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Establishing a Mission and Goals

The goals of any public transit organization should be derived from its mission. Most successful public transit systems put their missions in writing in the form of a mission statement, which is a long-term view, or vision, of what the organization wants to become. A mission statement highlights the distinctive competencies of the particular public transit organizations vis-a-vis its competitors. Several reasons exist for the public transit organization to compose a mission statement, including:

* A mission statement gives the public transit organization a clear purpose and direction, which should help the organization to stay focused on its reasons to be in business.

* A mission statement describes the unique focus of the public transit organization that helps to differentiate it from similar competing organizations.

* A mission statement keeps the public transit organization focused on customer needs rather than its own abilities, leading to an external as opposed to internal focus of operations.

* A mission statement provides specific direction and guidelines to top managers for selecting from among alternative courses of action, helping to decide which business opportunities to pursue (e.g., higher frequency of customer pick-up or implementing a service for the elderly).

* A mission statement provides guidance to all employees and managers of a public transit organization, subsequently functioning as the “glue” that holds the organization together.