"You're going to be in a place in your career where you're going to need mentors. You're going to need trusted people that you can talk [to] about the aspects where you may not have the career strength." 

Michael Hursh, General Manager of AC Transit joins Transit Unplugged to provide us with an outlook on his career, experiences, and his role at AC Transit for the past five years. Michael provides an update on the impact COVID-19 has had on ridership in Alameda Contra Costa and what implications this has had on their funding and budgets. 

Michael Hursh has a maintenance background where he worked for three of the largest transit agencies in the Bay area before he began his tenure at AC Transit. Michael shares the value of learning from your peers and the insights that others in the industry can provide you, where you may not have the career strength or career background. He also provides advice for other Transit leaders on the importance of working closely with Board Members.  Paul Comfort and Michael Hursh go on to discuss ZEBs and hydrogen fuels, with the California mandate to be 100% zero-emission by 2040. Michael shares a new comparable study that AC Transit has underway to evaluate performance metrics for diesel, hydrogen, and battery electric busses. 

If you want to know more about AC Transit, check out their website.  

Remember to check out transitunplugged.com to learn from top transit professionals and stay updated on all the latest industry trends.