Transit Unplugged

“We are constantly looking at our systems and working to ensure that when we do roll out, we do not have to roll back.” Joining the Transit Unplugged podcast for this episode is Abimbola Akinajo, the Managing Director and CEO of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA). Abimbola Akinajo is a chartered civil engineer with over 25 years of experience working in the United Kingdom and Nigeria on the design and delivery of major rail and road transport infrastructure projects. This experience is key to successfully planning, implementing, regulating, and franchising an intermodal integrated transport system for Lagos’ 22 million residents.In this episode, Abimbola shares with listeners more about her own career, the work of LAMATA, the process of regulating private bus service operations, as well as the progress to date constructing of a light rail line, BRT line, and metro third-rail line. Needless to say, Abimbola and the LAMATA team are busy and excited, which makes for an inspiring and thought-provoking episode!If you want to know more about Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, check out their website.

“When looking through an industrial lens, how the future of transit might look will highly depend on its workforce. It will depend on the future of decent and sustainable work in urban transport services.”On this episode of Comfort’s Corner, part of the Transit Unplugged podcast, Alejandra Cruz Ross joins Paul Comfort from Geneva to discuss her career, outlook on the future of public transit, and career goals. Though most importantly, as the Transport Specialist in the Sectoral Policies Department with the International Labor Office (ILO), part of the United Nations, Alejandra dives into the ILO’s most recent report titled, COVID-19 and Urban Passenger Transport Services. This report covers the preliminary impacts of COVID-19 on urban transport and its workers and the response of ILO constituents, as well as a selection of related resources.If you want to know more about the International Labor Office (ILO), check out their website.

“[Of our 160-million-dollar operating budget], we are proud that 88% goes to direct service on the road and 12% goes to administration. We try to keep that within that range for our 32 local routes.” Joining Paul Comfort on this episode of “Transit Unplugged” is Sue Dreier, Chief Executive Officer of Pierce Transit, a public transit operator for Pierce County, Washington. Pierce Transit offers fixed route bus, vanpool, microtransit, and paratransit services, all with the goal of connecting people in the community to transit. In this vibrant interview, Sue gives listeners an in-depth understanding of her transit system, her career, Pierce Transit’s upcoming BRT project, how the COVID-19 crisis impacted the system, and how they are recovering from it. Plus, she explains the implementation of electric buses into their fleet and offers some advice for fellow transit operators planning to undergo a similar initiative. If you want to know more about Pierce Transit, check out their website.

“The [interviews I have conducted over the last three years] confirmed that CEOs of public transit agencies have a very tough job. They are half politician and half operations director. They are a staff leader and a planner.”This episode marks the 3rd anniversary of Transit Unplugged! As one of the world’s first podcasts for public transit professionals, the show is now listened to in over 99 countries. In honor of this milestone, we have compiled a few best moments and key learnings out of the 117 episodes and over 4,000 minutes of audio from the past three years. Our featured guests in this episode include:Bill Carpenter, Chief Executive Officer at Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation AuthorityRobbie Makinen, President and Chief Executive Officer at the Kansas City Area Transportation AuthorityAlexander Schulze, Senior Project Manager at AMoTechLauren Skiver, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager at Sunline TransitPhil Verster, President and Chief Executive Officer at MetrolinxAndy Byford, Commissioner of Transit for LondonErinn Pinkerton, President and Chief Executive Officer at BC Transit William Harrell, President and Chief Executive Officer at Hampton Roads TransitChris O’Claire, Mobility Division Director at King County MetroPhil Washington, Chief Executive Officer at LA Metro

“Though there is a second wave [of COVID-19] in many countries, the ridership of public transport is not decreasing – it is still increasing. Thus, the main difference from the first wave is that we now know [public transportation] is safe and people know how to behave.”On this episode of Comfort’s Corner, part of the Transit Unplugged podcast, Mohamed Mezghani, Elected Secretary General of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) joins Paul Comfort to discuss his current work and organization, as well as share some insights he has gained after 30+ years in the industry.Today, UITP has over 1,600 member companies in 99 countries and champions sustainable urban mobility by connecting public transport stakeholders and transport modes. Mohamed Mezghani’s expertise in urban mobility policies, trends and innovations in urban transport, and public transport stakeholder relationships, make him uniquely qualified for the job of Secretary General, and also an incredibly insightful guest!If you want to know more about UITP, check out their website.

