Transit Unplugged

This week's show is an edited re-broadcast of the UITP and Trapeze-sponsored Connected Journeys webinar from earlier this summer.Paul leads a discussion with:Abimbola Akinajo, CEO, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) Ahmed Bahrozyan, CEO, Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA)Djan Fanny, Director of Operations, AMUGAAbout what they are doing to promote public transit and develop more integrated, connected journeys in their cities.This episode brings home how, around the world, all transit agencies face the same challenges getting people to choose transit over private cars. The innovations the panelists are bringing in--like loyalty card programs and autonomous taxis--are truly innovative tools we all need to take note of.Next week on Transit Unplugged, Paul talks with frequent contributor Mike Bismeyer about his Kindness is Cool campaign and his recent CUTA award. Then Paul will talk with Modaxo's Roger Helmy about innovations in transit and what their vision of the future of transit is.If you have questions, comments, or would like to be a guest on Transit Unplugged, email us any time at [email protected]. 

This is a very special Transit Unplugged News and Views. This week we not only hear from Katrina Heineking and W.C. Pihl from Transdev about autonomous vehicles, but Paul reveals all the things going on at APTA EXPO in a few weeks.In the news segment, Paul gives you all the details on what's going on with Transit Unplugged, Transit Unplugged TV, and the other places you can find him at APTA EXPO. If you'd like to stay in the loop about everything that's going on, and get reminders when events are happening, sign up for updates on the Trapeze APTA EXPO microsite.Next, we hear from Katrina and W.C. about everything Transdev is doing with Waymo in the autonomous vehicle space. Finally we hear from Mike about mentorship. Mentorship is one of the most fulfilling things you can do in your career. If you have the chance to do it, take it.If you have questions, comments, or would like to be a guest on Transit Unplugged feel free to email us any time at [email protected] transcript for this episode is available on TransitUnplugged.com.

Paul travelled to Nashville, TN to talk with Nashville MTA CEO Steve Bland and his leadership team about all the improvements and innovations they've done in the past year. From safety to route planning to stations and stops, there is little that they haven't improved on.Which is, of course, music to our ears.This episode was also filmed for an upcoming episode of Transit Unplugged TV. People you will hear:Steve Bland, Nashville MTA CEOApproaches to COVID Response and Workplace Safety – Nick OldhamBetter Bus and Service Restoration Reshuffling – Felix Castrodad and Katie FreudbergStop Improvement Program and the Nolensville Pike Bike/Transit Corridor – Trey Walker and Lydia BendaTransit Signal Priority and our Emerging Headway Management System in the Charlotte Corridor – Dan Freudberg & Lydia BendaWeGo Link – Dan FreudbergTelling our Story and Getting Riders Back – Renuka ChristophNext week we're getting behind the wheel of micro transit with Waymo and Transdev.

One of the biggest challenges at transit agencies during the pandemic has been making sure there was enough money to stay in operation. In New Mexico, the Department of Transportation took a unique approach that underscores the spirit of cooperation we found throughout the transit industry.They funded the operating expenses for the 21 transit agencies in the state and were able to do that because the three largest agencies in the state agreed to forego their share of federal funding to help the other 18 agencies.David Harris, Director of Transit and Rail Division in the New Mexico Department of Transportation tells Paul how this unique funding plan came together and how his state of 2 million people is connected by bus and rail.Next week we have a special episode from Nashville, Tennesee and hear from not just the head of the agency, but his executive team as well. The interviews from the episode will also air as one of the upcoming Transit Unplugged TV episodes, along with extra behind-the-scenes footage of the agency and the city.If you have a question, feedback, or want to be a guest on the show, you can email us at [email protected]. Until next week, ride safe and ride happy.

As a woman in transit and the tech industry, it’s not every day that you get to see female leaders in transit share how they got to where they are today and the hurdles they had to overcome to do so. Transit has traditionally been a male-dominated industry; and years ago, it would’ve been rare to see a female CEO rise up the ranks.It’s inspiring that that’s no longer the case.On today’s episode of Transit Unplugged, we put together more than just an interview with one female transit leader – for the first time ever, we brought together an all-female panel from leaders on transit in the land down under, to talk about their journeys, share career advice, and learn from their inspiring stories.Four years ago, I was one of the individuals behind the scenes that worked with Paul Comfort to create the Transit Unplugged podcast. To witness the evolution of where we started to where we are today encourages me to continue to shoot for the stars and shows me the power of female leadership in such an important industry.That’s why this note might sound a little different than our other show notes. Normally they’re written by our producer, Tris Hussey, but for today’s all-female show, I decided to peek out from behind the curtain and share a few words about what episodes like this, and stories like these, mean to a young female and dare-I-say leader in transit.I hope you enjoy the episode and share it – more people need to hear these stories.Now, I’ll head back behind the scenes!Vicky Abihsira, Director of Integrated Marketing, Trapeze GroupThis week's guests are:Magda Robertson, General Manager, Torrens ConnectCatherine Baxter, COO Metro TrainsSamantha Abeydeera, Executive Director Strategic Operations, Transport for New South WalesMichelle Batsas, Executive Director, UITP, Australia and New Zealand who also hosts the Women Who Move Nations podcastNext week on Transit Unplugged News and Views we have David Harris Director of Transport and Rail for the Department of Transportation in New Mexico.If you want to get in touch with the show, be a guest, or have feedback, you can email us at [email protected].

