People Operations Lead

Biz Briefs: New Flyer secures additional 100-bus order from WMATA and more. In METRO's latest installment, Metro Magazine also take a look at recent news from Masabi, MCI, Samsara, and more partnerships making headlines across the transportation sector. October 9, 2026 5 min to read * The transportation industry is rapidly evolving with strategic partnerships, acquisitions, and technological advancements. * METRO's Biz Briefs edition highlights significant developments involving Masabi, MCI, and Samsara, showcasing recent partnerships within the sector. * New Flyer has received a 100-bus order from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, including hybrid-electric and battery-electric models. *Summarized by AI From strategic partnerships and acquisitions to service expansions and technology investments, the transportation industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace. In this edition of Biz Briefs, Metro Magazine spotlight the latest developments shaping the future of mobility. From manufacturers and suppliers to transit agencies and motorcoach operators, these updates offer a snapshot of the projects, partnerships and business moves driving the industry forward. In METRO's latest installment, Metro Magazine take a look at recent news from Masabi, MCI, Samsara, and more partnerships making headlines across the transportation sector. New Flyer secures additional 100-bus order from WMATA. New Flyer announced that the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) exercised its second-year options under a five-year contract for 500 buses. The order includes 75 Xcelsior(R) hybrid-electric 40-foot transit buses and 25 Xcelsior CHARGE NG battery-electric 40-foot transit buses. The options are being exercised from New Flyer's Q2 2026 backlog. Funding for these buses is sourced from a mix of federal, state, and local programs, including grants from the Federal Transit Administration's Low or No Emission grant program. The new buses will replace retiring fleet units and improve passenger comfort and operational efficiency, aligning directly with WMATA's five-year Strategic Transformation Plan to become the region's premier choice for safe, efficient transportation. The purchase of low- and zero-emission buses continues WMATA's progress under its five-year contract with New Flyer. In February 2025, New Flyer announced a base order for 100 hybrid-electric buses, followed in February 2026 by WMATA's Year 1 options for an additional 75 Xcelsior 40-foot hybrid-electric buses and 25 Xcelsior CHARGE NG 40-foot battery-electric buses, strengthening the agency's battery-electric fleet already serving the region. Ad Loading... Masabi launches AI Incubator. Masabi announced the launch of Masabi AI Labs, an AI Incubator focused on developing tools that deliver meaningful, practical value for public transit agencies and their customers. AI Labs formalizes more than a year of work, including research and discovery sessions with transit agencies across North America and Europe, and is now working with four agencies along with technology and payment companies to test where AI can make a measurable difference. According to company officials, rather than starting with the technology, Masabi is focusing on real operational and customer challenges, developing and testing ideas collaboratively with agencies and partners before considering wider deployment. Initial work has focused on developing AI use cases and tools in six specific areas: * Making transit data easier to interrogate and act on. * Improving customer service. * Strengthening revenue protection. * Augmenting repetitive operational and back-office processes. * Helping teams manage increasingly sophisticated fare systems. * Exploring how passengers could discover and purchase public transit through emerging AI interfaces. Ad Loading... MCI to deliver 92 commuter coaches to New York City Transit. Motor Coach Industries (MCI) announced that New York City Transit (NYCT) has awarded a contract for 92 MCI D45 CRT commuter coaches. Supported by state, local, and Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) funding, the new coaches will replace aging vehicles on express bus routes and help deliver comfortable, efficient transportation for customers. The order has been added to NFI's third-quarter 2026 backlog. The MCI D45 CRT is purpose-built for high-capacity commuter and express operations, combining passenger comfort with the durability and performance transit agencies expect from MCI coaches. Samsara launches Driver Perks. Samsara Inc. announced Samsara Driver Perks, the first rewards program built for professional drivers that is free to drivers and at no cost to the fleet. Millions of professional drivers in the Samsara network - from long-haul trucking to passenger transit and last-mile delivery - can now access exclusive offers and discounts from leading brands spanning food and beverage, wellness, fitness, travel, and more. Driver Perks is available in the U.S., with plans to expand to more drivers worldwide. Ad Loading... Samsara co-built Driver Perks with members of its Driver Council, an advisory board that informs Samsara's product development. Samsara also surveyed drivers across its network to gauge what products and services they value most. Drivers ranked fitness and wellness (64%), food and beverage (58%), and learning and personal development (51%) high on the list. Being