Transit Unplugged Transit Unplugged Network

In a previous episode we talked about SEPTA's innovative SCOPE (Safety, Cleaning, Ownership, Partnership, and Engagement) program -- https://transitunplugged.com/transit-unplugged-podcast/how-septa-is-making-a-difference-in-the-lives-of-vulnerable-people/ -- and how it was helping the city's most vulnerable people. This week we get the big picture from the woman at the head of it all.
Emily Yates reports right to CEO Leslie Richards and leads a team that's willing to take a risk on something new and if it doesn't pan out, learn from it and move on. Her recent pilot on using AI-powered cameras to detect weapons didn't turn out like people expected. But, Emily and her team have distilled what they've learned and are looking at new ways to accomplish the same goal--keep weapons off the system.
Emily's approach to innovation is very human-focused. She thinks about things like; "How do we make transit more welcoming for women and moms? Is there more we can do help our drivers feel physically and emotionally safe? Are we doing the right things to make it easier to take transit instead of a private car?"
In the interview Emily talks about programs like:
Letting moms keep kids in strollers and not having to unpack shopping carts on busesSolar-powered, e-ink displays at stops to show route updates and next bus informationPrograms to help operator safety and mental healthSEPTA's transition to a zero-emission fleet
Plus how she navigates the process of getting buy in for these initiatives inside and outside the agency.
Coming up next week we're celebrating the release of Paul's newest book The New Future of Public Transportation with two of the contributors Dr. Karen Philbrick and Paige Malott. You can pick up a copy on Amazon https://a.co/d/dqp2red
If you have a question or comment, email us at info@transitunplugged.com.
Transit Unplugged is brought to you by Modaxo and these fine folks:
Paul Comfort, host and producerJulie Gates, executive producerTris Hussey, editor and writerTatyana Mechkarova, social media
Follow us on social media: LinkedIn - Twitter - Threads- Instagram - Facebook
Sign up for the Transit Unplugged Newsletter
00:00 Introduction to Emily Yates and SEPTA Innovations
00:22 Driving Innovation at SEPTA: A Deep Dive
05:19 Enhancing Rider Experience with Real-Time Data and Accessibility
10:35 Navigating the Approval Process for New Initiatives
13:21 Focusing on Operator Safety and Well-being
17:49 The Future of Transit: Zero Emission Buses and Workforce Development
24:10 Coming up next week on Transit Unplugged

Transit Unplugged, the world's leading podcast for transit professionals, is hosted and produced by Modaxo SVP and transit evangelist Paul Comfort. Each week, Paul sits down with public transit leaders from around the world to talk about their agencies, how they're facing current challenges, their thoughts on the future of public transit, plus insights into their careers and their approaches to leadership.
You'll learn exactly what it's like to lead a transit agency, big or small, urban or rural, from the people who are in the chairs doing the job. Tune in to hear these unfiltered, unscripted, and unplugged conversations with the people who are shaping public transit today and tomorrow. Find us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Welcome to episode 300 of Transit Unplugged! When Paul started the podcast in November 2017, I don't think anyone would have thought that seven seasons later we'd be at our 300th episode.
Paul started this podcast to shine a light on the impact of transit on society and give transit leaders a chance to talk about their agencies and their careers, unfiltered and unplugged. Throughout the pandemic Paul interviewed leaders about what it all meant to transit. How were agencies dealing with health restrictions. How agencies were keeping front line workers safe.
Since the pandemic, the issues have changed. Now it's getting enough drivers, changing ridership patterns, the bus manufacturing crisis, and the looming fiscal cliff.
Paul continues to meet these issues head on with frank discussion about how agencies are addressing the challenges and how it's shaping them as leaders.
We're celebrating this milestone with a CEO Roundtable with four leading transit CEOs talking about their agencies, what it's like to be a CEO, and the challenges they face today.
Recorded live on stage with Paul are:
Frank White, III (Kansas City Area Transportation Authority)Tiffani Scott (Paratransit, Inc.)David Scorey (Keolis North America)Jameson Auten (Lane Transit District)
Next week on the show, we have the Chief Innovation Officer from SEPTA (South East Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) Emily Yates talking about not just the innovations she's leading, but the entire process of innovating in public transit overall.
0:00 Transit Unplugged Episode 300!
00:05 Introduction by host and producer, Paul Comfort
01:35 Welcome to Transit Unplugged Live: CEO Roundtable
02:04 The State of Public Transit: Challenges and Changes
03:42 Innovative Solutions in Transit: Sacramento's Story
06:19 Addressing Transit's Relevance and Financial Sustainability
06:45 Operational Efficiency and Service Adaptation in Boston
09:47 Redefining Transit's Role in the Community
13:52 The CEO Experience: Leading in Transit
23:39 Lightning Round: Future Directions and Innovations
29:14 Coming up next week on Transit Unplugged

