Brooke Ramsey, Business Manager of the Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA) was named Friend of Transit by the Iowa Public Transit Association (IPTA) at their annual meeting June 8, 2023 in Coralville, Iowa.

The award recognizes Ramsey for being a vital part of HIRTA's success as they continue to remove barriers and provide services to meet the needs of their region. 

Brooke has spent an enormous amount of time as project manager on HIRTA’s Health Connector, an ITS4US project, where people will be able to schedule both their medical appointments and transportation at the same time. She is determined to make this project successful, since HIRTA was only 1 in 5 agencies selected nation-wide and the only rural system.

She led HIRTA’s scheduling software change. moving us from Demand Response to On-Demand service throughout our region, and continues to work on tweaks and improvements. Brooke was also instrumental in working with IT to ensure our Cyber security measures are keeping all HIRTA and customer date safe and secure.  She worked on several procurements this year, wrote numerous successful grants, and always keeps her eye on new streams of funding. She also leads both the Rural Transit Systems Quarterly Operations group and the HIRTA Transit Advisory Group

Unknowingly, Brooke has established herself as an expert in various areas of transit operations. She stays up to date on compliance, industry changes and best practices. She will happily invite any transit people to spend time at HIRTA and show them how we operate or demo a new product we are testing.



HIRTA’s Executive Director, Julia Castillo, says “Brooke and I have worked together for 12 years and I have watched her develop into a leader with grit, determination, and a desire to help people. I am very proud of her and she is very much deserving of this recognition.”

In receiving the award, Ramsey said, “I am honored to receive the Friends of Transit award. There are so many wonderful transit leaders across our state, many who have supported our efforts with guidance, best practices and partnership. Thank you to my peers, the Iowa Public Transit Association and to my boss, Julia Castillo, who has encouraged, inspired and mentored me over the past 12 years.”