Welcome back to METROspectives. Today, Scott Bogren, Executive Director for the CommunityTransportation Association of America (CTAA), joins METRO’s Executive EditorAlex Roman.

Topics include:

• What issues CTAA members are currently facing,including procurement and vehicle availability.
• New (and old) mobility approaches to betterserve communities.
• The ongoing funding issues for smaller transitagencies even after the IIJA infusion.
• Workforce challenges, the fare-freeconversation, marketing, and more.

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⏱ Timestamps ⏱

00:00 Intro
00:35 Podcasts and the Pandemic

2:05 Who the CTAA Represents and How it Helps Membership

3:10 Unique Challenges Facing CTAA Members

4:15 What It’s Like to be at CTAA for 35 Years

5:50 Procurement and Supply Chain Issues

7:52 Running a Lean Operation

9:20 New Mobility Models vs What Small and Rurals HaveAlways Done

11:50 Post-COVID Ridership

13:30 Do Smaller Agencies Have the Capacity to EmbraceTechnology?

14:38 The Fare-Free Conversation

16:30 Funding Approaches for Smaller Transit Agencies

18:13 The Changing Community Dynamic and Ballot Measures

20:40 IIJA as a Positive Step

21:48 Future Proofing Public Transit

24:20 Addressing the Workforce Shortage/Insuring Operator Safety