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PODCAST

Transit Unplugged

Paul Comfort, SVP Modaxo

We share the stories, challenges, and successes of the top transit professionals from around the world. Learn how top transit leaders got to where they are with stories and insights from their careers. Get the inside story about public transit and transit trends from the people who run it. Transit Unplugged is hosted and produced by Paul Comfort and brought to you by Modaxo Learn more at https://transitunplugged.com/

business careers

All Episodes

19:18

Placemaking in Tulsa: Secret Tunnels, Art Deco...

Transit Unplugged ·

2024/03/06

In part two of our series featuring Tulsa, OK, host Paul Comfort gets a special tour of Downtown Tulsa with Chase Phillips, the Director of Planning for MetroLink Tulsa. Chase talks about the city's rich history, architectural wonders, and the role of transit in its development. Chase sheds light on Tulsa's transformation from a 1920s hub of oil wealth, with the largest airport in the world at the time, to a vibrant city maintaining its historic charm with a modern makeover. They tour the city,

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20:52

Scott Marr and MetroLink Tulsa get their kicks on...

Transit Unplugged ·

2024/02/28

In the first of two podcast episodes--and an upcoming Transit Unplugged TV episode--from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Paul chats with MetroLink Tulsa (https://www.tulsatransit.org/) CEO Scott Marr about:His cityHis career in transitThe overwhelming success of microtransit and merging it with paratransit operationsHis plans for expanding Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) to Route 66 for the 100th anniversaryAnd the path to lower emissions with CNG and battery-electric busesAfter a long career as a transit fixer across the

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41:16

Special Episode: Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardener with Art...

Transit Unplugged ·

2024/02/21

This is a special episode of Transit Unplugged shared with us from our friends at the Transit Authority by APTA. Recorded live at APTA EXPO 2023 in Orlando, Florida, Art Guzzetti, VP of Policy and Mobility at APTA, interviews Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardener.Make sure you follow the Transit Authority wherever you listen to podcasts. Here are the show notes for this episode originally released October, 12, 2023."Recorded on the trade show floor at APTA’s EXPO 2023 in Orlando, Florida, our special guest

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25:16

Holly Arnold her path to the top job and managing the...

Transit Unplugged ·

2024/02/14

Holly Arnold has spent her entire career at the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA). Starting as a contractor in grants administration then leading capital planning and then Deputy Administrator responsible for engineering before she became Administrator and CEO two years ago. The head of the MTA is a massive job. Not only is she responsible for massive capital projects--like the largest public-private partnership (P3) in the U.S., the Purple Line--she is responsible for transit in the City of

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26:21

What’s the secret sauce to increasing ridership 27%...

Transit Unplugged ·

2024/02/07

When you think of big city transit agencies you think about Boston, New York, Toronto, LA, San Francisco...maybe not Mississauga, Ontario. It might surprise you that this city of one million people supports a transit system with over 500 buses and serves as the essential connector between cities East, West, and North (South is Lake Ontario). Mississauga Transit (or MiWay) helps people in Brampton, Oakville, and Toronto get to jobs and school.But they seem to be doing something right because they've

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24:15

Hidden Transit Heroes Revealed: How Rural Transit...

Transit Unplugged ·

2024/01/31

When we think about public transit we often think about subways or buses travelling through bustling cities, we don't often think of small towns in the midst of woods and fields. But the reality is there are thousands of rural transit agencies in North America serving people and places miles and miles away from each other. In this episode, host Paul Comfort talks with with Wendy Weedon, Deputy CEO of the Brazos Transit District in Texas, and Eddie VanStein, the Steuben County Mobility Manager in

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31:42

If we can’t get new buses, how can we move more people?

Transit Unplugged ·

2024/01/24

There is more than a little bit of irony that when we have unprecedented levels of funding to buy and replace buses, there is a manufacturing crunch so there are few buses to be had--and with longer delivery times. From manufacturing delays and fewer manufacturers to massive price increases, agencies are pushing buses well beyond their useful life. How can we solve this crisis to not only meet the needs of today's riders, but make the transition to zero emissions? To talk about the topic, this

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27:40

Just Don’t Make Expensive Mistakes and Other Lessons...

Transit Unplugged ·

2024/01/17

Sometimes we're so afraid of making mistakes, that we don't push ourselves to take a chance on a new innovative idea. We've all been there, but in this conversation Adam Barth, CEO of the Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority--https://stanrta.org/--, reveals advice he got from a mentor at a critical time in his career.Paul Comfort sat down with Adam Barth, CEO of Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority to talk about his career journey from starting our as a tour bus driver in Fairbanks, Alaska, to

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22:11

How SEPTA is Making a Difference in the Lives of...

Transit Unplugged ·

2024/01/10

Host Paul Comfort interviews Ken Divers, Director of Outreach Programs at the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), and Flora Castillo, President of Pivot Strategies and former APTA chair, about SEPTA's innovative SCOPE (Safety, Cleaning, Ownership, Partnership, and Engagement) program. Ken and Flora talk with Paul about how they created the program over a weekend and its goals for helping vulnerable people.One of the main goals is connecting people with resources to help them

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27:41

Creating the first modern streetcar network and the...

Transit Unplugged ·

2024/01/03

Over his five-decade long career in politics Congressman Earl Blumenauer has been a staunch support of transit and livable cities. Paul sat down with Rep. Blumenauer after a chance meeting at the Impact Conference in Phoenix last fall to talk about his life, career, passions, and what's next after he leaves Congress at the end of his term.In their wide-ranging discussion, Paul and Rep. Blumenauer talk about what got him into politics, and more importantly, his lifelong passion for streetcars,

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57:41

Special Episode: Jeff Wood and Dr. Karel Martens on...