More and more agencies are going green and reducing their carbon emissions. There are lots of ways to get there, but one that isn't talked about often is hydrogen fuel cell electric buses.Karl Gnadt of Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District is serious about going zero emissions. And truly zero emissions. In October his agency will open its solar-powered hydrogen generating and fueling complex and deploy its first hydrogen fuel cell electric buses. Making this deployment truly zero emissions. No fossil fuels will be burned to power these buses. A truly fantastic achievement.Paul, of course, has his usual transit industry news update and at the end of the show, he reveals some exciting changes coming to the show.If you have feedback, comments, or like to be on the show, just drop us a line at [email protected].

Julien Dehornoy, CEO of Yarra Trams, is responsible for the iconic Melbourne streetcar tram system. This is storied tram system has run continuously since 1884 and is the longest light rail system in the world.Which is a blessing and a curse.Julien wants to modernize the tram system to make it more efficient, more nimble, more accessible, and faster. But that's easier said than done when you're working with legacy systems.In this episode, you'll hear about Julien's vision for the future of the tram system and for public transport as a whole in Melbourne.Next week on Transit Unplugged News and Views we head to Illinois and learn about the hydrogen generating and refueling complex at Champaign Urbana Mass Transit District. Hope you'll tune in.Feedback? Questions? Want to be a guest on the show? Email us at [email protected].

It's not often you get the results of a customer survey and the results clearly say, "we think you're doing great, can you do more of it please?". But that's what David Bruffy of Mountain Line Transit in Morgantown, West Virginia found when he got feedback from his community.And while his plans for helping his community, including microtransit and helping the unbanked in a universal fare program, are important, just as important is what he does to recharge. David runs Smoke n Mirrors Photography as a side business/passion project that helps him stay grounded and use both sides of his brain.It's important, as Mike Bismeyer will tell you in his Mike's Minute segment, to have those things to connect you with others. Especially now we need to have ways to connect and see the bigger world around us.Speaking of survey's Elea Carey gives some great advice for using open and close-ended questions in surveys. Both types are essential to getting a complete picture of what people are really thinking.Next week on Transit Unplugged In-Depth Julien Dehornoy of Yarra Trams is talking with Paul about light rail.We'd love to hear from you! You can email us at [email protected] with comments, questions, or if you'd like to be a guest. Until next week, ride safe and ride happy.

Imagine starting your transit career as a driver when you were nineteen and then going on to launch an entirely new transit service for one agency and now at the helm to launch a revamped service for an up-and-coming transit agency.This is what Josh Baker of DASH (Alexandria Transit) has done in his career thus far with more great plans on the way.This is one of those "wow, that's amazing" interviews from a person who has done and tried almost everything there is to do in transit.Josh and Paul also reflect on how traffic patterns have changed in the Washington DC Metro area and how transit needs to--and will--adapt to these changes.Next week we hear from David Bruffy of Mountain Line Transit in West Virginia on what his community says it needs in a transit system and how David is making that a reality.

This week on Transit Tech, Tris interviews Tyler Dvorak of Trapeze and Terry Bills of Esri about the how and why of using data at your agency. Combining data sets, especially spatial and demographic data, gives transit agencies tremendous decision making power. Learn why the agencies who most effectively use data to learn about customers and make decisions are also the agencies who are most successful at delivering services to those customers.In her Messaging Minute, Elea Carey talks back to school communications strategies to get kids back on transit.And in Paul's transit industry news, he covers the results of an Imperial College of London study on COVID in transit.Plus more news from around the transit industry.

This episode of Transit Unplugged In-Depth comes from the SUN Conference in Missoula, Montana.Paul sat down with Scott Bogren of CTAA, Ed Redfern of The Bus Coalition, Rich Sampson of SWATA, and Elea Carey to talk about the massive infrastructure bill that just passed the U.S. Senate.In this very special episode, Paul and the guests dive into why this bill could be a historic, watershed moment for public transit in the U.S. The pandemic opened eyes at all levels of government that public transit isn't just a local issue, it's a national imperative. The ramifications of this five-year investment in transit infrastructure allow transit agencies to create, as Ed Redfern said, "Not your grandma's or parent's transit system anymore."

This week on Transit Unplugged News and Views we have two Newsmaker interviews.First Paul chats with John Seber Executive Director of the Central Indiana Regional Transport Authority (CIRTA) and they get into how John is helping the counties he serves work together and provide an integrated intercounty transit network. John also reflects on when he was working with Paul at WMATA and how a college poster sticks with him today.If that wasn't enough, Paul chats with Stewart Mader and Scott Bogren about a new study from CTAA on how transit supported communities during the pandemic and 6 concrete things we should be doing next.For the next several episodes look for Paul's interviews from the Small Urban Network Conference happening now in Montana.If you like what you hear on Transit Unplugged, take a moment leave a rating and review. Ratings and reviews are how people find new shows to listen to, and don't you think more people should be listening to us!And speaking of liking...guess what! We're in the running for another award! Take a moment and give a vote for us on the Podcast Awards.

