I’m going to be very honest for a few moments and say that while there is a lot of good in public transit, there are also many elements that can make or break a rider. As a transit rider myself, I know how hard it is these days for transit agencies to make ends meet, especially with the recent recession and the possibility that we could hit another recession this year.

However, some transit agencies do the very best that they can with what limited resources that they have to make their customers and their employees happy. That is exactly what we see here with the Williamsburg Area Transit Authority in Williamsburg, VA. They truly go the extra mile for their riders, as you will see in the post from a Hampton Roads area transit rider and blogger. You will also see the stark contrast between WATA and neighboring Hampton Roads Transit, the latter by which some riders have expressed to me as being a transit agency by which its upper management simply does not care about its riders.

In short, if you have management who does not try hard enough to deliver an excellent customer experience, then that in of itself will make or break many riders. While there will be riders who will simply go about their day dealing with the mess that the transit agency leaves behind because of incompetent management, other riders will become so disgruntled that they will take the first opportunity to travel by other means; whether it be by car, taxi, ride share, biking, or walking.