Facts and Figures
LBT provides public transportation to more than 14 million annual boarding customers in southeastern Los Angeles County and northwestern Orange County. With a service area covering over 107 square miles across 14 cities, LBT annually runs more than 4.9 million service miles over 500,000 service hours, using 250 fixed-route buses. LBT also operates water taxi and demand-responsive paratransit services.
FY 2020 Customer Boardings: 23.8 million
FY 2020 Vehicle Miles Traveled: 7.7 million
Number of Routes: 39
FY 2022 Operating Budget: $114.09 million
FY 2022 Capital Budget: $71.88 million
Fleet: 250 vehicles
For more information view our LBT At-A-Glance.
Organizational Focus
Long Beach Transit is dedicated to connecting communities and moving people…making everyday life better.
Our vision is to be a leading provider of transportation options delivering innovative and high-performing services within a multi-modal network that transforms the social, environmental and economic well-being of the diverse communities we serve.
As an organization we are focused on our strategic priorities to
- Improve safety and service quality;
- Exercise financial accountability;
- Foster employee engagement;
- Enhance customer experience and
- Promote community and industry focus
History
March 1963
Articles of Incorporation for Long Beach Public Transportation Company are approved and the Board of Directors conducts its first meeting.
May 1963–1977
William (Bill) Farrell becomes first general manager of the Long Beach Public Transportation Company.
1963
The first bus procured by Long Beach Public Transportation Company was the Dreamliner model bus.
May 1974
Grand opening of new Long Beach Transit offices and maintenance department at 1300 Gardenia Avenue.
1975
Dial-A-Lift begins services for customers with disabilities who are unable to use the LBT fixed-route bus system.
1977–1980
Gerald (Jerry) Haugh served as the second general manager of Long Beach Transit.
1980–2013
Lawrence (Larry) Jackson hired as the third general manager of Long Beach Transit. He would lead the company for the next 33 years.
August 1982
Long Beach Transit Mall is dedicated.
Mid 1990s
Instituted downtown shuttle service called the Runabout, and later the Pine Avenue Link.
September 1998
A second operating facility is opened in North Long Beach, giving LBT an opportunity to expand its fleet.
1998
AquaBus service begins with two 40-foot boats skippered by Catalina Express boat captains.
2001
The Pine Avenue Link is re-branded The Passport and continues its service of downtown Long Beach venues.
2004–2009
LBT adds 89 gasoline-electric hybrid buses to the fleet introducing production model gasoline-electric hybrid buses into revenue service.
2009
The U-Pass program begins at CSULB. The U-Pass program funded by the university provides complimentary bus service for students, faculty and staff.
2011
AquaLink service begins with a high-speed catamaran that adds express service and a stop at Belmont Pier.
Winter 2013
LBT added 64 new 40-foot Gillig compressed natural gas (CNG) buses to the fleet.
2013
LBT celebrates 50 years of moving the community forward.
August 2013
Kenneth McDonald becomes the fourth President and Chief Executive Officer of Long Beach Transit.
March 2017
LBT adds 10 Battery-Electric Buses to its fleet.
Board of Directors
Long Beach Transit is governed by a seven-member Board of Directors appointed by the Mayor of the City of Long Beach. Each Board Member is confirmed by the Long Beach City Council and serves up to two, four-year terms. Two other non-voting Board Members serve as designees of the Long Beach City Manager.
The Board meets once per month and selects its officers each December.
David Sutton
Chair
January 2023 – December 2026
Second Term
View Bio
David Sutton
Director David Sutton is a District 4 resident and he is the Executive Officer Finance-TAP of LA Metro. In his current role he directs the largest Smart Card regional fare collection system in the U.S. serving 26 transit agencies and oversees a diverse department of 81 contract and non-contract staff, including TAP Customer Service. Director Sutton received his Master of Public Administration and Bachelor of Arts, Psychology from California State University, Long Beach.
Abigail Mejia
Vice Chair
February 2021 – December 2024
First Term
View Bio
Abigail Mejia
Director Abigail Mejia is a resident of Council District 1 and currently serves as District Director to California State Senator Lena Gonzalez. She is a graduate of California State University, Long Beach and has been an active member and advocate for the Long Beach community for many years. Director Mejia is currently President of the Democratic Women’s Study Club of Long Beach, and serves as Women’s Committee Chair for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union (IAM). Additionally, she is a Board Member of the Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition and serves on several other community boards in the city.
