This week we're continuing our tour of Western Canada with Martin Bean, CEO of Roam Transit in Banff, AB. Roam Transit, like many transit agencies in tourist destinations, has a dual role. One is to get the residents of the Bow Valley from Canmore to Banff (who all ride for free by the way) where they need to go, the other is helping the over four million visitors who come to Banff National Park and Lake Louise each year explore the region (and leave their cars behind).

Beyond transit passes for hotel guests or people arriving by tour bus, Roam Transit is pretty special in a lot of other ways--and all focused on preserving the natural beauty around them.

Roam Transit wraps their buses with pictures of the local wildlife taken by local nature photographers. From deer to elk to bears to martins (a kind of weasel) Roam Transit gives you a taste of what animals are roaming around--some of which you could even run into while in downtown Banff.

Because they are in the middle of one of the most beautiful places in the world, environmental stewardship is a big part of how they do things. Their operations facility doesn't have a furnace, but runs off waste wood burned as part of a community heating system. They have over 680 solar panels on the roof that generate enough power to charge up three battery electric buses plus the whole building. There's getting power from a sustainable grid and then there's getting your power from your own solar power grid.

Tune in to hear all about these topics plus how Roam Transit works with Parks Canada, trains new drivers, and helps the community leave cars behind to help the environment and congestion.

Also on the show:

• Mike's Minute with Mike Bismeyer, and his special connection to Roam Transit
• Transit Unplugged TV videographer and director Jaime Cuadra talks about filming the special episode coming up in June on the Rocky Mountaineer excursion train.

Check out the Transit Unplugged TV episode from Vancouver, the first stop on Paul's look at transportation in Western Canada.

Next week we have Seleta Reynolds, Chief Innovation Officer and Interim Chief People Officer at LA Metro, talking about getting ready for the 2028 Summer Olympics. And Josh Cohen of Mobility Leadership Advisors on finding the right fit in your career growth.

If you have a comment or want to be a guest on the show, email us at [email protected]

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(00:00) Martin Bean Roam Transit Bow Valley Regional Transit Services

(18:30) Mike's Minute with Mike Bismyer

(20:12) About future Transit Unplugged TV episodes

(25:49) Coming up next week on Transit Unplugged

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