“[As NATA members], I think we collectively felt a sense of duty to the communities we serve to create an organization that advocates for effective public transportation systems, plays a leading role in serving the needs of cities across North America, and maintains confidence in public transportation.”Tom Egan, Chief Executive Officer of MV Transportation is a dedicated leader to both his company and the industry.On this episode of Transit Unplugged, Tom virtually sat down with host and transit evangelist, Paul Comfort, to discuss the history of MV Transportation and his role as CEO since the founders, Alex and Feysan Lodde, transitioned to members of the board. As he explains it today “they help keep the spirit of the original principles that MV was founded on, alive,” with his job being to “set the company up for the next 45 years of success.”During their time together, Tom and Paul also dive into what it took for Tom and his leadership team to prepare strategies for COVID-19 before it was even officially declared a pandemic. Finally, the conversation concludes with Tom explaining his and MV Transportation’s role on the North American Transit Alliance (NATA). He says, “Even though we are competitors, [as members of NATA] have an obligation to further the industry, bring innovation, and I look at this as the start of that.”If you want to know more about MV Transportation, check out their website here.

“We are social creatures. We are going to go back to the offices. So, the next twelve months for me will be spent planning for that increase in patronage. [I will be looking for] ways to run the timetable better, provide a better customer experience, and ensure the public that our transit is safe to travel on.”On this episode of Transit Unplugged Magda Robertson, General Manager at Torrens Connect, joins Paul Comfort from Australia to discuss careers, goals, technology, and predictions for the post-COVID world. Plus, find out how transit agencies can adapt to changing ridership trends by appealing to a specific demographic – families!Kicking the discussion off, Magda explains how 9-11 served as her impetus to transition out of law enforcement and into public transit. Since that time, Magda has been a devoted leader in both the public and private sectors of public transportation, with her most recently overseeing the service delivery of tram and bus operations in Adelaide Metro’s dynamic operating environment. This experience informs the rest of the discussion which touches on the agency’s goals for the future, the role of technology in transit, and increasing ridership at this stage in the pandemic and moving forward.To learn more about the important work Torrens Connect is doing in Australia, check out their website.

“We are going to phase 13 routes in over many years, but once those are in place, we will serve a population of 487,000. That is a 169% increase. On the job side, right now our market share is about 137,500 jobs, and that will see a 127% increase to make it roughly 312,500 jobs. This is a revolutionary change in how we do business.”William Harrell, President and CEO at Hampton Roads Transit, joins Transit Unplugged to discuss what has been made possible for his community in Virginia as a result of $20 million in secured state funding.Historically Hampton Roads Transit operations were funded by four major sources: federal funding, state funding, the farebox, and member cities. This proved challenging for the agency and most importantly, its ridership, whose transit trips could take up to three hours compared to 20 minutes by car. Thanks to the hard work and dedication shown by William Harrell, his team at Hampton Roads Transit, and government officials, a strong regional backbone will be built for the Hampton Roads area, including 15-minute service during peak hours, electric buses, and light rail, all as a result of the funding.After 24 minutes, listeners should walk away with Hampton Roads Transit’s success story feeling inspired and encouraged to better serve their communities and elevate their riders’ experience.If you want to know more about Hampton Roads Transit, check out their website.

“I think it is incredibly important that staff at all levels get regular exposure to their [transit] system. Doing so, gives you a greater perspective and will help you be more effective in your job.”This week on Transit Unplugged, Paul Comfort hosts three of Mass Transit magazine’s 40 Under 40 honorees who have been recognized as outstanding young individuals actively making a difference in the public transit industry. Guests include Alice Grossman, an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); Jerome Horne, a Ridership Experience Specialist at IndyGo; and Tyler Means, the Manager of Solutions Engineering at TransLoc. Together with Paul Comfort, each guest shares their journey in the public transit industry thus far, projects they are working on or are most proud of, and their vision for the future.If you want to know more about the remaining 38 honorees on this year’s 40 Under 40 list, check out the Mass Transit website here.

“I think great data and analytics, joining up the various data pools in the organization, will challenge our thinking and will open up new opportunities we have not thought of and help our customers in ways we did not think we could.”Joining this episode of “Transit Unplugged” from Australia is Rodd Staples, Secretary of Transport for New South Wales. In this role, Rodd leads 25,000 employees and oversees an expansive public transport ecosystem that serves a state population of over 8 million people. This unique experience leads to an engaging discussion between Rodd Staples and host, Paul Comfort, during which they discuss careers, COVID-19 impacts, a new Australian TV show, and a vision for the future of public transportation that is data-driven.If you want to know more about Transport for New South Wales, check out their website.