One thing that immediately became clear Wednesday about new Transpo GM John Manconi: He’s refreshingly honest about the department’s capabilities.

There was a discussion about extending the O-Train south into Riverside South and commissioners were asking questions about how it might work. Manconi shared his thoughts when asked, pointing out Transpo currently has no money for the project and more attention should be placed on current pressures, like preparing for LRT construction. He warned against “design on the fly” at the commission, which sometimes happens at all committees when councillors craft motions to put their stamps on projects.

When he was asked by reporters after the meeting about the planned $14-million renovation of Transpo’s HQ, he pointed out $20 million was just slashed from the budget, so customer service should be the priority.

Manconi said he wants to manage expectations. He mentioned that a couple times during his update to the commission, including one time during a few comments on the Presto smart card project.

The Manconi-commission relationship will be an interesting one to watch. He will carry out the directions of the commission, because that’s his job, but he doesn’t strike me as a pushover. It seems he will make sure the commission understands the ramifications of their demands and if Transpo is able to handle the workload.