The Transit Authority: Recent Episodes
American Public Transportation Association
This podcast highlights the people, organizations, and ideas that are transforming public transportation.
Joshua Schank provides case studies on effectuating change and about his new book "New Tricks for Old Bureaucracies: Improving Policy Outcomes in the Public Sector.”
Through bold leadership, regional collaboration, and a relentless commitment to continuous improvement, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) has rebuilt public trust, modernized, and redefined what excellence in public transportation looks like. Metro General Manager / CEO Randy Clarke will describe the accomplishments and innovations that resulted in peer recognition as an Outstanding Transit Agency.
Accessible mobility for all is a core value of APTA and its members. This episode is a celebration of accessible mobility and a commemoration of the 35th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, signed into law July 26, 1995. Guests Ron Brooks, author of “All Aboard: Conducting Accessible Community Involvement for Public Transit" and Anna Zivarts, author of “When Driving is not an Option: Steering Away from Car Dependency" bring insight to the history of transportation for persons with disabilities pre-ADA and share opportunities for transit agencies to bolster accessibility today and into the future.
In honor of National Apprenticeship Day, APTA is spotlighting the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Elevators & Escalators Apprenticeship Program at New York City Transit (NYCT). With a dedicated team of 400 employees maintaining over 600 pieces of equipment, MTA’s program is an outstanding example of how to grow and sustain a skilled workforce.
This episode of The Transit Authority podcast to features:
- Assistant Chief,Damion Thomas, who began his career as an elevator and escalator apprentice and shares his journey;
- Supervisor (Lisette), maintainer (Robert), and an apprentice (Singh) to share their career journey ;
- Chief, Stephen Carson, who outlines the steps to launch an apprenticeship program, which include:
- Conducting a needs assessment to identify the skills your organization requires.
- Building relationships with local and state government officials to align with labor laws and codes.
- Embedding mentorship into the program by pairing apprentices with maintainers, supervisors, and other seasoned professionals.
APTA is celebrating National Internship Awareness Month by featuring HNTB’s successful program. If you are ready to learn more about a strategic approach to organically recruit the next generation of talent, while engaging your staff in fulfilling work, tune into this episode of APTA’s official podcast, The Transit Authority!
HNTB interns are assigned to real projects with tasks to develop their technical skills, while expanding their industry knowledge and growing their professional network. The projects provide interns with the experience they need to get hired. Taking this approach has allowed HNTB to grow the program to include 569 interns to work, learn, and grow at the firm. Dive into the framework of innovative solutions and best practices with Yvonne Lopez-Diaz, Amanda Bergmann, Lauren Le Pere, Steve Flormann, and former intern Giovanna Angiolini who is now an HNTB newly hired employee. The team shares from each of their perspectives to tap us into the secrets of a best-in-class internship program
If you have a workforce success story to share, email our team at Workforce@apta.com today!
In this episode of APTA’s National Mentoring Month podcast series, we are featuring four CEOs who will tap you into the business case for mentoring. This episode of The Transit Authority shares why CEOs invest in mentorship as an effective strategy to build a culture of organizational excellence and develop employees. To learn more about mentorship programs and determine if this is a smart investment for your organization, tune in to hear from:
- India L. Birdsong Terry, General Manager & CEO, Greater Cleveland RTA
- Laura Hendricks, CEO, Transdev USA
- Theo Richards, CEO, Capital Area Transit System (CATS)
- Kristin Warsinski, CEO, Riverside Transit Agency
During National Mentoring Month we are sharing more about how mentors encourage mentees to develop leadership competencies and build upon their current strengths to flourish in their career and in life.
APTA’s Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) provides public transportation professionals with the skills, knowledge, and networks needed for advancement. Tune into this episode to hear the stories of mentorship as a proven benefit for ELP mentees and mentors.
