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In this new role, John Gardner will help focus the efforts to advance policies and ensure agency compliance for inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) initiatives.

John has championed these efforts at TriMet since December 2015, most recently as Director of Transit Equity, Inclusion, and Community Affairs. During this tenure, he helped develop and launch TriMet’s highly successful reduced fare program for people with a low income, which has registered more than 42,000 participants to date. John strengthened the civil rights program, making it one of the most sensitive in the nation. He has grown the relationships and partnerships with community-based organizations representing communities of color and low income, and he has worked to advance equity and inclusion internally.

John led the outreach and coordination for the reimagining of public safety initiatives. He has supported agency efforts to decriminalize fare enforcement and conduct analysis of the enforcement practices to ensure no systemic bias.

John also oversaw TriMet’s DBE program, working with Engineering, Construction, and Planning leadership to achieve the largest-ever award of a construction project in the state of Oregon, the award of the Division Transit Project, to minority-owned Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Raimore Construction.