Colleen Bentley
January 2020 – December 2023
Second Term
View Bio
Colleen Bentley
Director Colleen Bentley worked in the California State University Chancellor’s Office for 25 years, where she served as Public Affairs Director and special projects director. Director Bentley’s work included working with the Chancellor, Board of Trustees and the 23 campus presidents on media relations, communication issues and video/web projects. She currently serves on the CSULB Alumni Association Board, the Leadership Long Beach Honorary Board, the Advisory Board for the Long Beach Public Library Foundation, the Community Improvement League Board and the Friends of Belmont Shore Board.
Raul Añorve
February 2022 – December 2025
First Term
View Bio
Raul Añorve
Director Raul Añorve is a resident of the 9th Council District and has been an active community member by previously serving on the City’s Citizens Police Complaint Commission, Grants Committee Panel for the Arts Council of Long Beach, and was a Fellow with the Equality California Leadership Program. Director Añorve works as a Paralegal for the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, Safe Neighborhoods & Gang Division. He is an LBT customer, a graduate of Leadership Long Beach, and was inducted into the Equality Plaza at Harvey Milk Park in Downtown Long Beach for his work surrounding LGBTQ causes.
Randy Rawlings
January 2023 – December 2026
First Term
View Bio
Randy Rawlings
Director Randy Rawlings is a resident of the 5th Council District and currently works at Virgin Orbit as a Business and Customer Experience Analyst. He has experience working in the City of Long Beach’s Legislative Department and was also a Business Strategist and Freelance Consultant. Director Rawlings earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Technological Entrepreneurship and Management from Arizona State University.
City Representatives
Joshua Hickman
Business Operations Manager, Public Works Department
City of Long Beach
View Bio
Joshua Hickman
City Representative Hickman is a Business Operations Manager for the City’s Public Works Department. In his current role, Mr. Hickman is responsible for managing internal services that support the Department’s diverse services, process improvements, and internal and external partnerships. He joined the City in 2017 as a Program Manager. Prior to joining the City, Mr. Hickman gained over 15 years of experience managing and delivering multiple capital investment projects focusing on sustainable development. He has a Master’s Degree in Green Building from the San Francisco Institute of Architecture and a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Construction Management.
Christopher Koontz
Director of Development Services Department
City of Long Beach
View Bio
Christopher Koontz
Christopher Koontz is Director of the Development Services Department for the City of Long Beach. Joining the City in 2015, Mr. Koontz is responsible for managing the five bureaus within the department, overseeing boards and commissions for new development, historic preservation and housing production, and preparing and implementing plan, ordinances, programs mandated by state law, housing regulations and environmental reviews. Mr. Koontz has nearly 17 years of experience in development services and city planning. Mr. Koontz earned a Master’s Degree in Planning and a Bachelor Degree in Policy, Planning and Development from University of Southern California.
Executive Leadership
Kenneth A. McDonald
President and CEO
View Bio
Kenneth A. McDonald
Kenneth A. McDonald has 30 years of transportation experience in both the public and private sectors. He has overseen transit programs and projects and has had direct responsibility for daily service delivery at two of the largest public transit agencies in the country. He is a member of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials and serves on several committees of the American Public Transportation Association.
Lilia Montoya
Deputy CEO
View Bio
Lilia Montoya
Lilia Montoya has over 17 years of leadership experience in the transportation industry. She has worked in the public sector for over 30 years and comes to LBT with the knowledge of overseeing transportation budgets, operations and administration. Most recently, she served as the Deputy Chief Operations Officer at the LA County Metro Transportation Authority, where she directed operational budget functions, provided policy recommendations, and represented the agency in the community. She also served as the Director of Transportation at the Los Angeles Unified School District and held other leadership roles with two additional transportation organizations.
Vincent C. Ewing
General Counsel
View Bio
Vincent C. Ewing
Vincent C. Ewing has more than 20 years of public agency legal experience (including 10 years advising agencies on public transportation) having served as General Counsel to the Alameda-Contra Transit District; as City Attorney to the City of East Palo Alto, where he counseled the Dumbarton Express, a regional public transit service; as Assistant City Attorney to the City of Santa Rosa, where he counseled its Transit Division; and as Deputy City Attorney for the City of Los Angeles, where he served as a prosecutor and civil litigator.
