Transit Unplugged

Jen Shepherd is passionate about public transit. As GM of Uber Transit she is responsible for helping agencies move more people, more flexibly, and more cost-effectively. In her chat with Paul, Jen talks about how Uber provides agencies tools to balance demand and resources with on-demand capacity when it wouldn't make sense to have an agency-owned vehicle on the route. One of the most exciting ways Uber is helping transit agencies is adding flexible paratransit capacity with the recently announced partnership with Trapeze, integrating Trapeze TripBroker with Uber Transit. Listen to the whole episode to hear how it works for riders and agencies. Also in this episode:

• Transit news of the week including the new interim CEO at Cap Metro
• Elea Carey on crisis communications
• Mike Bismeyer on leadership and leading through the pandemic

Next week Melinda Metzger Executive Director of PACE Suburban Bus joins Paul for Transit Unplugged In-Depth.

If you have a question, comment, or would like to be a guest on Transit Unplugged, email us at [email protected].

Northeast Maglev has a vision for bringing fast--really, really fast--rail service to the Northeast Corridor (Boston to Washington D.C.). This week Paul talks with Wayne Rogers, Chairman and CEO of the Baltimore Washington Rapid Rail, LLC, and Northeast Maglev, LLC, about his vision for what maglev trains could do for the region.

Faster than steel wheel-based trains, maglev trains use superconducting magnets to propel trains along at up to 311 miles an hour. Already running in Japan, where the service is wildly successful, bringing this level of train service would mean being able to get from New York City to Washington D.C. in an hour.

Many of the trips people take today by car or plane could be eliminated if the Northeast Corridor gets maglev up and running. Maglev would reduce congestion, pollution, and pressure on the highway system as the region grows. The U.S. has been looking at maglev rail for decades and Northeast Maglev started working on this project ten years ago. The environmental reviews are almost complete and they are looking to get the project up and running soon. In the episode, you'll hear about the project, the technology, and what we've learned from the successful maglev train in Japan.

Next week on Transit Unplugged News and Views, we'll have Jen Shepard, GM of Uber Transit on the show talking about microtransit and paratransit options.

If you have a comment, question, or would like to be a guest on Transit Unplugged, email us at [email protected].

Christiaan Blake is responsible for the business of offering paratransit services that balance accommodation and sustainability. Christiaan needs to serve the most people he can with paratransit, while also creating accessible fixed-route transit that is open to all. One of the tricks up Christiaan's sleeve is his innovative rider's choice program where, if paratransit riders opt into using a taxi or service like Uber for their ride, their ride could be randomly chosen to be free. Armed with an array of spreadsheets, Christiaan has gone to great pains to make sure the process is fair and random, This has proven to be very popular--so popular people clamor for more free rides--and lets Christiaan accommodate last-minute trips, staying longer, or leaving earlier than planned.

This is a big job and Christiaan takes his role and place in transit seriously. He sees paratransit as a crucial safety net for people who can't be served with even WMATA's accessible fixed-route and subway system.

Also on the show, we have the latest transit news, Elea Carey talks about sharing employee stories and Mike Bismeyer challenges us to do something good in the cities we visit while traveling for work.

All this on this week's Transit Unplugged News and Views. Sit back and listen in.

This week Paul is talking with Eulois Cleckley, Director and CEO of the Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works. Eulois manages everything from buses, trains, microtransit, and even exploring urban air mobility--yes, flying cars--along with all the roads and bridges in his county. Eulois is undertaking a massive update of the county's 3000 intersections with smart signaling technology to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion in one of the nation's most car-centric areas.

And this also happens to be our 200th episode of Transit Uplugged! Here's to another 200!

Next week on Transit Unplugged News and Views, Christiaan Blake of WMATA talks about access to transit and mobility.

If you have a question, comment, or would like to be a guest on Transit Unplugged, email us anytime at [email protected].

In our 199th episode, Paul talks with Luc Richard, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Réseau de transport de la Capitale, in Quebec City, Quebec. Quebec City is one of the oldest cities in North America and one of the snowiest too. RTC delivers bus service year-round with winter weather that would shut down many transit systems. Now looking ahead to creating a more inclusive transit system, RTC created its own electric-assist bike-share service and zone-based microtransit solution for the suburban parts of the city.

RTC is also working on electrified tram, light-rail system for the city on one of the busiest corridors where keeping buses on time is a huge challenge. On the horizon is their conversion to zero emissions buses (ZEB), which given the winters in Quebec will present some unique challenges. 

