Strategic Planning
KKO is often called upon to bring its technical expertise and specialized industry knowledge to bear on strategic planning questions for transportation organizations. KKO provides cost models, verifies forecasts, conducts sensitivity analyses, and develops strategic options for clients who are about to make critical choices about the future of their organization.
TCRP E-09 State of Good Repair
KKO worked with Spy Pond Partners (SPP) on the development of a framework and tools to support transit agencies with the prioritization of investments in achieving state of good repair for capital assets. The framework and tools aid agencies with quantifying the impacts of investing in rehabilitation and replacement of existing transit capital assets, and to help prioritize state of good repair investments. In the follow on project, TRCP E-09A, KKO supported SPP in piloting the tools at three agencies – Denver RTD, Seattle’s King County Metro, and SEPTA in Philadelphia.
MBTA Customer Support Services
KKO worked closely with the MBTA on technological and organizational strategies to improve its management of customer correspondence and service delivery. KKO consulted to senior management on strategies to strengthen the connection between customer feedback and the management of service delivery.
NNEPRA Passenger Survey
For the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, KKO prepared the data tabulation and crosstabs for the Downeaster annual passenger surveys. KKO standardized the data in the spreadsheet and created crosstabs summarizing the responses to the survey questions. NNEPRA then used the surveys to evaluate system performance and to plan additional services.
MBTA RIDE Evaluation
In the fall of 1995, KKO teamed with IBI Group to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the RIDE for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. The evaluation considered the overall performance of the MBTA sponsored paratransit service for greater Boston. KKO contributed to the evaluation of present operations, evaluation of recent and future trends in demand, and evaluation of alternative procurement and contracting mechanisms for contract service operations.
Indonesian National Railway Study
Working with Mercer Management Consulting and Arthur Andersen, KKO contributed to a feasibility study to provide recommendations on the privatization of Perumka (Indonesian National Railway). Perumka maintains a rail network on the islands of Java and Sumatra for freight and passenger services. KKO’s role was to develop passenger forecasting models that would be integrated in a general financial planning model used to evaluate alternative scenarios for railroad privatization and operation.
Hong Kong Transit Railway Privatization
KKO assisted the team of Mercer Management Consulting and Price Waterhouse with the privatization of the Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway. KKO was responsible for reviewing the concessioning documents. KKO recommended elements of the operations and service planning components to ensure that a high level of service would be provided by the concessionaire.
Florida Airports Model
Mercer Management Consulting worked with a public airport authority in Florida to assess opportunities for restructuring and privatization. KKO developed a costing model to evaluate alternative organizational and operational structures.
Argentina Forecast Evaluation
Metropolitanos, operator of several successful commuter rail lines in Buenos Aires, worked with a team that included KKO and Mercer Management Consulting to plan an upgrade to its operation in order to provide greater capacity with faster, more frequent and more comfortable trains. KKO, working with Argentinean economists, reviewed demand projections and forecast demand revenue projections and then identified improvements in analytical techniques to satisfy foreign investors.
Cali Light Rail Concession Project
KKO was part of a multifirm team setting up a concession to build and operate a proposed 19 kilometer, two branch, light rail line for Cali, a city of 1.8 million in southern Colombia. The team worked with the national and local government to develop the tender documents and evaluate bids from construction/operation teams for the proposed line. KKO’s role in the project was to evaluate and coordinate demand studies, provide ridership forecasts, and develop financial models.
Amtrak Route Planning and Forecasting System
KKO developed a Windows-based, PC budgeting tool that was subject to a nationwide roll-out for Amtrak within 4 weeks of notice to proceed. The PC database tool uses historic data on expenses by function (i.e. train crew, fuel) and operating statistics (i.e. crew hours, locomotive miles) to populate a financial model of Amtrak operations that is used to forecast future budget requirements for each train service or family of trains based on input data concerning service levels. The system generates projected financial profit and loss statements for each train to be used by planning analysts in evaluating options for the operation of each route and train (e.g. Empire Builder, Meteor). The system was used for the first budget Amtrak developed after the enterprise was reorganized into strategic business units comprised of various product lines.
Amtrak Strategic Planning
To assist with the historic, 1994 restructuring of Amtrak into three separate business units (Northeast Corridor, West Coast , Intercity Service), KKO managed a project with Mercer Management Consulting to provide Amtrak’s Chief Financial Officer with planning and forecasting models to predict the financial impacts of the various strategic alternatives contemplated by the restructuring team.
Polish Rail Privatization Study
Working with Mercer Management Consulting, KKO contributed to a feasibility study to provide recommendations on the privatization of the Polish National Railroad (PKP). KKO’s principal role in this project was the development of a financial planning model that allowed rail management and private investors to evaluate alternative operating and privatization strategies. KKO was also responsible for user documentation and training for application of the model. In support of this project, KKO provided aspects of service on-site in Poland.
Transit Institutional Analysis
With Mercer Management Consulting, KKO provided analysis of the institutional options available to local authorities in a rapidly growing North American city for operation and financing of public transportation services including continued private operation, subsidized contract carrier operations, and formation of a public entity to own and operate new transit services.