APTA’s National Mentoring Month podcast series features leaders, mentors, and mentees across the nation and in Canada. This episode’s podcast guests all agree that mentors help to open doors and assist mentees in navigating the changing expectations and skills required to succeed in the industry. Organizations can retain staff by investing in workforce programs like mentoring. If your organization is ready to launch a program, Latinos In Transit (LIT) has a guide available for you to take the first steps (Mentor Program Guide), the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) has a proven model you can follow, and APTA provides the path for the next generation of leaders to gain access to national mentors in the Emerging Leaders Program (ELP). Part I of this podcast series has information that can help your organization tap into a mentoring as a workforce strategy.
In providing multimodal services throughout America's most dense state, New Jersey Transit has made it a mission to address vital economic, social, and environmental goals through the public transportation it operates. In this episode of APTA's THE TRANSIT AUTHORITY podcast, NJT CEO Kevin Corbett offers insight into evolving travel patterns, the large and nationally significant capital program NJT is implementing, providing mobility for the 2026 World Cup finals, and keeping a large transit system resilient in an era of extreme weather.
Join our guests to Learn about workforce funding opportunities. Experts from the U.S. Department of Transportation share how to obtain funding for workforce initiatives.
Speakers:
- Mark Patterson, Associate Administrator for Research, Data, and Innovation, Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation
- John Bodnar, Director, Office of Transit Programs, Federal Transit Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation
- Paige Shevlin, Strategic Advisor for Infrastructure Workforce Development, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation
This podcast explores the transformative influence of women in executive leadership. Hear about the multifaceted ways in which female leaders are shaping the landscape of transit and fostering positive change within their organizations and communities.
Host:
- Dawn Distler, Chief Executive Officer, METRO Regional Transit Authority
Guests:
- Nadine Lee, President & CEO, Dallas Area Rapid Transit
- Erin Rogers, CEO and General Manager, Omnitrans
- MJ Maynard, Vice Chair, APTA Board of Directors; and Chief Executive Officer, RTC Southern Nevada
- Charlotte Shaw, Executive Director/CEO, Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (MAX)
APTA interviews Christof Spieler on his book “Trains / Buses / People: An Opinionated Atlas of US and Canadian Transit – Second Edition.” The discussion goes into depth on the attributes of good public transportation, taking a close look at systems across North America. Factors such as frequency, reliability, access, and legibility are considered, identifying ways transit service is doing well, along with ways it sometimes comes up short.
The Transit Authority is proud to present part-two of series with tools to help you retain and engage staff.
In this episode you’ll hear from Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority General Manager and CEO, India Birdsong-Terry and her team about their peer-to-peer mentoring program. Tune in to learn more about how their team partners with ATU to build and manage the program.
Part II – Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA)
NOTE: Listen to Part I with Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA).
The Transit Authority is proud to present a 2-part series with tools to help you retain and engage staff.
You’ll hear from Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority COO, Derik Calhoun and Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority General Manager and CEO, India Birdsong-Terry. Tune in to learn more about how their team’s partner with ATU to build and manage successful mentoring programs.
Part I – Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)
NOTE: Listen to Part II with Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA).
APTA's Transit Authority is proud to present a special 2023 year-end podcast with host Paul Comfort and our friends at Transit Unplugged, with guests Paul P. Skoutelas, President & CEO of APTA, and Petra Mollet, VP of Strategic International Programs. The lively conversation focused on the year that was 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 introduced a whole new audience to transit this year. In city after city, the Eras Tour triggered massive transit use to get to the concerts.
Heading into 2024, everyone is optimistic that we’re finally shaking off the focus on ridership numbers and moving towards what is the service we’re offering, and are we serving everyone we should.
The Vancouver, Canada region stands out as a model for transit supportive land use, transit ridership per-capita, and in its exemplary commitment to sustainability practices. TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn outlines the ways public transportation is the backbone of mobility in the Vancouver region, and how transit has a central role in fulfilling broader region goals and priorities.
Recorded on the trade show floor at APTA’s EXPO 2023 in Orlando, Florida, our special guest Stephen Gardener, CEO of Amtrak, discusses a wide range of topics including Amtrak’s role in linking cities, regions and rural America, how intercity passenger rail travel options can be made more attractive, recent and upcoming Amtrak system improvements, career advice for students, and more.