Next week on our 200th episode, Paul is chatting with Eulois Checkley Director and CEO of the Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works. South Florida has some of the most interesting and innovative transit programs from planning to implementation. This is an episode you won't want to miss.

If you have questions, comments, or would like to be on Transit Unplugged, email us at [email protected].

Steve Poftak is leading the MBTA during unprecedented times. Three years into the job he's managed through a pandemic and invested billions into revamping bus and rail service across the system. The T--North America's oldest subway--is growing and adapting to new rider patterns and on the commuter rail side, he's made changes to make the largest commuter rail system in America a regional rail system people can use throughout the day to get into and out of the city.

Listen to Paul and Steve talk about the past and future of the MBTA on this week's Transit Unplugged In-depth.

Next week on Transit Unplugged News and Views Paul chats with Luc Ricard of RTC in Quebec City about his system in Quebec's provincial capital.

If you have questions, comments, or would like to be a guest on Transit Unplugged, email us at [email protected]

Frequent guest Rich Sampson, Executive Director of the Southwest Transit Association, sat with Paul to give him the latest updates from D.C. on transit funding. With fiscal year 2022 appropriations set, agencies now know about their new formula fund amounts and new funding grants available to them.

Elea Carey talks about how to include the leaders in your communities in your transit marketing plans. Mike Bismeyer takes a moment to thank the people who put themselves in harm's way to keep transit safe.

Next week we have Steve Poftak of MBTA on the show and talks with Paul from the recent Smart Transit conference.

If you have a question, comment, or would like to be a guest on Transit Unplugged, email us any time at [email protected].

Adelee Le Grand is a long-time transit rider. Growing up in New York, Adelee says taking transit was like brushing your teeth and toothpaste--you just did it, it's always there. Transit was how you got places and experienced things. Like Terry White, and more than a few of our guests, Adelee has spent her entire career associated with transit and moving people. You can hear Adelee's passion for transit in her descriptions of her life in New York and contrasting that with cities like Atlanta or Tampa.

When the funding for transit isn't there, people just don't have the same access to opportunities she did growing up.

Many of our guests talk about the ins and outs of transit, routes, planning, frequency, but Adelee also talks about why are the buses people ride still built and designed like it's the 1980s? Or why do agencies wrap buses in advertisements for revenue and what does that say about your own branding?

Her creative, collaborative spirit building HART, an agency that's had several CEOs in the past few years, speaks volumes about her and, as she says, her calling to work in transit.

Next week on Transit Unplugged News and Views, Paul is chatting with frequent guest Rich Sampson of SWTA.

If you have questions, comments, or would like to be a guest on Transit Unplugged, email us at [email protected].

Sara Stickler, CEO of WTS International, chats with Paul on International Women's Day about her work supporting and creating opportunities for women in transit. Founded in the 1970s as a group providing seminars and training--since women were discouraged from joining "associations"--WTS International strives to increase opportunities for women in the transit industry. Many of the women leaders on this show--Leslie Richards, Nadine Lee, Inez Evans, and Nuria Fernandez--have all participated in WTS International over the years.

Paul and Sara talk about WTS, getting involved with chapters, their scholarship program, and the future plans for the organization.

Also on this week's show, Paul talks about new funding from the U.S. Federal government, a hot transit company listing on the NASDAQ, and reflects on the recent ThinkTransit conference. We also hear from Elea Carey and Mike Bismeyer on communications and kindness.

Next week Adelee LeGrand of HART in Tampa talks about her career and her agency on Transit Unplugged In-Depth.

If you have a question, comment, or would like to be a guest on Transit Unplugged, email us at [email protected].

This week Paul talks with Darren Kettle, CEO of Metrolink in Southern California. Not long in the job at Metrolink, Darren is a long-time transit veteran coming from Ventura County Transportation Commission and is looking forward to building and improving a critical piece of California's public transit system. Metrolink will be a key part of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, connecting many of the venues together. In the meantime, buoyed by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Darren is investing in his system. He's expanding and improving and doing critical work to maintain Metrolink for years to come.

Darren told Paul--and this is a Transit Unplugged exclusive--that Metrolink is 100% fossil-fuel-free for its diesel vehicles. From non-revenue to the locomotives themselves, Metrolink runs entirely on bio-diesel. This is just one step in California's ambitious climate plan to reduce carbon emissions and get to zero emissions before other parts of the U.S.

Correction and update: Next week on Transit Unplugged News and Views we'll have Sara Stickler, CEO of WTS International on the show.

If you have a question, comment, or would like to be a guest on Transit Unplugged, feel free to email us at [email protected].