Those who work in maintenance frequently find their departments are regarded by top management as a cost, rather than a contributor to the profitability of the enterprise. One reason is that the value of equipment and systems maintenance is hard to quantify. As a result, many enterprises do not budget sufficient monies for maintenance. Public transit is similar to other enterprises in this regard. However, one transit maintenance department in California has begun using an innovative budgeting process that has had impressive results. The hosts talk with Michael Hursh, Chief Operating Officer for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority in San Jose about what his maintenance department has accomplished, by using asset-inventory-based state of good repair analysis, which assigns values to maintenance that are easily comprehended by management and the public