Elizabeth Brown
Executive Director/VP, Organizational Development and Administration
View Bio
Elizabeth Brown
Elizabeth Brown has over 20 years of experience in Human Resources management. Ms. Brown holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, Human Resource Management from University of Alabama. Her experience includes serving as Human Resources Director with Marianne Frostig Center of Educational Therapy and Vice President of Human Resources with American Botanical Pharmacy. Ms. Brown comes to LBT directly from Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County, where she worked as the Human Resources Director developing and administering human resources projects, programs, and activities; as well as leading organizational design and facilitating development of staff diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Lee Burner
Executive Director/VP, Transit Service Delivery and Planning
View Bio
Lee Burner
Lee Burner is a career transportation professional with more than 28 years of transit experience in both public and private transportation sectors. His extensive background includes management and independent consultant services to transit organizations, both nationally and internationally. Mr. Burner’s experience includes bus transportation, light rail, paratransit operations, contract development, strategic planning and organizational financial stability.
Mike Gold
Executive Director/VP, Customer Relations and Communications
View Bio
Mike Gold
Mike Gold is a communications professional with over 20 years of experience in the public and nonprofit sectors. He is a 2019 graduate of Leadership Long Beach and a Coro Executive Fellow. Gold built successful outreach, community relations and communications campaigns in Long Beach and throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Gold directs LBT’s customer and community facing programs, including community relations, customer service, marketing, media relations and social media. His team also oversees all agency branding and internal communications.
Lisa Patton
Executive Director/VP, Finance and Budget
View Bio
Lisa Patton
Lisa Patton has more than 26 years of progressive experience in transportation and finance including fiscal contingency planning, financial forecasting, treasury management, capital planning and budgeting. Her experience includes leadership roles within private companies and public agencies. Ms. Patton has the distinction of having provided executive financial leadership to LBT through the recession without laying off a single employee.
Patrick Pham
Executive Director/VP, Information Technology
View Bio
Patrick Pham
Patrick Pham has more than 30 years of Information Technology experience, including over 20 years in senior management. He is certified in Microsoft, Cisco, ITIL and Oracle. Mr. Pham has been with Long Beach Transit (LBT) for 17 years.
James Scott
Executive Director/VP, Maintenance and Infrastructure
View Bio
James Scott
James Scott has over 20 years of experience in transportation and logistics management and vehicle maintenance. He prides himself on being an innovative leader with proven organizational, analytical and team-building skills. His experience includes FedEx Ground, Knight Transportation Port Services and Premier Transportation and Warehousing, Inc. Mr. Scott comes to LBT directly from M S International, Inc., where he worked as the Fleet/Transportation Director managing and directing a private fleet of 175 delivery trucks and 400 non-delivery vehicles across 30 locations.
Transparency
NOTE: Long Beach Transit (LBT) Board of Directors meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of the month at 3:30 p.m. in person (with the exception of August, November and December). Details may be found on LBT’s Board meeting packets.
LBT is committed not only to connecting communities and moving people, we also operate with integrity. As a public agency, we are transparent and exercise financial accountability. Our board meetings are open to the public and our financial information is posted online.
The LBT Board of Directors meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of the month at 3:30 p.m. in person at the Long Beach Civic Chambers, located at 411 W. Ocean Boulevard. If you would like to video stream the meeting, click here.
To view copies of previous agenda and minutes please visit the Board Meeting Agenda page hosted by the City of Long Beach.
2023 Board Meeting Schedule
Each agenda below will have meeting and agenda information.
Friday, January 6, at 11:30 a.m. – Special Meeting
Thursday, January 26, at 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, February 23, at 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 23, at 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 27, at 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 25, at 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, June 22, at 3:30 p.m. – Canceled
Thursday, July 27, at 3:30 p.m.
Monday, September 11, at 4:30. p.m. – Special Meeting
Thursday, September 28, at 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 26, at 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, December 7, at 9 a.m.
To view past meetings, click here.
Public Participation
You can attend LBT’s Board meetings in person to give a public comment, or submit a comment by following the instructions below.
Public comments on agenda items may be submitted by email to board@lbtransit.com or telephone at 562.599.8599.
All public comment requests need to be submitted no later than 2 p.m. on the day of the meeting.
If calling, please leave a voicemail with your name (please state it clearly), your telephone number for a return call, and the item number you would like to comment on (or specify “public comment”).
If emailing, please include your name, your telephone number for a return call, and the item number you would like to comment on (or specify “public comment”).
Please note that each public comment is limited to three minutes.
Adopted Budget
The Board of Directors adopts an annual budget every year in May. See below adopted budgets by fiscal year.
Fiscal Year 2024 Adopted Budget
Fiscal Year 2023 Adopted Budget
Fiscal Year 2022 Adopted Budget
Fiscal Year 2021 Adopted Budget
Fiscal Year 2020 Adopted Budget
Fiscal Year 2019 Adopted Budget
Other LBT Publications
We are also pleased to post the Executive Summary from our 2018 STAR Initiative.
Annual Customer Survey: 2022, Spring 2023.