This week Paul comes to you from the Bluegrass State and historic Louisville, Kentucky. Paul visited Carrie Butler, Executive Director of the Transit Authority of River City (TARC), in-person in her office in the former Union Station from the Louisville-Nashville rail line. You can read more about Paul's visit in his post on the Vontas blog. Carrie started at TARC almost a year ago in the midst of the pandemic, but that challenge only seems to have buoyed her optimism and drive to bring fresh optimism and excitement to the agency.Listen to learn Carrie's plan for the future of TARC and how she's tackling the driver shortage that is dogging agencies across the U.S. and Canada.Next week Paul is chatting with John Seber of Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority on Transit Unplugged News and Views. Paul is attending the upcoming SUN Conference., so look for some special interviews with transit leaders over the next several weeks.Don't forget to rate and review Transit Unplugged wherever you listen to podcasts. Leaving ratings and reviews helps people find Transit Unplugged.

This week on Transit Unplugged News and View we have the first Transit Tech segment. These will be monthly segments where we interview on new innovations in transit technology.This week Tris chats with Dr. Farrokh Mansouri, head of data science at Trapeze, about using machine learning and AI to predict how weather and traffic affect on-time performance. If you're interested in how Trapeze approaches machine learning and AI you might like Farrokh's recent blog post.Paul gives his weekly look into the latest transit news and this week gives us some valuable tips for running more effective meetings in his future of transit segment.Mike Bismeyer reflects on the transit leaders who were willing to take risks and try new technologies. Imagine where we'd be if we never innovated in transit?Next week on Transit Unplugged In-Depth Paul talks with Carrie Butler, head of the Transit Authority of River City (TARC). This is another interview that will energize you and inspire you for what's coming as we emerge from the pandemic.

This week we wrap up our mini-tour of Latin America with Paul's conversation with Joubert Flores, Chairman of ANTPTRILHOS in Brazil.Joubert has been an integral part of the transit industry for over 45 years and his insights into where the transportation system in Brazil has been, and where it's going in the future, are essential listening for all transit agencies.To close out this pair of interviews, Paul hosted a roundtable with Paola Realpozo, VP Marketing at Trapeze, and Juan Goritti, Sales Director for Latin America, with their thoughts on the state of public transit in Latin America.Next week on Transit Unplugged News and Views we have the first Transit Tech segment with Dr. Farohk Mansouri, Lead Data Scientist at Trapeze. Dr. Mansouri and Tris talk about what machine learning and AI have in store for the transit industry.Thank you for being a Transit Unplugged listener. You can help support the podcast and help other people find it by leaving a rating and review in your podcast app.If you'd like to be a guest on Transit Unplugged you can email our producer Tris Hussey at [email protected] next week, ride safe and ride happy.

This week on the first episode of Transit Unplugged News and Views (what we use to call Comfort's Corner) Paul chats with Andrew Bata of UITP, North America. Paul and Andrew talk about Andrew's former role as Chief Innovator at New York MTA. He and Paul continue with his vision of the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead for transit agencies around the world.Elea Carey continues the thread with how agencies should communicate getting people back to transit.And finally, Paul wraps up the episode with insights into one of the biggest challenges facing agencies right now: recruiting and training drivers for the coming ridership surge.Next week on Transit Unplugged In Depth we continue our Latin American series with Joubert Flores of Brazil's national rail transport association.

The bustling city of Fortaleza could be a model for how operators, transit agencies, and cities can work together to deliver sustainable, technology-enabled public transit. This week Paul chats with Dimas Barreira is the president of SINDIONIBUS, a group of 17 transit operators serving the city of Fortaleza and the surrounding area.What's unique in Fortaleza isn't the close partnership between SINDIONIBUS and the city, but the confederation of independent companies who have come together to agree on how to deliver transit to the 2.7 million people in the region.Together they have invested in technology, like MaaS, bike sharing for transit riders, automated payment systems, and a fully GPS and ITS enabled fleet of over 2000 buses.But technology and working together is the part of the story you see, beneath the surface Dimas is a true transit leader and visionary. He sees, and promotes, the connection between riders, the city government, and the city at large. He has a vision for transit supporting UN Climate and Sustainability goals and ensuring SINDIONIBUS leverages technology to adapt to our changing world.For more show notes and a complete transcript visit TransitUnplugged.com.

