Across North America there are four fundamental issues facing transit agencies:

• Getting enough buses
• Getting enough people to fix and drive the buses
• Getting enough funding to keep running the buses
• Getting (cyber)secure

The bus manufacturing crisis is forcing many transit agencies to get creative at keeping buses running longer. Workforce shortages mean agencies are getting creative at finding and hiring enough people. With a fiscal cliff looming for many agencies, finding ways to save money and still offer the same level of service means finding some new ways to connect people on something other than a 40 foot bus. And every week someone makes the news for getting hacked, so keeping systems secure is a lot harder than it used to be.

Joining Paul on stage for a transit leaders roundtable at TripSpark Ignite are:

• Pam Shepherd, Executive Director, Federated Transportation Services of the Blue Grass
• Ryan Landers, General Manager Lawton Area Transit
• Randy Anderson, Operations IT Systems Administrator CityBus – Greater Lafayette Public Transit
• Matt Maier, Director of Operations Lake Tran

What makes this roundtable unique isn't that they are talking about these issues, but that they've found creative and innovative ways to address them. Learn how:

• Simple ads on buses are getting more applications
• Creating flexible schedules has brought in a whole new group of drivers
• Making sure every usable part of a bus at the end of its life is used to extend the service life of the rest of the fleet
• Auditing your system is the first step to actively preventing hacks on your systems

Sit back and enjoy a fun, interesting, and informative discussion about the top issues facing our industry and how four agencies are meeting them head on.

Next week on the show we have an interview with Faye DiMassimo. When Paul interviewed her, she was leading Chatham Area Transit in Savannah, Georgia, but since then she has a new job with the City of Savannah. Her job still involves connecting people, but has a much bigger and more interesting mandate than transit alone. It's not often we have an interview where we get to talk with someone before and after a career transition. Make sure you tune in for this one!

Transit Unplugged is brought to you by Modaxo https://www.modaxo.com

• Host: Paul Comfort
• Producer: Paul Comfort
• Editor and Writer: Tris Hussey
• Executive Producer: Julie Gates

Special thanks to:

• Brand design: Tina Olagundoye
• Social Media: Tatyana Mechkarova
• Marketing content, Transit Unplugged Newsletter, & transit puns: Tris Hussey

If you have a question or comment, email us at [email protected].

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00:04 Introduction from Tris Hussey, Editor Transit Unplugged

01:11 Transit Leader Roundtable at TripSpark Ignite

01:51 Introducing the Panelists: Leaders in Transit

02:23 Tackling Transit Challenges: From Driver Shortages to Public Amenities

06:00 Innovative Solutions and Success Stories in Transit

11:25 A Day in the Life of Transit Leaders

22:38 Navigating Post-COVID Challenges and Opportunities

23:18 Ridership and Revenue Trends: A Closer Look

25:06 Innovative Solutions for Transit Systems

33:33 Embracing Technology for Future Growth

37:32 Personal Insights and Agency Success Stories

42:07 Coming up next week on Transit Unplugged

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Modaxo Inc., its affiliates or subsidiaries, or any entities they represent (“Modaxo”). This production belongs to Modaxo, and may contain information that may be subject to trademark, copyright, or other intellectual property rights and restrictions. This production provides general information, and should not be relied on as legal advice or opinion. Modaxo specifically disclaims all warranties, express or implied, and will not be liable for any losses, claims, or damages arising from the use of this presentation, from any material contained in it, or from any action or decision taken in response to it.