Some jobs stay out of sight, but they make everyone else’s work easier. Rebecca Hardy does that for Detroit Transportation Corporation by keeping the records behind the People Mover organized and ready when the team needs them. 📂
As DTC’s Document Specialist, Rebecca manages the construction and maintenance records behind the system’s track and station infrastructure. That work matters because the library has grown to nearly 500,000 items over almost 40 years.
Rebecca’s People Mover story began in 2002, when she worked with an architectural design firm assigned to assess the system. She returned in 2014 during a major Administrative Office relocation and helped protect department materials through the move.
She later served as DTC’s staff archivist from 2015 to 2019 before returning three years ago. Her background in architectural design and 25 years with the American Records Management Association still guide the work she does every day.
Rebecca enjoys the part of the job that can feel like detective work. A small detail can help her find the right drawing or document when someone else has hit a dead end.
One memory still stands out. After the Hudson’s implosion, track damage changed operations and the system ran in a horseshoe pattern. She rode the train forward and backward for a month while completing a detailed study, and parts of that report are still referenced today.
She takes pride in bringing order to crowded files and helping people move forward when the information they need is finally clear.
Thank you, Rebecca, for protecting DTC’s history and supporting the work that helps the People Mover serve Detroit every day. 💜