What do you do when you're given the reins of one of the biggest rail projects in history that's three years late and well over budget? How do you take something that has gone decidedly off the rails, back on track?For Mark Wild of Crossrail UK, it meant going back to the fundamentals of project management. He focused on grappling with the enormous complexity of the project, correcting things that had gone off course, and building a team that could adapt to uncertainty.No project of this scale goes off without a hitch, and Crossrail is no different. After running The Tube, Mark took on the challenge of completing the project and getting trains into stations. This episode of Transit Unplugged is a great lesson in applying project fundamentals to a project that has gone pear-shaped.Learn more in the show notes: https://www.transitunplugged.com/mark-wild-of-crossrail-uk/

Paul's on vacation this week so our producer Tris Hussey is in the host's chair for this episode.News in this episode:Proterra goes public on the NASDAQUS Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg highlights and thanks the transit industry for its work getting people vaccinated.Robert Yu was tapped as President and General Manager for Oahu Transit Services.Vince Pellegrin, COO of Metro Transit retires after 24 years at the agency. We wish him the best on his retirement.The Chicago Transit Authority has ended capacity limits on buses and trains. Because the federal mask mandate is still in effect, they will deploy employee volunteers to help the public understand the rules and what the CTA is doing to keep them safe.Our feature interview is with Stewart Mader of VAX Transit. Beyond spearheading getting transit agencies involved in rolling out vaccines in the U.S., Canada, and U.K., he's been doing a lot of thinkings about the future of transit.After talking about the success of VAX Transit, they move on to discuss the role of commuter rail in our new reality. Stewart, and Paul, both feel a sea change is needed. Commuter rail is better thought of as regional rail that gets people into the city from outlying areas. This is a discussion we need to continue in another episode.Related to masks and health, both Stewart and Elea Carey talk about communicating health and safety, and masks, to the public. Stewart mentions his article in Mass Transit with advice on masks for transit agencies and Elea talks about how to expand the discussion away from masks per se to how transit is a healthy way to travel.Finally in Mike's Minute we get a great piece of advice from his dad that makes the world a little better place.Next week Paul is back in the chair with an in-depth interview with Mark Wild CEO of Crossrail UK.Have a great week and ride safe and ride happy.

This week Paul chats with Naif Bin Hwail of Saudi Arabia's Transport General Authority (TGA) on how his agency built a structure to serve millions of people--including the millions visiting Mecca and Medina for the Haj--using bus, rail, and taxis.In his conversation with Paul, Naif Bin Hwail talks about developing bus rapid transit (BRT) in several cities and expanding the rail network to serve the millions of people who come to Saudi Arabia.Unlike many transportation agencies, TGA is also responsible for the vast private taxi network in the country. Their job is to ensure all taxis meet the same high standard of safety, comfort, and reliability. Based on this foundation TGA is well-placed to build an expansive national transit system as part of their vision 2030 plans.Next week, please join us for Comfort's Corner where Paul's guest will be Stewart Mader of VAX Transit. After talking about the herculean efforts to get people to vaccines and vaccines to people, Stewart and Paul talk about commuter rail and the future of masks on transitFor a complete transcript of this episode and links to our guests, please visit: https://www.transitunplugged.com/making-taxis-part-of-the-transport-solution-in-saudi-arabia/

This week on Comfort's Corner we have two newsmaker interviews for you. First, we talk with Candace Moore of the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority about how she's used asset management data to improve maintenance in her fleet of nearly 200 vehicles. Then we travel to Saskatoon, SK, and hear an excerpt from Cory Shrigley's ThinkTransit session on how they used real-time ridership data to quickly adapt their service to meet the needs of essential workers during pandemic lockdowns and help health officials target COVID education programs right to the areas that needed it most.These are two great uses of data that highlight how transit agencies can use data they might already have to make real, impactful decisions.We also hear from Elea Carey in her messaging minute on using radio ads to promote your agency. What better way to increase ridership than target drives while stuck in traffic!Finally, Paul shares some exciting news about some improvements we're making to the show starting in July. Listen to the whole episode to learn about the changes.Interested in being a guest on Transit Unplugged? You can email our producer at [email protected]. We'd love to hear and share your stories on the transit industry's number one podcast. 

"We want to promote caring commuting culture here, a gracious one, ... working together with everyday commuters to try and improve each other's commute."This week Paul talks with Jeremy Yap, Deputy Chief Executive for Public Transport, Policy and Planning for the Land Transport Authority, Singapore. In this wide-ranging interview, we learn how Singapore is creating and expanding a transit system to serve its 5.6 million people with bus and rail service that is clean, efficient, and kind.From digging a kilometer a month and a new station every two months for their expanded metro line to seamless payment systems, Singapore is creating a transit system that aims to have every person within a 10 minute walk to a transit stop and 20 minute travel time across the city.Learn more about this episode get show notes and complete transcript at https://www.transitunplugged.com/jeremy-yap-lta-singapore/ 

