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The average transit executive spent 23 years in the industry, with an average annual salary of $113,000, according to METRO's seventh annual survey. >BY JANNA STARCIC, Executive Editor GENERAL MANAGER SURVEY: I IN A TURNAROUND FROM LAST year's General Manager Survey, nearly 60% of respondents are not facing a budget shortage. Of those reporting an issue, 61% cut service, while 58% raised fares and 40% eliminated positions in o liked that it was only a two- year bill and that Positive Train Control requirements were not adjusted to realistic expectations. order to cope. To deal with rising costs such as healthcare and fuel prices, GMs are revisiting contract charges annually, and cutting back on discretionary costs (i.e. advertising); establishing wellness programs and purchasing fuel in con- tract blocks; as well as reducing workers comp exposure and purchasing more fuel-effi cient buses. We asked transit executives what they thought of the new transporta- tion bill (MAP-21). Some said it was too early to tell, or were indifferent, while some liked the changes to New Starts evaluation critera and the move toward formula funds. Others dis- Looking at the makeup of our survey respondents, four out of fi ve were male, while the number of average years worked in the industry was 23. The average annual salary was $113,000, with the highest re- ported being nearly $300,000 and the lowest being under $33,000. A majority of respon- dents (63%) feel transit executives are paid fairly, while nearly nine out of ten do not ride their own systems to work. Transit executives spent nearly half of their time dealing with governmental/ public affairs, with business/budget dealings coming in second. 32 < mETRO mAGAZINE SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012 WHAT IS YOUR GENDER? 80% MALE 20% FEMALE Three out of four transit executives cite advertising as an additional way to generate revenue. Applying for state and federal grants, as well as selling maintenance services and acting as a local agent for Greyhound are "other" methods being employed. metro-magazine.com