Kate Christopherson exits a new Ride Plus van just before the launch of the service in June 2023.
SamTrans Planning Administrator Kate Christopherson won the Rising Star award at the CALACT Spring Conference in San Diego this week.
The award is given annually to transit professionals who show outstanding leadership qualities early in their careers.
Kate was honored with the award for her leadership in launching Ride Plus, the new microtransit service offered by SamTrans in Half Moon Bay, East Palo Alto, and the Belle Haven neighborhood of Menlo Park.
The award also recognizes her work on implementing the bus agency’s Reimagine network and her work leading a task force to ensure quality restrooms are available to SamTrans bus operators.
“It’s so rewarding to have the hard work of everyone involved with these projects — including myself — recognized with this award,” said Kate. “It helps motivate us to continue implementing other projects at SamTrans, including more from our Reimagine framework.”
Kate joined SamTrans as a planning analyst two years ago and hit the ground running. She was quickly promoted to a planning administrator. Prior to joining the San Mateo County Transit District, Kate worked in planning in Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Madison, Wis. and Chicago. She has a Master of Urban Regional Planning degree from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
CALACT is a statewide, non-profit organization in California that has represented the interests of small, rural, and specialized transportation providers since 1984.