Shannon Arms started driving a bus for the Valley Transit Authority in 1996 when there weren’t many women behind the wheel – or anywhere on the bus, for that matter.
“A lot of passengers back then were all men as well. I mean, I had a lot of times where I'm driving the bus and people would wave me on,” Arms said. “They didn't want a woman driver or they'd say, ‘Oh you're too young. Honey, you're too young. I'll take the next.’”
Despite the pushback, Arms persevered and came to love driving the bus. She dedicated 17 years to her job before being promoted to supervisor.
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“I have a million miles safe driving,” Arms said.
Fueled by both her long-standing experience in the field and gratitude for her career, once a month Arms leads the VTA’s Women Innovating Transit Group (WIT).
“WIT is a way to give back to other operators, to give them best practices, women in the front lines, give them a voice, give them a seat at the table when we're making decisions,” Arms said.
In WIT meetings, veteran female VTA members discussed ways to make transit more inclusive to women, such as maternity uniforms for pregnant workers and implementing safer facilities.
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WIT member Roshida Moses sees the group as a “friendly ear.”
“We have careers, we’re moms. Sometimes you need a hug, we need a kind word and encouragement and sometimes we need them all at once. That’s what I’m here for,” Moses said.
Arms personally has not heard of other agencies having a group like WIT. Transit agencies across the country have reached out to her for ideas on starting their own groups to support their female employees.
“The core message is that you are not alone. You have a sisterhood of women that are going to give you physical protection, psychological protection,” Arms said.
