June 3, 2009. Arlington County, Virginia, today announced that it has awarded a contract to Forsythe Transportation to operate the ART and GEORGE transit systems, starting July 1, 2009.

"We are thrilled to have been chosen to operate these important transit systems," said Mark Foster, Chief Operating Officer for Forsythe Transportation. "This is a very significant step for our company and we look forward to being a part of the community," added Bill Forsythe, CEO.

The announcement was made by Steven Yaffe, Transit Services Manager for Arlington County. "Forsythe Transportation has a proven ability to reduce the accident rate and improve bus maintenance and has excellent references," said Yaffe.

Arlington County is located near Washington, DC. The ART system provides transit services in Arlington County, and the GEORGE system provides transit for Falls Church, Virginia. The two systems provide approximately 80,000 annual hours of service which is expected to double within a few years.

Forsythe also announced their key management staff for these contracts. Karen Green is the Forsythe Transportation General Manager, bringing 27 years of transit experience. She is a 2001 graduate of Leadership APTA – the American Public Transportation Association’s premier professional development program. Andy Bollinger is Forsythe's Arlington County Maintenance Manager, with over 28 years experience maintaining large fleets and alternative fuel vehicles. Taylor Benton brings over 20 years of experience of safety, security, and operations for mass transit and the private transportation industry to Arlington County Transit as Forsythe Transportation's Safety Manager.