OVERVIEW

Transportation is about mobility –moving people, goods, and ideas anywhere, anytime, on time at an affordable price. It is about providing safe, reliable, economical, and environmentally friendly mobility for all Americans; enhancing their quality of life; and enabling them to do what they want to do, when they want to do it. To provide this capacity, transportation agencies nationally are seeking advisors who can offer a vision for public transportation that is integrated, international, inter-modal, inclusive, intelligent, and innovative. Vision 2050 Report

Transit Authorities need professional advice to establish effective business processes, improve service, build public trust, manage funds and leverage technology. They want consultants who know the challenges and the players. – Experts who understand the terminology and corporate culture.

Metropolitan Planning Organizations need advisors who understand the nuances of public transportation in urban and rural markets. They need to be able to anticipate consumer needs before they happen.

State Departments of Transportation need objective reviews of public transportation projects. They want intelligent consultants who can facilitate public meetings, coordinate communications, conduct compliance reviews, develop technical manuals, deliver technical assistance, conduct market research and interpret financial data.

Public & Private Boards need hands on consulting services to train their leaders, develop policy and strategic plans for the future.

The Lakatos Group, Ltd., is uniquely qualified to serve the consulting needs of the public transportation industry. Not only are we well versed on the issues and policies impacting public transportation, but we have direct experience managing the systems that guide the movement of goods and people. We have assisted transit agencies nationwide to move plans into actions –ideas into products—and observations into systems.

OUR VISION for the future is to become the leading provider of public transportation consulting services in the Midwest. We are dedicated to helping transit agencies maximize their people, technologies and resources. As consultants to the public transportation industry, we guide clients through the planning processes required to establish a common vision, implement best practices, gain public trust and strengthen financial controls. Our excellent reputation is based on project diversity, broad resources and specialized technical expertise. The Lakatos Group ranks high among Ohio firms in delivering creative solutions to the complex challenges of public transportation. Metropolitan planning organizations, transit authorities, and transportation departments call on us daily to get results, improve efficiencies, and add value in a way few others can.

When a company has secured and managed millions of dollars for transit services and related economic development projects, its success story is to be taken seriously. Integrity, creativity, dedication to excellence and customer- focused service are the guiding principals that have made the Lakatos Group one of Ohio’s most experienced and trusted public transportation consultants.

COMPANY HISTORY

The Lakatos Group is committed to serving the consulting needs of the public transportation industry. The firm’s senior-level consultants have more than 100 years of combined experience in strategic and operational planning, finance, management, marketing, and applied research. Founded in 2002, the company is a Limited Partnership, with Carla & Joseph serving as Senior Consultants and Managing Partners.

For over 25 years, Carla has served the public transportation industry in the positions of Executive Director, General Manager, Chief Financial Officer and Director of Marketing and Planning. Over the past three years she has served as a business consultant to transit authorities, transportation departments and metropolitan planning organizations throughout Ohio. Joseph Lakatos, a marketing and economics professional has more than 20 years of corporate level experience serving both the business to business and consumer sectors. Their unique talents have been leveraged to fill a void in the transportation industry for specialized management, technical and financial assistance.

The Lakatos Group provides deep expertise in all aspects of public transportation management within urban and rural markets. Since its inception, The Lakatos Group has been retained by some of Ohio’s largest transportation providers including: The Greater Dayton RTA, The Ohio Department of Transportation, and The Central Ohio Transit Authority. The company’s project experience is diverse, ranging from transportation development plans & fare studies to the very complex tasks of grants management and compliance reviews. The Lakatos Group has consistently received high ratings for service quality, creativity, and competitiveness.

COMPANY OPERATIONS
The Lakatos Group operates from administrative offices in Dayton, Ohio. Carla & Joseph Lakatos serve as the company’s sole employees. When necessary, the company retains the services of other industry professionals. The administrative office is equipped with the latest computer and software technologies, along with an extensive library of transportation research. The Lakatos Group is affiliated with The Ohio Public Transit Association and is certified as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) by The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), and the Ohio Department of Administrative Services.

MARKET POSITION
The Lakatos Group continues to position itself as a regional player in the broader transportation market, by capitalizing on the demand for consultants who understand public transportation policy and regulatory requirements. Successful public transportation requires a process that melds service needs, available resources, and agency commitments. Planning processes for public transportation services involves both long-range and service planning. For DOT programs, long range planning is part of the regional metropolitan planning process, and generally examines the need to expand existing systems, or develop new facilities. Service or operational planning looks at service changes on a continuing basis over short time spans. It is an on-going activity –often on transit routes, intersections or corridors to improve service efficiency and customer service.