Transit Unplugged

“Don’t ever lose sight of the importance of the people in your organization.”

Non-emergency medical transportation is a fundamental transportation option for those going to see a healthcare professional. Carter Pate, Interim CEO of LogistiCare, joins Transit Unplugged to talk about some of the nuances of this part of the transportation world and the importance of efficiency in Medicare and Medicaid scenarios.

Pate also has numerous leadership roles (PwC, MV Transportation), and shares his advice on how to become a good leader. He also thinks the most exciting years of mobility are in front of us, highlighting the future benefits of artificial intelligence and driverless vehicles.

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

Remember to check out transitunplugged.com to learn from top transit professionals and stay up to date to catch all the latest episodes.

“Electric technology should be part of the strategy of every transit agency.” – Ryan Popple

Recently, there’s a great emphasis on lowering emissions and using clean energy. In the past, public transit did that with hybrid-electric vehicles. While many agencies primarily still operate diesel fleets, with a smattering of electric in the mix, new fuels and propulsion systems are rapidly entering the market, pushing transit toward zero-emission buses. 

In this special mobility innovations episode, you’ll get to hear from some of the leading experts of alternative fuel options within public transit. Discover the jumps Proterra has made in electric vehicle technology over the years. Learn about hydrogen fuel and the amazing work SunLine Transit is doing – going so far as creating hydrogen fuel. Finally, you’ll hear about (Dallas) DART’s progression into using compressed natural gas (CNG).

Check out Proterra, SunLine, or DART if you want to learn more.

Remember to check out transitunplugged.com to learn from top transit professionals and stay up to date to catch all the latest episodes.

“I don’t look at anything as a failure. I look at it as a learning experience.”

When the best-laid plans go a bit awry, what do you do? Stephen Bland, CEO of WeGo Public Transit, learns, reassesses, and keeps moving forward.

Stephen has spent his career in public transit. He’s run small agencies that have as few as eight buses. And now he is running the show in Nashville, Tennessee, where they carry 35,000 passengers each weekday. Nashville’s infrastructure was built around the personal automobile. The need for change and investment in public transit was recognized. In 2018, there was an ambitious referendum to provide $8-9 Billion towards a transit investment program. Unfortunately, it failed. The failure of the referendum wasn’t the outcome Nashville MTA (the agency name at the time) was looking for, but with the leadership of Bland, Nashville pushed forward.

In this episode of Transit Unplugged, Bland talks about why the referendum failed, but how their plans set them up for future success, and how that also led them to rebrand to WeGo Public Transit. Additionally, the referendum helped them establish future plans, and Bland talks about some of the things they are still able to move forward with – new transit centers, new account-based faring programs, and transit signal priority projects. He also dives into their Better Bus program that eliminates redundant routes and stops.

You won’t want to miss this one. And if you want to know more about WeGo, check out their website.

Remember to check out transitunplugged.com to learn from top transit professionals and stay up to date to catch all the latest episodes.

“While we have to think about the future, we also have to think about the here and now and making sure that we’re improving the customer experience.”

Atlanta and the surrounding area is the third fastest-growing region in the U.S. That means more people and more traffic, so public transit is essential to help boost the economic vitality and development of the region along with reducing congestion.

Jeffrey Parker, GM and CEO of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), joins Transit Unplugged to talk about the present and future for the agency. Parker discusses the importance of MARTA becoming a more customer-centric organization – improving the reliability of the bus service, implementing new bus stops, and renovating rail stations are just part of this larger picture. Additionally, he highlights MARTA’s plans for new bus rapid transit and light rail services, and how it is essential to still focus on state of good repair while expanding service.

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

Remember to check out transitunplugged.com to learn from top transit professionals and stay up to date to catch all the latest episodes.

“We've got to move people around our region and get them more access to jobs.” – Lee Harris, Mayor of Shelby County

Funding for public transportation is a concern for every transit executive. Gary Rosenfeld, CEO of the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA), and Lee Harris, Mayor of Shelby County, are working hard to secure a $10 million increase in funding for MATA and the Shelby County area. For this to work, they need the county to invest in public transit for the first time.

MATA is in an interesting position because it serves the entire Shelby County area, and the additional funds will go directly to increasing route frequency throughout the county. Listen to how they purpose to raise the additional funds – maybe you can get some ideas for your region. They also share the importance of transit funding, especially as an attempt to reduce the poverty rate. 

Check out MATA, Shelby County, Transit Vision, or future4transit.com if you want to learn more.

