RATP Dev North America, subsidiaries adopt one name

RATP Dev North America, a subsidiary of global transportation provider RATP Dev, has combined its own subsidiaries—McDonald Transit Associates and RDMT—under the RATP Dev corporate name. “Rebranding of McDonald Transit and RDMT simplifies client interactions by immediately connecting clients to the parent company in North America,” the company said.

Acquired by RATP Dev North America in 2009, McDonald Transit Associates has more than 3,600 employees, and operates more than 1,700 revenue vehicles that have compiled more than 50 million annual revenue miles of service and more than 73 million annual passenger trips. RDMT, a partnership of McDonald Transit and RATP Dev North America, operates streetcars in Washington D.C. and Tucson, Ariz.

The executive leadership of RATP Dev North America will consist of Blaine Rigler, now serving as President of RATP Dev North America Bus, and Steve Bethel, Vice President RATP Dev North America Rail, working under CEO Catherine Chardon.

“The brand consolidation will benefit current bus, paratransit, rail and streetcar riders while [providing] the same high-quality services they have come to expect,” said Chardon. “This rebranding is intended to serve our clients first and foremost. [They] will easily be able to identify RATP Dev by a single name in all of our operational locations across North America. We will be focusing on new initiatives in Safety and Security Systems and Product Innovation for both the bus and rail divisions.”

“This is a win-win. As we operate as one unified brand, our commitment to our clients and employees remains strong and unwavering,” said Rigler. “The RATP Dev brand has such a strong reputation that it will be an anchor for serving our clients and recruiting top talent in North America. We look forward to working with our expert bus and rail teams throughout the country while aggressively recruiting highly skilled industry leaders for new operations.”

“One brand will enable our clients to connect with RATP Dev’s world-wide expertise,” said Bethel. “We want to bring state-of-the-art rail services to cities throughout North America.”

“Throughout the past year, RATP Dev has been at the forefront of helping clients use cleaner diesel equipment and introduce electric, hybrid and/or CNG vehicles,” the company said. “True to RATP Dev’s goal of driving innovation from the ground up, the company has undertaken development and demonstration of autonomous, first mile/last mile solutions and led the charge in meeting the demand for ride share programs and solutions to offset the rising costs of paratransit services.”