Show notes:Welcome to Comfort's Corner for May 26th, 2021.This week on Comfort's Corner we have a special newsmaker segment with board members of the North American Transit Alliance (NATA) and the International Association of Public Transit (UITP) discussing the results of a new study on private contracting in public transit agencies.UITP completed the study on behalf of NATA and conducted interviews with transit agencies from around the world. The results of this study and give a rich, diverse, and global picture of contracting in public transit. You can download a copy of the report from the UITP website.If your agency would like a presentation about the results of the study, contact Julia Gessner at NATA.In transit news, Paul covers:Kevin Quinn appointed as the new CEO of TransLink.Greyhound Canada ceases all operations in Canada on May 13.The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation is taking steps to curb fraud and abuse.Union City, CA is bringing back The Flea microtransit service to BART stations.Finally, we hear from Elea Carey in her messaging minute talking about how to leverage the media for hiring at your agency.Next week we have Jeremy Yap of Public Transport, Policy and Planning for the Land Transport Authority in Singapore speaking with Paul in another segment on public transit around the world.Show transcript:Paul Comfort: This is Transit Unplugged. I'm your host Paul Comfort. Great to be with you on another edition of Comfort's Corner, where we bring you the inside story and what's happening in and around the transit industry. Today, we've got a great show for you got some big headline news stories to give you. And then after that, we'll be going into an in-depth interview with the North American Transit Alliance in UATP. It's a great interview with them.Um, and I'll tell you more about it in just a moment. We'll be talking about a new study on contracting and that'll take up most of today's show now on to headline news. my successor as MTA Baltimore's CEO, Kevin Quinn was announced this week that the TransLink Board of Directors have appointed him Kevin Quinn to serve as the agency's next Chief Executive Officer.When we'll begin the role on July 19th and relocate to the Metro Vancouver, British Columbia area from the Baltimore, Maryland area. I've talked to Kevin multiple times this week, and very excited for him. And I know that he will be greatly missed at MTA. The TransLink folks are in for a great new CEO and, and Tony Gugliotta the Chair of TransLink's Board of Directors said."We look forward to welcoming Kevin Quinn to the TransLink enterprise, which will benefit from his bold, innovative and customer centered approach to leadership." Congratulations to Kevin and to Holly Arnold, who will step in. She's been the deputy CEO for a while at MTA. She stepping up to be the interim CEO at the Maryland Transit Administration headquartered in Baltimore.On to some interesting news due to sustained ridership declines in Ontario and Quebec, Greyhound Canada is discontinuing all operations on its remaining routes in Ontario and Quebec and permanently closed all services in Canada effective May 13th. This announcement has no impact on Greyhound lines operation in the U S which will continue to operate cross border express service on the following routes when the border reopens Toronto to New York, Toronto to Buffalo Montreal, the New York Montreal to Boston, Vancouver to Seattle. Greyhound Lines, Inc, as a separate entity from Greyhound Canada, but a sad day when the inner-city bus Greyhound, Canada ceases to continue to operate their services. On to another interesting story out of Honolulu, Hawaii.The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation is beginning to take steps to institute better. Internal auditing measures through a report presented by a group within the HART Board of Directors. The Permitted Interaction Group or PIG, which consists of half the board was tasked with reviewing suggestions from the American Public Transportation Association about HART's internal auditing practices.The report that PIG published, included 10 changes that should be implemented. One of the more substantial changes would implement an outsourced independent, internal audit function for HART. And they would report their findings to the committee, which is then charged with managing follow up actions resulting from the audit.The recommendations from the PIG also suggested that the audit committee establish a fraud and corruption hotline with an independent provider. The hotline would be both for internal sources within Hart and external complaints from outside the authority. And now onto what a big trend is happening right now. And that is micro transit. I've been telling you about it as matter of fact, if you did not listen to our last Comfort's Corner from two weeks ago, I encourage you to go back and listen to it. It in it, and the final part of the program and the future of public transportat

