Transforming Transit: Meet Krystal Oldread
In this Transforming Transit blog series, we highlight leaders shaping connectivity and mobility, showcasing how smarter, sustainable transportation solutions meet the evolving needs of communities and clients.
Krystal Oldread has extensive experience in transit planning, combining hands-on operations with advanced planning expertise. She specializes in optimizing bus networks, integrating electric vehicles and translating strategy into practical, implementable service solutions. Her work ensures projects are operationally feasible, cost-efficient and deliver real impact for transit agencies and the communities they serve.
Tell us a little bit about your role and what inspired you to pursue a career in transit?
My path into transit was anything but traditional, and that鈥檚 what makes it meaningful. While I was studying at the University of Massachusetts 鈥� Amherst, I drove a bus for UMass Transit 鈥� the university鈥檚 transit system. What started as a practical job quickly became something I truly loved, I had caught the transit bug. I still have my Class B commercial driver鈥檚 license (CDL), which has become a real source of pride for me.
During my time at UMass Transit, I progressed from driver to dispatcher, supervisor, field trip manager, and eventually became a transit planning analyst. I learned how transit agencies truly function 鈥� through service planning, run cuts, Computer-Aided Dispatch and Automatic Vehicle Location (CAD/AVL) programming, data analysis, and real鈥憌orld service delivery 鈥� while continuing to drive buses because the connection between planning and operations matters.
After earning a Master of regional planning, I pursued a master’s in civil engineering鈥搕ransportation to bridge the gap between planning, engineering and operations. It鈥檚 that foundation that defines my approach today.
Having been in the driver鈥檚 seat gives me credibility. I know what it takes to make transit work and clients notice that.
How do you approach problem solving and innovation?
I always approach problem solving through an operational lens. There are planners who approach things more theoretically, but for me operations is never an afterthought, it鈥檚 where I start. A system has to work on the road and so operational realities influence everything from scheduling strategies to bus stop design. If they鈥檙e not considered, a plan that looks great on paper can fail in practice.
I focus on understanding a system鈥檚 real鈥憌orld constraints from the beginning 鈥� how many vehicles and operators an agency has, budget limits, union rules, facility capacity, roadway geometry, technology, policy constraints, etc.. My mindset is very logical and data鈥慸riven. I don鈥檛 just make assumptions; decisions are based on real鈥憀ife data, model data or lessons from other systems.
My background as a bus operator and dispatcher strongly shapes how I think. When I design routes or schedules, I automatically think through how drivers get their assignments, how vehicles pull out, where they鈥檙e parked, and how service actually runs day鈥憈o鈥慸ay. That experience helps me to create solutions that aren鈥檛 just innovative on paper, but credible, practical and implementable in real life.
Operational realities influence everything from scheduling strategies to bus stop design. If you don鈥檛 consider them, a plan that looks great on paper can fail in practice.
What are some of the most successful or impactful transit planning projects you鈥檝e worked on?
One of my favorite projects was in Maine for a mid-sized transit agency. The existing bus network wasn鈥檛 functioning efficiently, so I had to come up with innovative solutions to improve efficiency without increasing cost. By analyzing operational data and redesigning routes, I created a network that was faster, more direct and remained within budget. We also converted underutilized areas to alternative service models and combined overlapping routes for efficiency. The agency implemented the plan fully, and riders immediately benefited from the improved service which was wonderful to see.
For one of our clients in Washington state, I took a service plan that looked good on paper but was impossible to operate. I tweaked the routes, optimized scheduling, and accounted for driver relief, vehicle movements, and turnaround times. The plan was successfully implemented almost exactly as we recommended, with only minor adjustments. Seeing a plan move from theory to reality and improve daily service in that way was incredibly rewarding.
Most recently, I have been working with some of our clients on the west coast of the United States to implement emerging service planning software. It鈥檚 really exciting to combine new technology with practical, on-the-ground insights that help agencies to operate more efficiently
The existing bus network wasn鈥檛 functioning efficiently, so I had to come up with innovative solutions to improve efficiency without increasing cost. By analyzing operational data and redesigning routes, I created a network that was faster, more direct and remained within budget.
What are some of the trends you鈥檙e seeing in transportation planning?
I鈥檓 seeing a few consistent trends across systems. One big one is embracing and adopting technology. More and more transit agencies are not only using advanced technology and AI now to support operations but are also recognizing that technology is not always the sole solution. It鈥檚 often about using technology to enhance or expedite an existing process.
Another key trend is moving away from traditional fixed鈥憆oute services. Many transit agencies are now increasingly exploring alternatives like microtransit, demand response, flex routes, van pools or volunteer driver programs. Instead of running the same services all the time, systems are looking at models that are more flexible, more efficient and better aligned with actual demand 鈥� all of which is made possible by technology.
What ties all of this together is a stronger focus on what鈥檚 realistic and implementable, as well as finding solutions that actually work within real鈥憌orld constraints and improve communities.
Transit agencies aren鈥檛 chasing technology for its own sake 鈥� they鈥檙e using it to make services more flexible, more efficient and more aligned with real-world demand.
Krystal offers a practical perspective that supports confident decision鈥憁aking and smoother delivery. Her ability to translate complex planning challenges into workable, real鈥憌orld solutions helps agencies move from intent to implementation. The result is transit planning that creates tangible improvements for systems, riders and the communities they serve.