Chris Walton Broward County Transportation Department The Future of Transit is Now

Christopher “Chris” Walton began his employment with Broward County in 2000 when he was appointed operations manager for Broward County Transit (BCT). In 2002, he was promoted to associate director responsible for overseeing bus operations and maintenance. In this position, he improved bus service by introducing peak ridership hour service and established the County’s first limited-stop bus service. In 2007, he was promoted to Department Director; the department includes the Fleet Services Division and the Transit Division. In 2010, BCT introduced new express bus service to downtown Miami, the first inter-county express bus service provided by the agency, and in 2012 new bus service along I- 595 to the downtowns in Fort Lauderdale and Miami began. In December 2011, the Department launched the nation’s first countywide Bike Share Program, Broward B-Cycle. In 2015, BCT introduced the largest alternative fueled (propane autogas) paratransit fleet in the nation. Current initiatives include the introduction of electric buses into the County’s fleet and the regional fare collection system in collaboration with Tri-Rail, Miami-Dade Transit, and Palm Tran.

Before joining the division, Walton served as operations management consultant with the Ultra Advisory Group of Detroit. He was the lead consultant on all transportation projects. Walton was also employed by the Detroit Department of Transportation from 1983 through 1994, serving as director for four years where he managed a $130 million budget and 1,800 employees. At the time, the department served 55 million annual passengers. He is credited with reducing overall costs and significantly improving service levels and quality.