Transit Unplugged ·

2023/12/29

We have a special holiday gift for you with a special bonus episode to close out the year. We worked with Jeff Wood from Talking Headways and The Overhead Wire -- https://theoverheadwire.com/ -- to trade episodes with each other. Jeff will be playing our interview with Randy Clarke that kicked off Season 7 and we have his interview with Dr. Karel Martens from March 2021 talking about the philosophy behind city planning.This is something very different from our usual topics, and we hope you enjoy

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29:27

Taylor Swift and the rebirth of transit in 2023

Transit Unplugged ·

2023/12/27

In our final regular episode of Transit Unplugged for 2023 we have Paul Skoutelas, President & CEO of APTA, and Petra Mollet, VP of Strategic International Programs at APTA talking with Paul about the year that was in 2023 and what we should be looking forward to in 2024.The boost in infrastructure funding was, of course, the big news of the year, but it's somewhat overshadowed by ongoing funding issues at many agencies across North America.But it's not all bad, because Taylor Swift's Eras Tour

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27:31

Can Public-Private Partnerships Complete Transit...

Transit Unplugged ·

2023/12/20

Welcome to the penultimate episode of Transit Unplugged for 2023! This week we wrap our series recorded at the CUTA conference in Edmonton with an interview with Arthur Nicolet, CEO of Transdev Canada (https://www.transdev.ca/en/).Paul and Arthur not only talk about contracting in Canada, but pairing with the episode featuring Transdev US CEO Laura Hendricks, talk about the role of contracting around the world. Contracting seems to naturally pair with public-private partnerships (P3s) and Arthur

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28:28

Is the great hydrogen pivot coming to transit in 2024?

Transit Unplugged ·

2023/12/13

Will battery electric buses work in the northern-most large city in North America? This week on Transit Unplugged, we continue our series from the CUTA conference in Edmonton, AB. Edmonton has been leading the way in transit for 20 years. The first city in Canada to have LRT and now the first city to have a hydrogen fuel cell bus in active service. So what's next?Deputy City Manager--and former head of the Edmonton Transit System--Eddie Robar talks about plans to make oil-rich Alberta the hydrogen

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22:39

What if public transit agencies drove housing policy?

Transit Unplugged ·

2023/12/06

This week we have the first of three episodes recorded during the CUTA (Canadian Urban Transit Association) Annual Fall Conference. In this first episode, Paul first sits down with the President and CEO of CUTA, Marco D’Angelo talking about housing policy, and later with regular contributor Mike Bismeyer, talking about how Mike started his life-long kindness advocacy.Paul and Marco talk about CUTA’s recent report on the housing affordability crisis in Canada

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23:58

Meeting The Transit Needs and Keeping Cool in...

Transit Unplugged ·

2023/11/29

This week we’re staying in Phoenix and picking up where we left off last week. Paul talks with current Valley Metro (https://www.valleymetro.org/) CEO Jessica Mefford-Miller about the light rail expansion, but more than that, Jessica talks about how Valley Metro keeps its cool in the scorching summer heat.You would not believe the amount of air conditioning needed for each light rail train. Small hint, it’s more than a house or two.While riding the LRT and streetcars Paul and Jessica talk about how

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32:09

That Time When Defeating a Ballot Measure Was Good...

Transit Unplugged ·

2023/11/22

Usually when people vote on ballot measures about transit, the transit agency and supporters want the measure to pass.Not in Phoenix in 2019.That ballot measure would have literally derailed bringing light rail--any rail--to Phoenix forever. Then Valley Metro CEO Scott Smith rallied support throughout Maricopa County and discovered there was overwhelming support for transit and light rail. So much support that the ballot measure was defeated by a landslide.But we start this episode with a somber

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29:25

Will Low Emission Zones Discourage Driving in the UK...

Transit Unplugged ·

2023/11/15

In this episode of Transit Unplugged, host Paul Comfort interviews Adam Hill, Editor in Chief of ITS International Magazine. They discuss the challenges and prospects of high-speed rail in England and the US, including the various political and logistical issues. Adam explains London's new Ultra Low Emission Zone, designed to encourage public transit use and discusses the struggles with its introduction. They explore how public transit can be made popular, touching on how to capture public interest

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31:54

Why would a transit CEO pick up 500 tons of trash as...

Transit Unplugged ·

2023/11/08

This week, we give you Part 2 of our special CEO roundtable recorded live at APTA TRANSform Conference and EXPO. The conversation picks up with host and producer Paul Comfort asking the panel what are the big projects they have going on. From Dave Dech's trash clearing to Coree Cuff Lonergan's just culture, each CEO highlights an essential aspect of public transit today.The discussion continues with each CEO talking about the biggest trends facing the industry, including payments, apps,

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33:37

Randy Clarke Has Boosted WMATA, But a Budget Crisis...

Transit Unplugged ·

2023/11/01

Welcome to our 6th anniversary and the start of season 7 of Transit Unplugged. Host Paul Comfort has a special opening reflecting on the past 270+ episodes so far and what lies ahead down the road. In our interview this week, we have Randy Clarke, GM and CEO of WMATA (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority) https://www.wmata.com/, chatting with Paul from his new LEED Platinum office building.In his first year as CEO, Randy has:fixed safety issues with his trainsimproved frequencyincreased

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