Remember to check out transitunplugged.com to learn from top transit professionals and stay up to date to catch all the latest episodes.

“No one is going to use transit unless they feel it meets their needs” – Ron Kilcoyne

There are two guests this week on Transit Unplugged – Butch McDuffie, Director of Athens Transit, and Ron Kilcoyne, Senior Manager at Transportation Management & Design Inc. (TMD Inc.).

Butch discusses Athens’ bus art shelter program, what it was like building a transit facility with zero federal dollars, and the unique qualities of running transit in a major college town. Ron shares his three-legged stool strategy for growing and sustaining ridership. He also talks about rebooting networks and when to add microtransit.  

Check out TMD Inc. or Athens Transit if you want to learn more.

Remember to check out transitunplugged.com to learn from top transit professionals and stay up to date to catch all the latest episodes.

“Passenger railway does a good job [in Australia] moving big numbers of people into city centers.”

Bidding 2019 goodbye, Paul Comfort breaks down the top three trends from interviewing transit’s top leaders over the past year. He highlights autonomous vehicles, mobility as a service, and strategies to increase ridership.

Additionally, we end 2019 with an interview from David Franks, CEO of Keolis Downer. Having spent time in UK, Irish, and Australian rail systems, Franks shares some of the differences of the regions. He also discusses how one of their light rail systems has 100% OTP (against its contractual commitments) and their new light rail line that doesn’t have catenary wires.

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

Remember to check out transitunplugged.com to learn from top transit professionals and stay up to date to catch all the latest episodes.

“Anything we can do to make the people’s vision, the people’s goal, and the people’s plan is part of what we’re trying to produce.”

Culture is a big proponent of how Dinero Washington tries to run SporTran. As CEO, Dinero understands that culture facilitates a good working environment and is a way for employees to buy-in to your transit agency. “Sometimes, you forget your employees are who truly make the agency successful.”

But it isn’t just the agency staff that helps drive the direction of SporTran. The passengers and the community are paramount to building a successful network. In this episode of Transit Unplugged, Dinero walks us through the step-by-step process of how he created the new vision and mission for SporTran. Through community engagement with over 200 meetings, SporTran’s four-year project finally concluded with a revamped network eliminating over half of its bus stops with reduced headways – some by up to an hour.

This episode shows the true value of listening. So, sit back, and listen to the great insights from one of the only agencies in the US with a massive increase in ridership. If you listen, you might just pick up a few tricks.

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

Remember to check out transitunplugged.com to learn from top transit professionals and stay up to date to catch all the latest episodes.

“We measure economic, environmental, and social benefits and try to drive to that bottom line.” – Doug Morgan, Director at Calgary Transit

“As transit people, we have to figure out how we add value to people's lives.” – Phil Verster, President and CEO at Metrolinx

“I did it really wrong before I learned how to do it right.” – Eddie Robar, Branch Manager at Edmonton Transit Service

“What is the role of all transit agencies? And how is our role changing in the entire industry?” – Erinn Pinkerton, President and CEO at BC Transit

Recorded live at the CUTA 2019 Annual Conference and Transit Show, Transit Unplugged brings you another fantastic look at what top leaders are doing within the transit industry. These four leaders discuss their leadership style, the importance of taking risks, and why diversity in the workforce matters. They also discuss unique agency structures, dealing with massive capital investment programs, bus network redesigns, the electrification of their fleets, and the use of CNG vehicles. 

This episode caps off our little tour through Canada. And it’s always good to end on a high note.

Remember to check out transitunplugged.com to learn from top transit professionals and stay up to date to catch all the latest episodes.

“You can choose what you want the future to look like.”

One-hundred years ago, Mr. William P. Eno started a transportation specific think tank. The Eno Center of Transportation (Eno) provides government and industry leaders with timely research and pragmatic fact-based voices on policy issues. It publishes rigorous, objective analysis of critical and emergent issues facing the transportation arena.

Today, Robert Puentes, President and CEO of Eno, joins Transit Unplugged and shares with us the three primary ways Eno supports the transportation industry – communication and outreach, working on policy issues, and providing the industry with a professional development program.

In this episode, Robert discusses some hot topics facing the public transportation industry – congestion pricing, mobility as a service, autonomous vehicles, and infrastructure projects. He shares his knowledge and excitement of some of the pilot programs happening within the U.S.A. and highlights some global trends that you might be able to use to your advantage. 

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

Remember to check out transitunplugged.com to learn from top transit professionals and stay up to date to catch all the latest episodes.