healthy and active (79%) and time to rest and recharge (64%) topped what matters for their wellbeing. The findings underscored that the best way to support drivers is through everyday offerings that fuel their health, wellness, and interests. The result is a lineup of more than 50 partners that add value to a driver's lifestyle on and off the road. Partners include brands like Audible, BetterHelp, BetterSleep, Dickies, Liquid I.V., OLIPOP, Pit Boss Grills, MEATZY, Truck Parking Club, and more. Eligible drivers can access Driver Perks through the Samsara Driver App, a direct web link, or a QR code shared by their organization. Offers are available anytime, with additional brands and offers added over time. Each participating brand sets its own offer terms, and drivers redeem directly with the brand. Complete Coach Works completes refurbished bus for Minot City Transit. Complete Coach Works (CCW) completed a refurbished 30-foot Gillig Low Floor diesel transit bus for North Dakota's Minot City Transit. The completed bus marks the successful conclusion of a project designed to provide Minot City Transit with a reliable, cost-effective fleet solution while extending the useful life of a proven transit vehicle. CCW completed the refurbishment at its Riverside, California facility. Ad Loading... Major Scope Highlights Included: * Replacement of the existing engine with a Cummins ReCon diesel engine. * Replacement of the existing transmission with a rebuilt Allison transmission. * Refurbishment of the radiator, charge air cooler (CAC), surge tank, air intake, and exhaust components. * Install new Altro commercial-grade flooring, reupholster passenger seating, install a new ergonomic driver's seat, refurbish stanchions, and refresh interior panels. * Install new interior and exterior LED lighting, replace the battery, upgrade the electrical panel and wiring, and install a new Luminator destination sign. * Rebuilt wheelchair ramp, new ADA restraints, and updated accessibility signage. Quick answers. *Summarized by AI Ad Loading...

Masabi launches Passenger, bringing agency-branded journey planning, Fare Payments and concessions together in one app. 5 October 2026 Masabi, the global leader in enterprise-grade SaaS fare collection for public transit, today announced the launch of Passenger, a rider solution that brings journey planning, fare payments, concessions and real-time travel information together in a single agency-branded app. Launched at APTA TRANSform 2026, Passenger expands Masabi's rider experience beyond fare collection, giving transit agencies a single digital channel through which riders can plan their journey, pay their fare and travel, in their own app. Plan, Pay & Just Ride. Built on Masabi's deployment-proven Justride platform, Passenger is designed to give agencies greater ownership of the rider relationship while making public transit simpler and more accessible. Passenger is already the UK market leader, serving 2M+ riders a month and is rated above 4.7 in the app stores. It allows riders to plan a route, check live departures and service information, buy tickets or passes, access concessions and manage their account without moving between different apps or channels. The result is a simple proposition - Plan, Pay & Just Ride. "Transit riders increasingly expect the same simple, connected digital experience they receive in every other part of their lives," said Brian Zanghi, CEO at Masabi. "With Passenger, agencies can bring the entire journey together in an app carrying their own brand, creating a simpler experience for riders while gaining a much clearer understanding of how people want to move across their network. "It turns everyday interactions into an opportunity to build trust, improve communication and make transit easier to use, while keeping the agency's brand and relationship with the rider front and centre." One app. Every part of the journey. Passenger brings three core areas of the rider experience together within a single app: * Journey Intelligence Riders can plan journeys and compare route options, find nearby stops, check live departures, receive service alerts and disruption updates. * Fare Payments The app supports mobile ticketing and Account-Based Ticketing, including full and concessionary fare products, Open Payments trip history and account management. Where enabled by an agency, riders can also benefit from fare capping so they automatically receive the best available fare for their travel. * Concessions Passenger brings concession eligibility verification directly into the app, allowing eligible riders to access the correct fare without having to visit a customer service counter or complete a separate manual process. Passenger has been designed around the different ways people use transit. Daily commuters can quickly check live departures, receive disruption alerts and access their pass in the same place each day. Riders making unfamiliar journeys can plan their route before paying. Students and concession riders can verify eligibility and access the correct fare in-app, while visitors and occasional riders can understand the network and pay without first having to learn how the local fare system works. Masabi is committed to giving agencies choice: whether that means ticketing through Passenger, a third-party app, a bespoke agency app, or more than one rider experience, agencies can choose the digital approach that works best for their riders and network.