan for a return to normal service levels in the coming year.”
Jason is a long-time resident of Howard County with extensive firsthand knowledge of the RTA system. Jason comes to the RTA with over twenty years of experience in public transit including the last two years he spent working for Howard County. Prior to working for Howard County, Jason spent his career in the transportation industry assisting transit agencies across the country in service planning, operations, compliance, policies, and procurement.
“I’m thrilled and honored to have an opportunity to continue my focus on the RTA while working more directly with the RTA staff and our partners in the region,” said Quan. “RTA is a critical service throughout central Maryland and providing high quality, safe and reliable transportation service for the citizens of Central Maryland is my number one priority. I look forward to leading the dedicated professionals of RTA to consistently deliver this critical service to our valued customers.”
Jason has a Bachelor of Science Urban Planning from the University of Maryland, College Park and has lived in Ellicott City for over 15 years.