A Conversation with Foothill Transit CEO, Doran Barnes

On Tuesday, March 20th, Doran Barnes from Foothill Transit visited USC ITE. Mr. Barnes discussed his career and his work as the Chief Executive Officer of Foothill Transit, a position he has held for nearly 25 years. As a graduate of USC’s Masters of Public Administration Program, Mr. Barnes returned to his alma mater to share insights he has gathered throughout the progression of his career.

Working as a driver and later a manager for Unitrans during his time at UC-Davis sparked his interest in transit and was foundational to his knowledge of operations, planning, and special services. He progressed to working as a transportation consultant at Deloitte and Ernst & Young before taking on the role of CEO of Tulsa Transit for two years, after which he became CEO of Foothill Transit. Throughout his career, he has served as a volunteer for the American Public Transportation Association and the California Transit Association, as well as on the board of directors of over a dozen different entities.

At the forefront of innovations making transit cleaner, greener, and more efficient, Foothill Transit boasts California’s largest fleet of hydrogen fuel cell buses—consisting of 33 HFC buses. Foothill Transit also operates the first two double-decker battery-fueled buses, which Mr. Barnes says is not only about maximizing capacity, but also gets people excited about transit by creating a novel experience. Our attendees had the privilege of hearing Mr. Barnes’s “5 Golden Nuggets”, a list of great characteristics reflected in his own colleagues.  

Doran Barnes’s 5 Golden Nuggets:

1. “Bring Positive Energy to Everything You Do!”

2. “Work hard. Deliver Results, and Don’t Gossip!”

3. “Take on Extra Tasks! Go the Extra Mile!”

4. “It’s All About the People!”

5. “Make Magic Happen!”

Mr. Barnes prioritizes bringing positivity wherever he goes, as this helps when tackling complex problems and making people feel comfortable. He likes to play upbeat music before meetings and often wears Disney-themed shirts to remind those around him of the importance of creativity and optimism. 

At the end of the session, Mr. Barnes answered questions from the assembled students. He led a productive discussion about how installing hydrogen fuel buses has allowed Foothill Transit to operate 300 miles in range with a charging time of less than 10 minutes—comparatively impressive next to Foothill Transit’s fleet of compressed natural gas (CNG) and electric battery powered buses. 

Mr. Barnes also addressed the public policy dilemma the transportation industry faces to provide ample service while simultaneously operating environmentally-friendly yet high-cost buses. Mr. Barnes is hopeful that the cost of hydrogen will go down through the statewide public-private partnership “ARCHES”, which will increase hydrogen production to drive down cost, making hydrogen an even more viable fuel source. Ending with an uplifting message, Mr. Barnes emphasized the importance of learning to advance the transportation industry and sharing new information with each other in a culture of collaboration. USC ITE thanks Mr. Doran Barnes for taking the time to share his experiences and valuable insights with budding transportation engineers.