Harpal S Kapoor Is Working To Get You There On Time As He Steers Miamidade Transit Through Growth Stage

Harpal S. Kapoor was appointed director of Miami-Dade Transit in July after serving as interim head following the spring departure of Roosevelt Bradley. Today, Mr. Kapoor is the man thousands of area commuters count on for their ride to work. Cognizant of his responsibility, the turban-clad native of India and practicing Sikh is often on the buses and trains taking the pulse of the nation’s 14th largest transit agency, which is Florida’s largest.

Among his challenges are renovating the 8.5-mile Metromover network while overseeing a fleet of more than 1,000 buses and the 23.5-mile Metrorail system. He also is charged with implementing the People’s Transportation Plan — the multibillion-dollar transportation improvement plan funded by the voter-approved half-penny sales surtax.

Mr. Kapoor has spent 22 years in public transportation, 15 of those at Miami-Dade Transit. Before his appointment, he was the department’s deputy director for operations, having rejoined the department in February 2006 after six years as assistant manager of bus engineering at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

Mr. Kapoor is an expert in heavy rail, development of technical specifications for buses and direct maintenance operations. He first joined county transit in 1985 as a rail vehicle electronic technician and rose through the ranks. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers and the American Public Transportation Association, where he sits on numerous committees.

He discussed the challenge facing Miami-Dade mass transit with Miami Today staff writer Wayne Tompkins. This is an excerpt from the weekly profile article published in Miami Today. To read the entire article in full, order this issue or subscribe to the print edition of Miami Today. Advertisement