Transit Unplugged

“We were very proud to be the first transit system in the U.S. to have a contract with Uber on a first-mile, last-mile program.”

Genetically born into the transit industry (his words, not ours), Brad Miller has a long history within public transit. Starting at Virginia Railway Express, Miller also was part of Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission, Charlotte Area Transit System, and Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority. Now, CEO of PSTA, Miller joins Transit Unplugged to elaborate on PSTA’s work with TNCs. Miller discusses working on first-mile/last-mile initiatives, using an FTA Sandbox Grant to integrate TNCs into their paratransit service, and how TNCs play into the changing mobility landscape. 

If you want to know more about PSTA, you can 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’re on the cusp of a transportation transformation, and if we don’t lead it, we’re going to get left behind.”

Dave Genova started in the oil and gas, and environmental industries before making it into public transit. What is a bit of a rarity, Genova has spent his entire transit career with a single agency. Now the General Manager and CEO of the Regional Transportation District (RTD), Genova joins Transit Unplugged to discuss RTD’s FasTracks program, how they use drones for maintenance, and the importance of thinking about the next big thing for transit.

If you want to know more about RTD, you can 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.

“How do you utilize the collection of data to turn it into something positive?”

RATP Dev was founded in Paris almost 120 years ago and now operates in 14 countries. On this episode of Transit Unplugged, Blaine Rigler, President of RATP Dev USA, shares his thoughts about learning from other industries, the importance of data to improve safety and maintenance, and how increasing ridership is all about ease. He also discusses how transit agencies or providers need to think about the interoperability of the technologies they use in their operations.

If you want to know more about RATP Dev USA, you can 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 be willing to take some risk in order to make this system the most effective that we can.”

John Lewis is no stranger to the ins and outs of the transit industry, having worked for MTA, GRTC, and LYNX. Lewis, now the CEO at Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), joins Transit Unplugged to discuss the importance of folding the transit plans into the city’s development plans, CATS’ expanding rail system, first-last mile challenges, and why CATS needs to rethink the delivery of their bus service.

If you want to know more about CATS, you can 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.

“When you know what you want to do, and you understand how to have fun while you are doing it, you can accomplish anything that you want.”

Edward Johnson, CEO of LYNX, joins Transit Unplugged to talk about why transit systems need to be mobility managers. Using this philosophy, LYNX has been able to increase their OTP and decrease costs for their paratransit service. He also discusses LYNX FORWARD (a study to define the transportation needs of the region), the importance of partnering with entities within the community, and why agencies need to be creative.        

If you want to know more about LYNX, you can check out their website golynx.com.

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