The CT Podcast

Mayor Pat Branson of Kodiak, Alaska joins the CTPodcast to discuss transit in Kodiak — the nation's second largest island — as well as across Alaska. From the community-based operation in Kodiak to ferry connections on Alaska's Marine Highway (a 13-hour one-way trip to Homer, Alaska), to the use of planes, snowmobiles, trains and more across the last frontier, Branson knows the difference between rural and remote. "Transit is a vital piece of our economic engine," says Branson. Listen Here (23:34)

Les White and Hugh Mose both recently retired from transit management after lengthy stints at Santa Cruz (Calif.) Metro and Centre Area Transportation Authority (State College, Pa.), respectively. Prior to that, the list of small cities in which they led transit agencies covers Kalamazoo, Mich., Vancouver, Wash., Fort Wayne, Ind., Iowa City, Iowa, Fresno, Calif., and Olympia, Wash. Here, Les and Hugh talk about what they learned along the way, and how each system and community was unique. They highlight what real transit leadership looks like, how things have changed and why they loved leading small city transit operations. Listen Here: 32:34

Atlanta Regional Commission Senior Principal Planner Janae Futrell joins the CTPodcast to discuss the agency's growing role in shaping the transportation future of the 10-county Atlanta region through innovative mobility management practices. Building from TCRP's influential Standardizing Data for Mobility Management report, Futrell discusses how the ARC has built upon such concepts as trip discover, trip transaction and even trip triaging. The goal of the ARC's work is route optimization that uses all modes — including volunteers and taxi-style operations. Listen Here: (18:36)

Here, CTAA's Sheryl Gross-Glaser, director of the Partnership for Mobility Management, discusses the implications of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other privacy laws for various types of community and public transit agencies. We reference a recently-released TCRP Legal Research Digest on the topic, and cover additional information on HIPAA in plain English. Gross-Glaser, a lawyer, urges systems to think globally about privacy as well as the reasonable standards and training that all systems should consider.

Listen Here: 19:20

Nathan Shimanek not only won the 2014 Rookie Driver of the Year at the National Community Transportation Roadeo, he also won the highly competitive body-on-chassis vehicle division. It was truly a remarkable accomplishment for the 15-year driver, who acknowledges he didn't practice any of the obstacles prior to last month's competition. In this edition of the CT Podcast, Shimanek talks about the work of a CyRide driver everyday in Ames, and offers advice to future Roadeo drivers. Listen here (13:59)

The Michigan Public Transit Association's Clark Harder discusses key transit issues for MPTA, including how his previous career as a member of the Michigan State Legislature informs his work with the Association, his thoughts on the impact of term limits, and the Association's recent foray into non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) at the state level. Listen Here (33:03)

Ride Connection's Julie Wilcke discusses the agency's recent research on Improving Transportation for Patients Receiving Dialysis Treatments. The research, funded by the Administration for Community Living's Inclusive Coordinated Transportation Planning Project, involved direct feedback from dialysis patients, their caregivers, family members and more. Here, Wilcke talks about potential solutions gleaned from a more patient-centric approach to dialysis transportation. Listen Here (24:23)

Dr. Marsha Simon, President of MJ Simon & Co., recently authored Medicaid Expansion and Premium Assistance: The Importance of Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) To Coordinated Care for Chronically Ill Patients, a report that recognizes the complexity of today’s medical environment by highlighting the important role that behavioral health and other complex medical conditions play in transportation to today’s medical services. This edition of the CT Podcast expands on that report, looking at the key trends and impacts its research reveals. Listen Here (20:55)

In 23 years, CTAA's Charles Rutkowski has helped develop rural transit systems and solutions in more than 200 communities and in conjunction with 50 tribes. In this rural transit-focused edition of the CT Podcast, Mr. Rutkowski discusses some of what he's learned in working with so many rural areas about how to develop transit solutions that meet local needs and that build local community support. Listen Here (21:55)

Jeff Meilbeck, General Manager of the Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority (NAIPTA) in Flagstaff, Ariz.,  joins the CTPodcast to discuss NAIPTA and its tremendous growth — from 100,000 rides 13 years ago, to 1.8 million today. NAIPTA, like many other small-urban transit systems, is thriving, but needs sufficient federal bus and bus facility investment to maintain its services and meet burgeoning local demand. Given Flagstaff's current bus and bus facility formula allocation, it will take 48 years, according to Meilbeck, for the agency to have enough investment to build the facility the system and community needs. In this conversation, Jeff also explains the importance of the Small Transit Intensive City program and urges its expansion. Meilbeck is a leader with CTAA's Small Urban Network (SUN). For more information on the SUN click here. He presented at the SUN Legislative Staff Briefing, those materials are available here. For the latest information on MAP-21 reauthorization, click here. LISTEN HERE: (13:04)