In this episode of The Long Handoff, I sit down with Kerry Pilstrom, Executive Director of a newly formed division focused on asset transition at a major transit agency.

We talk about what happens in the long stretch between when a project is built and when it truly works — the space between “lab” and “live.”

Kerry shares what she’s learned from decades across highways, ferries, and rail: how readiness interfaces with a commitment to open, what happens when operators aren’t brought in early, and why planning for maintenance and documentation is as vital as building something new.

Together, we explore questions that sit at the heart of this series:

– How do large organizations sustain what they create?

– What happens when design and operations finally meet?

– And how can readiness become part of the design, not an afterthought?

Recorded at Monsoon in Seattle — over the sounds of clinking dishes, quiet conversation, and a warm October evening.

Special Guest: Kerry Pihlstrom, Executive Director of Asset Transition, with a background in civil engineering.

Music from Epidemic Sound

The Long Handoff explores the passage between design and delivery - how complex projects move from concept to practice.

#urbaninfrastructure #transit #operationsreadiness #projectdelivery #orat #partnering #publicsector #leadership #systems #TheLongHandoff #podcast

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