Benjamin Aitoumeziane

Staying on course: Benjamin Aitoumeziane

School/College: College of Liberal Arts
Degree: BA, economics; BA, political science, 2020
Hometown: Rogers, Arkansas
Current position: Data analyst
Current employer: SEPTA

Philadelphia’s Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has faced a looming fiscal cliff ever since the COVID-19 pandemic caused revenues for public transit agencies across the country to plummet. But Benjamin Aitoumeziane, CLA ’20, is helping to find another route. As a data analyst for the agency’s Transformation Office, Benjamin is part of a critical team searching every nook and cranny of the city’s public transit infrastructure to find $100 million in savings and new revenues.

Benjamin Aitoumeziane poses in SEPTA station.

More than 1,400 buses. That’s how many SEPTA operates. And in one cost-saving maneuver, Benjamin and his colleagues found that by activating their ECO modes and automatically shutting down engines during idling, they can save more than $3 million a year while also reducing climate-warming emissions.

Trains and trolleys may seem like a strange interest for someone who grew up in Northwest Arkansas with nary one in sight. But, initially attracted to Temple by the strength of a full-tuition President’s Scholarship, Benjamin found himself transfixed by Philadelphia’s public transit, riding trains to the end of the line and back just for fun. Study abroad experiences in Rome and Shanghai supported by the Temple Honors Program further cemented a love for mass transit systems.

“At SEPTA we’re trying to show that good government can work for the people. Your train should get you to work in the morning, your bus should show up on time. That’s what we’re trying to make happen.”

—Benjamin Aitoumeziane
Data analyst

Benjamin Aitoumeziane poses in a SEPTA subway car.

While at Temple, Benjamin served as chief of staff for the Pennsylvania College Democrats and interned on campaigns for politicians such as U.S. Senate candidate Katie McGinty and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. After graduating, he served as a Pennsylvania field organizer for President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign, and at the age of just 23 became the campaign manager for a Pennsylvania lieutenant governor’s race during the 2022 election.

Changing tracks. While working political campaigns, Benjamin would often ride trains and buses and find himself reminded of his passion. When a position opened at SEPTA in between election cycles, he jumped at the opportunity to steer his career into public transportation—a smart move given his recent recognition by the American Public Transportation Association as part of its Emerging Leaders Program.