This week Paul chats with Esmaeel Hasan Al Blooshi of the RAK Transport Authority in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. Ras Al Khaimah is the northernmost of the seven Emirates in the UAE and home to over 60 km of beaches, the world's longest zip line, and...A really innovative and integrated transit system. From buses to taxis, e-scooters and e-bikes to ferries, RAK Transport is creating a uniquely integrated system powered by new apps and technology.Unlike many North American transit authorities, taxis are an essential part of the overall transit system. The system caters to both residents of Ras Al Khaimah, but also a large tourist industry. The goal is to get people quickly, easily, affordably, and sustainably from one place to another.You can learn more about RAKTA on their website.Episode transcript:Paul Comfort: This is Transit Unplugged. I'm your host Paul Comfort. Thanks for being with us today. As we interview the world's top transit executives to bring you their insights about what's happening in their transit system and for the future of our industry. And today we're excited to enter into the world of the middle east.Again, our guest today is Mr. Esmaeel Hasan Al Blooshi , the executive general manager. At the RAS Al Khaimah Emirates in the United Arab Emirates Transport Authority, they call it the RAK Transport Authority or rack Transport Authority. And today he discusses the vision for transportation there in the Emirate as reliable, smart, and sustainable. It's their vision. It includes all kinds of exciting innovations, including rolling in taxi as part of the overall mobility solution. Uh, e-bikes, e-scooters plans for a high-speed ferry service. Uh, inner city connections between the various city states of the UAE, all that. You'll get a real in-depth look today with this interview with Mr. Esmaeel Hassan Al Blooshi on Transit Unplugged.Narrator: What does it mean to be a successful public transit agency? What are you doing to lead the way? It's time to learn from the top transit professionals in North America.This is Transit Unplugged with your host Paul Comfort.Paul Comfort: Welcome to Transit Unplugged. I'm your host Paul Comfort. Great to be with you today on another edition of the world's leading transit podcast, Transit Unplugged. And today we head to the Middle East in an interview with a leader of one of the large upcoming transit systems in the United Arab Emirates. Esmaeel Hassan Al Blooshi. Thank you so much for being with us today Esmaeel.Esmaeel Hasan Al Blooshi: Pleasure to be here. Thank you very much for hosting this international podcast.Paul Comfort: Wonderful to have you with us. And I know you're famous there in the UAE, but after this people in 99 countries will know about you.So, so we're excited to hear about all the things you've got going on there. Uh, some, our listeners who are regular listeners around the world will recall that recently we had another interview with, with the Ahmed Hashem Bahrozyan, who is the head of the CEO of Dubai RTA, which is one of the cities in the United Arab Emirates. And for those in the Western World, they may not be totally familiar with that with the United Arab Emirates. Um, why don't you tell us just a little bit about how they work that the city states and the structure and all that. And then I'd like to ask you a little about your own background.Esmaeel Hasan Al Blooshi: Yeah, we here in the United Arab Emirates. It's about seven Emirates united together, and we have one ruler. Who's his Highness, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He's the ruler of UAE. And all, all of the Emirates, they have their own rulers and all of us is working as a whole united country.Paul Comfort: That's wonderful. And so the people can place it geographically. Where in the Middle East, is it kind of, can you, can you show it, tell us where it's at?Esmaeel Hasan Al Blooshi: Actually, we are in the middle of Middle East connecting that Asia with Europe and United States and the world maps, we are in the middle. And Ras Al Khaimah  is the north, most of the seven Emirates, which lies in the north and all of us actually connected united and smoothly. You can transfer from each Emirates.Paul Comfort: That's great. And you, you have a lot of a waterfront there, right? Don't you don't, you have a, a great beach area and everything.Esmaeel Hasan Al Blooshi: Oh, we have a wonderful beaches actually, Ras Al Khaimah has almost 64 kilometer of beaches and terracotta dissolves.And also, also Ras Al Khaimah has a diverse landscape.Paul Comfort: That's wonderful. So Ras Al Khaimah Emirate, one of the seven Emirates in the UAE and you're the head of the transportation program there. That's wonderful. So tell us a little bit about yourself and your background and how you came to have this position.Esmaeel Hasan Al Blooshi: Yeah, actually Twelve years of use experiences most of it in transportation.I'm glad. And fortunately I worked with road transp

This week is a special Comfort's Corner with a focus on access and equality in the transit system.After this week's transit news, we hear from Julie Timm of the Greater Richmond Transit Company on how she is looking at how the fare system, might not be fair to the people who need and depend on it most. Julie's segment was taken from her Virtual ThinkTransit talk she gave on April 28th, 2021. In part three of Comfort's Corner, Paul talks about his new vision on the future of transit. Beyond technology to get people where they are going quickly and efficiently, Paul believes transit systems need to be fair and equitable to the people who need the system the most.We also hear from Elea Carey in her Messaging Minute wrapping up her three-part series on email newsletters. Finally Mike's Minute we hear about a random act of kindness that had an unexpected outcome.Next week, Paul welcomes Esmaeel Hasan Al Bloohsi from RAK Transport Authority.Until then, have a great week and ride happy.

"...it was really that project that showed me how much transportation can add to the economic development of a region, can hurt, or help, neighborhoods. can really impact people at their business levels ... in the communities they choose to raise their families..."This week Paul is joined by Leslie Richards General Manager of SEPTA (Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority). In this Transit Unplugged episode, you not only learn about Leslie's career path but how she is tackling challenges today and looking towards the future.And even how she bucked the trend and move into the city of Philadelphia and how that reminds her how important transit is to the people who live and work in the City of Brotherly Love. 

This is the second of three special Transit Unplugged episodes from Virtual ThinkTransit. Our Day Two keynote was by Lauren Skiver, CEO of SunLine Transit Agency. challenged us to find our power and purpose to innovate.Lauren hit head-on the challenge of innovating in a regulated business like transit. We have a great responsibility to our staff, riders, and everyone else sharing the road, but we also have a responsibility to make sure transit evolves with the times and does more.Innovations in transit are essential to the continued health, growth, and resiliency in the industry. While Inspiration is a noun, Lauren sees it as something to spur action. Something to help us take the next step:"Inspiration creates action in my mind"--Lauren SkiverLauren looks as each thing she has to do as an opportunity to see how it can improve herself or others. She sees even the most mundane tasks as opportunities for innovation.Like Robbie, Lauren sees working in transit as a higher calling, not a j-o-b job:"Public transit is a calling, not just a job. It's something we do because we create something for the community, feel good about how we connect people to jobs, we feel good about how we create mobility for a community, and we feel good about the people we work with in this business."For Lauren, innovation and inspiration come down to harnessing your power and purpose for good. Sometimes it's scary. Sometimes we've used our power in the wrong ways, but the pandemic has shown us all we need to tap into our own personal power and purpose to push ahead.At SunLine Lauren is striving to have an entirely renewable energy-powered fleet by 2035. Already leaders in CNG, full electric, and hydrogen fuel cell electric buses, Lauren is pushing the agency farther and fast than they dreamed.The drop in ridership in the pandemic gave her the unique opportunity to innovate faster towards building their own microgrid, generating their own hydrogen for buses, and more.Lauren showed how harnessing your passion and purpose--like breaking our dependence on fossil fuels--is something within all our grasp. We just have to seize it.

