{"id":21608,"date":"2026-04-15T12:05:21","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T16:05:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/?p=21608"},"modified":"2026-04-15T12:05:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T16:05:22","slug":"transforming-transit-meet-krystal-oldread","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/transforming-transit-meet-krystal-oldread\/","title":{"rendered":"Transforming Transit: Meet Krystal Oldread"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In this Transforming Transit<\/em> blog series<\/a>, we highlight leaders shaping connectivity and mobility, showcasing how smarter, sustainable transportation solutions meet the evolving needs of communities and clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tell us a little bit about your role and what inspired you to pursue a career in transit?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My path into transit was anything but traditional, and that\u2019s what makes it meaningful. While I was studying at the University of Massachusetts \u2013 Amherst, I drove a bus for UMass Transit \u2013 the university\u2019s 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\u2019s license (CDL), which has become a real source of pride for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 \u2014 through service planning, run cuts, Computer-Aided Dispatch and Automatic Vehicle Location (CAD\/AVL) programming, data analysis, and real\u2011world service delivery \u2014 while continuing to drive buses because the connection between planning and operations matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After earning a Master of regional planning, I pursued a master’s in civil engineering\u2013transportation to bridge the gap between planning, engineering and operations. It\u2019s that foundation that defines my approach today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n Having been in the driver\u2019s seat gives me credibility. I know what it takes to make transit work and clients notice that. <\/p>\n

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How do you approach problem solving and innovation?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s 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\u2019re not considered, a plan that looks great on paper can fail in practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I focus on understanding a system\u2019s real\u2011world constraints from the beginning \u2013 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\u2011driven. I don\u2019t just make assumptions; decisions are based on real\u2011life data, model data or lessons from other systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019re parked, and how service actually runs day\u2011to\u2011day. That experience helps me to create solutions that aren\u2019t just innovative on paper, but credible, practical and implementable in real life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n Operational realities influence everything from scheduling strategies to bus stop design. If you don\u2019t consider them, a plan that looks great on paper can fail in practice. <\/p>\n

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What are some of the most successful or impactful transit planning projects you\u2019ve worked on?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of my favorite projects was in Maine for a mid-sized transit agency. The existing bus network wasn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s really exciting to combine new technology with practical, on-the-ground insights that help agencies to operate more efficiently<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n The existing bus network wasn\u2019t 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. <\/p>\n

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What are some of the trends you\u2019re seeing in transportation planning?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m 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\u2019s often about using technology to enhance or expedite an existing process.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another key trend is moving away from traditional fixed\u2011route 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 \u2013 all of which is made possible by technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What ties all of this together is a stronger focus on what\u2019s realistic and implementable, as well as finding solutions that actually work within real\u2011world constraints and improve communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n Transit agencies aren\u2019t chasing technology for its own sake \u2013 they\u2019re using it to make services more flexible, more efficient and more aligned with real-world demand. <\/p>\n

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Krystal offers a practical perspective that supports confident decision\u2011making and smoother delivery. Her ability to translate complex planning challenges into workable, real\u2011world 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Krystal 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1140,"featured_media":21609,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[162],"tags":[87,6577,5396,187],"yst_prominent_words":[5206,356,2620,1253,366,1080,1373,402,2008,5195],"class_list":["post-21608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-transportation","tag-sustainability","tag-transforming-transit","tag-transit","tag-transportation"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21608","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1140"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21608"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21608\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21611,"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21608\/revisions\/21611"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21608"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aecom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=21608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}