Transit Unplugged

“In times of crisis, you tend to come up with more creative solutions when you want to deliver them quite quickly.” 

Joining the Transit Unplugged podcast for this episode is Anne Graham, Chief Executive Officer of the National Transport Authority of Ireland. Anne chats with Paul Comfort about three major projects that the NTA is currently working on, including creating the first underground metro in Ireland and electrifying their rail network.  

Anne also provides an in-depth look into the Irish government’s response to COVID-19, and the unique restrictions they put into place to keep transit operators safe. 

If you want to know more about the NTA, check out their website.  

“We’re trying to remind Congress that the pandemic’s everywhere. And transit is a national program. It's not a program in 15 largest cities in the country. It's a national program, and if we're going to be able to get votes in Congress to the numbers we need, members need to have a reason to vote for the transit in their communities.” 

On this episode of Comfort's Corner, part of the Transit Unplugged podcast, Scott Bogren, Executive Director at Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA), joins Paul Comfort to discuss the impact of federal funding on small and rural transit agencies. Scott also chats about the next round of transit funding coming out of Washington D.C. and how transit agencies can help their local communities with vaccine distribution. 

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

“It's not transport for the sake of it … it's got a purpose, and it's worth investing in for that purpose. And as habits change, we should adapt what transit is there for to address the issues.” 

Joining the Transit Unplugged podcast for this episode is Sir Peter Hendy CBE, Chair of Network Rail. Sir Peter shares the story of his long and illustrious career in the transit industry and talks about the long and short-term implications of COVID-19 on the United Kingdom’s transit systems. 

Sir Peter also provides an in-depth look into the future of Network Rail and discusses why he’s unashamedly a self-proclaimed transit enthusiast. 

If you want to know more about Network Rail, check out their website.  

“Some of those agencies where we've brought microtransit in, they’ve heard about it, but they weren't really looking into how to implement it. We get it up and running within 30-60 days ... I think private contracting can bring that value and that innovation and flexibility to put new services and products in at a faster pace.” 

On this episode of Comfort's Corner, part of the Transit Unplugged podcast, Matthew Wood, Chief Operating Officer at National Express Transit, joins Paul Comfort to discuss the role of private contractors in the transit industry. Matthew also chats about his commitment to employee growth and development and the future of the North American Transit Alliance.  

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

“Transit was very critical to me being able to live the American dream.” 

Joining the Transit Unplugged podcast for this episode is Alex Wiggins, CEO of New Orleans Regional Transit Authority. Alex has had a long and storied career in the transit industry, and he shares how his past experiences have shaped how he leads today. 

Alex also provides an in-depth look at how New Orleans RTA responded to COVID-19 and discusses his commitment to equity and transit for all. 

If you want to know more about New Orleans RTA, check out their website.  

“Our board made a decision very early on that if we could remove the barriers to use, more people would ride. They would frequent more businesses. They would spend more money… We think our ridership is 30% to 40% higher than it would have been with a fare, and it has totally changed the dynamic for how people view the system and its ease of use.”

On this episode of Comfort's Corner, part of the Transit Unplugged podcast, Tom Gerend, Executive Director at Kansas City Streetcar Authority, joins Paul Comfort to discuss KCSA’s recent $174 million grant from the federal government. Tom also chats about how zero-fare riding has benefitted their transit system, and his plans to launch the next generation of transit services in Kansas City.

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

"We operate the longest driverless Metro system in the whole world currently. Unlike what you normally see around Europe, the far East, etc., our Metro stations are built more like five-star hotels, very fancy transport mobility hubs, that encourage people to use the different mobility services."

Joining the Transit Unplugged podcast for this episode is Ahmed Hashem Bahrozyan, Chief Executive Officer of the Roads & Transport Authority in Dubai, United Arab Emirate (UAE). Ahmed is responsible for everything that has to do with road infrastructure, surface transportation, and mobility in Dubai. 

In this episode, Ahmed shares with listeners all the exciting innovations in public transportation in Dubai and why Dubai is considered a center of innovation worldwide. He shares insights into his government's approach to autonomous vehicles, water transport, air taxis, among others.

If you want to know more about Dubai’s Public Transport Agency, check out their website.

"We came together to form this Public-Private Partnership, where we were able to provide what will eventually be the largest on-demand publicly provided microtransit service in the country."

On this episode of Comfort's Corner, part of the Transit Unplugged podcast, Joshua Schank joins Paul Comfort from Los Angeles to discuss his career in the transit industry. He talks about how the CEO created his role, "The Office of Extraordinary Innovation," to allow LA Metro, a public sector agency, to implement policy innovations. Joshua also shares some of the great new things coming for the transit industry in 2021.

If you want to know more about LA Metro, check out their website.

"Bi-State Development is one of the few agencies set by a charter, by an act of Congress. We have a federal charter that notes the governance of Bi-State and allows for the interoperability of a transit system across two states, multiple jurisdictions, and multiple towns."

Joining the Transit Unplugged podcast for this episode is Taulby Roach, the President & CEO of Bi-State Development. Taulby Roach has worked in and around the transit system for the past 20 years. The skillset he has acquired in commercial real estate development, infrastructure projects, and finance provided him a background in some of the financing typically used in the transit industry.

In this episode, Taulby shares with listeners more about his career journey, Bi-State Development, and the transit system's organization.

If you want to know more about Bi-State Development, check out their website.

"Transport for London is probably one of the most integrated transport authorities in the world, in the sense that we not only planned for but also operate pretty much all of the public transport in the city. But crucially, we also are responsible for the planning for an operation of the road network."

On this episode of Comfort's Corner, part of the Transit Unplugged podcast, Ben Plowden joins Paul Comfort from London to discuss Transport for London's restart and recovery program. He shares ideas on a post-COVID era and how the transit service in London and around the world might need to adjust to commuters' new travel patterns.

If you want to know more about Transport for London (TFL), check out their website.