In the third of our special Transit Unplugged episodes from Virtual ThinkTransit, we have the final keynote from Day Three. Our final keynote of the conference had Geoff Gray step into Paul Comfort's shoes to moderate this amazing panel of Phil Verster, President and CEO, Metrolinx; Erinn Pinkerton, President and CEO, BC Transit; and Alex Wiggins, CEO, New Orleans Transit.Phil started off highlighting projects underway that will keep going to meet the needs of one of Canada's fastest-growing cities. But it's not just infrastructure, it's a focus on safety and getting people to feel comfortable taking transit again.Alex, as other speakers will note later, the pandemic highlighted the often historical disparities between the people who need transit and those who run it. Alex's own parents couldn't fully use the transit system he now runs. And the ferry system that's part of his network was once used as an embarkation place for African slaves.In New Orleans, as in many other cities across North America, people of color were disproportionately affected by both the pandemic health-wise, but economically as well. As Alex had to reduce service at the height of the pandemic, was he inadvertently hurting the very people he most needed to serve.Alex's goal, spurred by the pandemic, is looking at his entire transit system and remove barriers. He wants to get headways below 15 minutes and make transit riders equal to car drivers in access to jobs and services.Erinn, started her talk acknowledging that her office sites on the traditional lands of the Lekwungen, Songhees, Esquimalt, and WSÁNEĆ peoples. This, for people in British Columbia, is an important part of addressing the past disparities and injustices we benefit from now.BC Transit, as Geoff mentioned, serves the transit needs of an area bigger than the state of Texas. Erinn sees her job not as getting things back to normal but also to get things to something better. For example, morning and evening rush hour service is some of the most expensive services in the system, what if that becomes less important than better mid-day and weekend service? Mid-day and weekends have been in the past when people use transit less, but now that's changing.And Erinn is innovating with programs like Transit to Trail to get people to popular hiking spots and reduce pressure on communities and parking in already sensitive areas.After Erinn's talk, the panel took questions from the audience on the points raised above, like fares (The whole Province of B.C. is going fare-free for kids under 13 starting in September) and how each agency is helping people feel safe and ready to ride again. They are looking forward to the time when people have a place to take transit to again."We have to be there for people. Mobility is freedom. Transit plays a role in helping the community recover, and I know that right now, transit riders feel that this is their one chance for a social connection." -- Erinn Pinkerton

In the first of three special Transit Unplugged episodes, we bring you the keynote from Day One of Virtual ThinkTransit (VTT). Robbie Makinen's (CEO of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority) keynote was an inspiration to the entire audience. Robbie is well known as an inspiring speaker and he did not disappoint today. He lost his sight about eight years ago and related a story about sitting in the car with his son and how it was a turning point for him.Everyone is dealt a bad hand sometimes, Robbie says, the question is how do you deal with it. Will you be a sail or an anchor? Will you push on or drag down?Robbie chose to sail.Robbie believes transit agencies need to be woven into the fabric of society. Transit is essential for millions of people. He talks about going fare-free and how that it's not a loss in revenue, but an investment in people. People take the money they would have spent on transit in the community. The money doesn't disappear, it goes back into the community."Transit agencies shouldn't be off on an island. Stop thinking of yourself as just a transit agency. Think about weaving yourself into the community." --Robbie MakinenRobbie's challenge to all of us is ask ourselves why we do what we do. Why do we work at our jobs? For many of us, that answer is helping people in their daily lives. And Robbie's inspirational words remind us all of that.

“This industry is absolutely crucial for people to live their lives in the way that they are used to doing.”On this episode of Comfort's Corner, part of the Transit Unplugged podcast, Luke Antoniou, Editor of Intelligent Transport, joins Paul Comfort to discuss new transit trends in Europe and his thoughts on Mobility-as-a-Service. Paul also shares an exciting Q&A from ThinkTransit featuring Elea Carey, John Sisson, and Sam Sargent.If you want to know more about Intelligent Transport, check out their website.

“I have always said that crisis breeds innovation.” Joining the Transit Unplugged podcast for this episode is Clinton Forbes, Executive Director at Palm Tran. Clinton chats with Paul Comfort about Palm Tran’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, their new flex routes for remote areas, and shares his thoughts on the future of electric vehicles.  Clinton also joins Paul’s lightning round to share his favorite books, hobbies, and more.  If you want to know more about Palm Tran, check out their website.  