Justin Stuehrenberg GM of Madison Metro and his team used COVID as the impetus to finally put a long-planned system redesign into motion and completed it in June 2023. Since then they've seen a 15% increase in ridership. Justin and Paul talked about how his new network works, how geography figured into it, and the new bus rapid transit (BRT) lines coming soon that will use battery electric buses charged en route with overhead pantographs.
Also in this episode:
Being part of city government--the good and badWorking with multiple city councils for approvals and fundingJustin's path from designing airplane engines to transit engineering and planning.
Coming up next week...
It's episode 300! Yes, we're celebrating 300 episodes with the ThinkTransit CEO Roundtable, covering the most pressing issues in transit today with four of the industry’s most influential CEOs.
If you have a question or comment, email us at info@transitunplugged.com.
Transit Unplugged is brought to you by Modaxo and these fine folks:
Paul Comfort, host and producerJulie Gates, executive producerTris Hussey, editor and writerTatyana Mechkarova, social media
Follow us on social media: LinkedIn - Twitter - Threads- Instagram - Facebook
Sign up for the Transit Unplugged Newsletter
00:00 Welcome to Transit Unplugged
00:15 Introducing Justin Stuenberg and Madison Metro Transit
01:38 Madison's Unique Transit Challenges and Solutions
05:13 Funding and Operational Structure of Madison Metro
07:03 Revolutionizing Transit: Bus Network Redesign and BRT Implementation
18:15 Looking Ahead: Future Projects and Personal Insights
21:43 Coming up next week on Transit Unplugged

In this special episode we have guest host, and past guest, Dr. Kaan Yildizgoz hosting a live CEO roundtable from the Modaxo booth at the UITP MENA Transport Congress and Exhibition. Kaan is joined by:
Renée Amilcar: President of UITP & General Manager of OC Transpo, CanadaAbdulla Al Marzouqi: Director General – Integrated Transport Centre (ITC), Abu DhabiMohammed Obaid Al Mulla: Member of the Board of Directors of Roads and Transport Authority & Chair of UITP MENA Division, Dubai
Kaan and his guests talked about not only public transport in the Middle East post-COVID, but also the exciting future in what has been a very car-centric region. In previous episodes of Transit Unplugged from the Middle East, one of the most interesting things has been the interweaving of taxis into the larger public transport system. Now with autonomous taxis becoming a reality, even more exciting opportunities are happening in the region.
Now with metro systems being built across the region, as well as zero emissions fleets, the Middle East is showing its colors as one of the most innovative regions in the world.
If you have a question or comment, email us at info@transitunplugged.com.
Transit Unplugged is brought to you by Modaxo and these fine folks:
Dr. Kaan Yildizgoz, guest hostJulie Gates, executive producerTris Hussey, editor and writerTatyana Mechkarova, social media
Follow us on social media: LinkedIn - Twitter - Threads- Instagram - Facebook
Sign up for the Transit Unplugged Newsletter
00:00 Welcome to the Transit Unplugged CEO Live Roundtable
00:03 Introduction from Kaan Yildizgoz
00:51 Introducing the Panelists: Leaders of Global Mobility
02:32 Exploring Post-COVID Mobility Trends and Priorities
04:18 Focusing on the Middle East: Challenges and Innovations in Mobility
10:38 The Future of Mobility: Digitalization and Autonomous Taxis
19:10 Concluding Remarks and Future Aspirations in Mobility
23:42 Thank you for listening

Usually on Transit Unplugged we bring you the voices and stories of transit leaders from around the world, but this week we have something a little different. Join Paul as he sits down with Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt to talk about transit, politics, and changing how people view public transit in his city.
As David describes it, like many cities West of the Mississippi, Oklahoma City was planned, developed, and built for cars. Transit was seen as transportation of last resort. What this translated into was a sporadic and sparse transit system where people could wait a hour for the next bus after walking miles to get to a stop that's just a stick in the mud.
David and his predecessor thought it was time to change that and create a modern, robust transit system in Oklahoma's capital city. Now the city is building out its bus route network, putting in bus rapid transit (BRT), and looking at light rail to connect two key suburbs. David's plan hinges on doing big things in small steps over the course of a few years. Instead of proposing a massive light rail network, he's proposing this smaller, focused project to prove it out and build support for the project over the long-term.
We think you'll enjoy this refreshing discussion from a pro-transit politician who is building support regardless of your politics.
Coming up next week on the show we have Justin Stuehrenberg, General Manager of the Madison Metro Transit System talking about his big projects happening in his city.
If you have a question or comment, email us at info@transitunplugged.com.
Transit Unplugged is brought to you by Modaxo and these fine folks:
Paul Comfort, host and producerJulie Gates, executive producerTris Hussey, editor and writerTatyana Mechkarova, social media
Follow us on social media: LinkedIn - Twitter - Threads- Instagram - Facebook
Sign up for the Transit Unplugged Newsletter
00:00 Welcome to Transit Unplugged
00:05 Introducing Mayor David Holt and Oklahoma City's Transit Vision
02:04 The Geography and Demographics of Oklahoma City
05:33 Embark: Oklahoma City's Public Transit System
07:42 The Evolution of Public Transit in Oklahoma City
12:37 Funding Transit: The Role of MAPS Initiatives
16:32 The Future of Transit: Regional Transit Authority and Light Rail Plans
22:32 Political Perspectives on Transit and Closing Thoughts
27:24 Coming up next week on Transit Unplugged