Robbie Sarles

Ms. Robbie L. Sarles is President and founder of RLS & Associates, Inc., a transit consulting firm headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, with 40 staff and offices in Indiana, North Carolina, Illinois, Vermont, Georgia, Texas, Arkansas, and Virginia. For over 40 years, Ms. Sarles has provided transit planning and operating assistance to urban and rural transit systems, state departments of transportation, and local governments across the country. She is a nationally recognized researcher, trainer, and presenter on a variety of topics from regulatory compliance, safety, and civil rights to human service agency coordination, NEMT, and mobility management. She is known for the practical nature of the technical assistance she provides to state Departments of Transportation, Boards, and transit system managers. She maintains a close working relationship with FTA officials and other industry experts that can provide additional insight and clarification on regulatory compliance issues, policies and procedures, and needed improvements to SOPs.

Since founding RLS in 1987 in Dayton, Ohio, she has focused on providing transportation management consulting services to public transit systems, paratransit systems, government agencies, and the private sector—working directly with senior level DOT staff, legislators, and local elected officials.

Ms. Sarles is proud to see her once small, one-woman business become nationally recognized for its integrity, pragmatic solutions, and community commitment. She recognizes that RLS’ success is entirely due to its staff and clients’ constant determination to add value to each community.

Ms. Sarles received Master’s degrees in both Civil Engineering and City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University in 1981. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Western Kentucky University.