“We're looking at the big picture. Where are we going? What's happening? How do we make this all make sense together?” On this episode of Comfort's Corner, part of the Transit Unplugged podcast, Valerie Neilson, Deputy Director of the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency, joins Paul Comfort to discuss the role of a metropolitan planning agency and how they interact with the local community. Valerie also chats about her passion for “complete streets” and prioritizing safety for users of all ages and abilities.  If you want to know more about the Palm Beach TPA, check out their website.  

“I think we are best prepared and situated to be holistic transportation service providers, and we should not limit ourselves and stay in one lane.”  Joining the Transit Unplugged podcast for this episode is Nat Ford, CEO of Jacksonville Transportation Authority. Nat chats with Paul Comfort about the latest and greatest innovations at the JTA, from vaccine buses to microtransit, and shares more about JTA’s unique autonomous vehicle Test and Learn track.   If you want to know more about the JTA, check out their website.  

“We're fortunate enough to work in a community that is supportive of our efforts.” On this episode of Comfort's Corner, part of the Transit Unplugged podcast, Brian Litchfield, Transit Director for the Town of Chapel Hill, joins Paul Comfort to discuss how COVID-19 has helped to bring his agency closer to the local community. Brian also chats about Chapel Hill Transit’s investments in clean energy and their unique fare-free model. If you want to know more about CHT, check out their website.  

“These people who take care of us every day, we need to take care of them, and make sure that we're ensuring that our services are for everyone.”  Joining the Transit Unplugged podcast for this episode is Tilly Chang, Executive Director for the San Francisco County Transportation Authority. Tilly chats with Paul Comfort about autonomous vehicles, the impact of TNC’s such as Uber and Lyft in San Francisco, and her thoughts on how public transit will recover from COVID-19.  Tilly also joins Paul’s new lightning round to share her favorite books, musicians, and her unusual family pet.  If you want to know more about SFCTA, check out their website.  

“When we're challenged in transit, that's often sometimes where the greatest innovation comes.” On this episode of Comfort's Corner, part of the Transit Unplugged podcast, Christian Kent, Transit Management Consultant and former Assistant GM at WMATA, joins Paul Comfort to discuss how he believes paratransit services will change after COVID-19. Christian also chats about his career in the transit industry, and shares industry trends he’s seeing in transit recruitment. If you want to know more about Christian, check out his website.  

“We need transit to not only survive the pandemic, but to thrive.”  Joining the Transit Unplugged podcast for this episode is David Kim, Secretary of Transportation for the State of California. David chats with Paul Comfort about CalSTA’s new high-speed rail project, the future of zero-emission buses, and his thoughts on autonomous vehicles. David also joins Paul’s new lightning round to share his favorite books, musicians, and predictions for the future of public transportation.  If you want to know more about the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), check out their website.  

“We have two projects that were always on our books and our capital improvement program, however with the Amazon decision, it did provide us with the ability to actually put those projects forward even quicker.” On this episode of Comfort's Corner, part of the Transit Unplugged podcast, Pierre Holloman, Assistant Transit Bureau Chief at the Arlington Department of Environmental Services Division of Transportation, joins Paul Comfort to discuss what Amazon’s new Arlington office means for their transit agency. Pierre also chats about ART’s new maintenance and operations facility, and how they are continuing to implement their capital projects during COVID-19. If you want to know more about ART, check out their website.  

“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.

"When we complete the six phases of the transit system in Tanzania, we expect to have more than 3,000 BRT buses in the city, and they will replace what we have currently, nearly 10,000 local buses."Joining the Transit Unplugged podcast for this episode is Ronald Lwakatare, Chief Executive of Dar Rapid Transit Agency (DART) in Tanzania. Ronald joined DART in January 2016 as Chief Executive and is working hard to bring future public transportation to his nation and city.In this episode, Ronald shares with listeners a look into the transportation system in Tanzania, what it means to be a successful public transit agency, and what his country is doing to lead the way for public transit.If you want to know more about Dar Rapid Transit Agency (DART), check out their website.

"In many ways, Los Angeles is going to become one of the key global hubs of new mobility. It is the largest urban car market globally, and in terms of the metro area, one of the world's biggest, along with New York and Tokyo. What happens in LA affects everything else in the world, and we are excited for CoMotion to be here."On this episode of Comfort's Corner, part of the Transit Unplugged podcast, John Rossant joins Paul Comfort to discuss his career as Chair of New Cities Foundation and the brilliant work he is doing as CEO of CoMotion. He shares his thoughts on mobility disruptions in the 21st century, following a successful virtual CoMotion LA event, which had over 2,500 mobility leaders in attendance from both the public and private sectors and over 50 countries.CoMotion is one of the hottest new transportation conferences globally and has its base in Los Angeles, a global hub of modern mobility. If you want to know more about CoMotion LA, check out their website here.