Michael DeVitto joins Sam Schwartz as Transit/Rail Services Consultant
Michael DeVitto has joined the Sam Schwartz team as a Transit/Rail Services Consultant. He will primarily be working to manage relationships with NY-area transit agencies, develop new business, and increase awareness of the firm's offerings in the space.
Mr. DeVitto has 35 years of public transit and transportation experience focused on operations, business strategy, fare payment, and customer engagement. He served in various roles over the course of a career at the NY Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA); most recently, as VP and Program Executive, Fare Payment Programs, he managed the MetroCard program and led the effort to launch next generation fare and toll payment systems across the region. A recognized leader in the transit industry, he is one of a handful of transit executives with deep public sector experience in planning and executing both traditional fare systems as well as new systems based on open payments and mobile technology.
Mr. DeVitto has provided strategic advisory services to transit agencies across the US, helping to bring about transformational change, increased mobility, and an improved customer experience. He also co-founded and led the US Transit Agency Roundtable on Open Payments, a collective of senior transit agency executives focused on sharing information and addressing common issues.
He is a firm believer in the power of collaboration to improve the transit experience and push urban mobility towards a more sustainable future.
Sam Schwartz: 25 years of transit and rail experience
Transportation Engineering
Sam Schwartz has been providing exclusive engineering services for MTA New York City Transit’s (NYCT) 5,000+ bus operation. At the 126th Street Bus Depot, the firm developed traffic mitigations to allow uninterrupted operations and improve safety during an adjacent RFK Bridge ramp construction project. Sam Schwartz analyzed operations at the South Ferry Bus Terminal to determine optimal use of the facility, including signal phasing changes in the surrounding street network to reduce bus delays, schedule improvements to reduce the number of buses laying over in the terminal, and other treatments to improve the passenger experience.
The firm's rail experience has included monitoring modified service patterns for New Jersey Transit, optimizing traffic signal timing for Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, and conducting the feasibility analysis for the proposed Brooklyn-Queens Connector streetcar line.
Bus Rapid Transit
Sam Schwartz played a key role supporting NYCT in initial development and implementation of the Select Bus Service (SBS) program in New York City. With support from Sam Schwartz, NYCT successfully introduced SBS on Fordham Road in the Bronx, then expanded it to First/Second Avenues and 34th Street in Manhattan, Nostrand/Rodgers Avenues in Brooklyn and Hylan Boulevard on Staten Island. The system now comprises 20 routes.
New Mobility
Our team has been part of successful implementations of varied New Mobility efforts, including ride-hailing services, ride-sharing services, microtransit, bikeshare, and Mobility as a Service plans in California, Washington, Colorado and Florida.
Expanded Global Expertise with GPO
Through our parent company, Sam Schwartz can call on resources and expertise on transit and rail systems, rolling stock, railroad operations, and high-speed rail. From supporting the launch of the Málaga Metro to planning commuter rail in Nairobi, constructing BRT systems in Brazil to executing technical designs for Turkey's first rail link between Europe and Asia, GPO's work spans disciplines and geographies with ease.