Have you struggled with how to build community at the same time you are planning, designing, building a project? Understanding of the role and import of transportation in peoples’ lives has evolved, and transportation professionals need a new frame and methodology to help them successfully meet and balance multiple vague and conflicting goals. Transportation projects we plan and deliver must be informed by the needs of the people and communities they are intended to serve. This edition of The Transit Authority will feature a conversation with Lynn Peterson, author of the new book Roadways for People: Rethinking Transportation Planning and Engineering. Lynn will describe how the well-being of communities and the people who live there is dependent of the planning, community involvement, and goal-setting that goes into the front end of transportation projects. Lynn is currently serving as President of Oregon Metro Council.
In this episode, we discuss shifting trends in mobility and how a transit organization can and must adjust to serve the public with guest Rolando Cruz, Chief Transportation Officer at Culver CityBus in California.
This podcast highlights Sound Transit’s approach to diversity, equity and inclusion and anti-racism. Hear from Sound Transit CEO, Peter Rogoff and their Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Jonté Robinson.
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we sat down with Alva Carrasco, President of Latinos in Transit and Cindy Chavez, Board Member at Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) to discuss their pathways to leadership, how to foster inclusion and equity, and advancing Latinos in the public transit industry, and a whole lot more.
As we celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month, we sat down with Dawn Distler, Chief Executive Officer at METRO RTA in Akron, Ohio, to discuss equity, inclusion, and diversity in the public transit industry.
As part of APTA's ongoing celebration of Women History Month, we sat down with India Birdsong, the General Manager and CEO of the Greater Cleveland RTA, to discuss her leadership journey and leading in a time of crisis.
In this episode of The Transit Authority, APTA’s official podcast, we talk Positive Train Control (PTC) and the past, present, and future of commuter rail with Stephanie Wiggins, Chief Executive Officer of Metrolink in California.
From autonomous buses to fleet electrification to new incremental technological changes -- what will the bus of the future look and operate like? Our latest episode of APTA’s official podcast, The Transit Authority, explores this topic with MJ Maynard, Chief Executive Officer of the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada.
How safe is it to ride transit amid the coronavirus pandemic? Our latest episode of APTA’s official podcast, The Transit Authority, explores this topic with guests Sam Schwartz and Daniel Schack, authors of the recently published report Public Transit and COVID-19 Pandemic: Global Research and Best Practices, which examined global data and research to determine whether there is a correlation between riding transit and the transmission of COVID-19.
Listen to the latest episode of The Transit Authority, APTA’s official podcast, with our guest Tim Chan, Group Manager -- Station Area Planning at the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, who discusses initiatives and strategies to address homelessness in public transit, with special focus on COVID-19 and its impact on the issue.
Listen to the latest episode of The Transit Authority, APTA's official podcast. In this episode, we we explore the changes in political organizing and power in the environmental justice movement and how these changes impact the future of public transportation with guest Dr. Michael Mendez, assistant professor of Environmental Planning and Policy at the University of California, Irvine, and author of Climate Change from the Streets: How Conflict and Collaboration Strengthen the Environmental Justice Movement.
Listen to the latest episode of The Transit Authority, APTA’s official podcast. In this episode, Christian Kent, principal of Christian T. Kent, Transit Management Consulting, LLC and chair of APTA's Access Committee discusses the impact of COVID-19 on paratransit service and also shares his views on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on the 30th anniversary of this landmark legislation.
In this episode, Randy Clarke, President & CEO of Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority in Austin, Texas, discusses how his agency is coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. Clarke also shares information on Project Connect, a bold transit plan for Austin that will be put before voters in November.
Listen to the latest episode of The Transit Authority, APTA’s official podcast. In this episode, Doug Kelsey, General Manager of TriMet in Portland, Oregon, shares his agency’s pragmatic and pioneering approaches to dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. Kelsey also shares his views on how public transit may look post-COVID.
This episode features APTA Chair Nuria I. Fernandez, general manager and CEO, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority in San Jose, CA. She speaks with APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas. Fernandez talks about what her system is doing now during the COVID-19 outbreak and what public transit systems will need to do to ensure the safety and security of riders when full operations resume. She also discusses the Mobility Recovery and Restoration Task Force that she initiated.