In this episode of Transit Unplugged, Paul talks with Samuel Ribeiro, Managing Director of Tower Transit in the UK, part of global transport powerhouse Kelsian Group. With operations spanning Liverpool and the Channel Islands, Samuel shares how lessons from bus systems across four continents—from Australia to Singapore, Brazil to London—are helping Tower Transit improve public transport service in the UK. They dive into: The nuances of operating in franchised models like in the UK's London and J...
Jun 25, 2025•34 min•Season 8Ep. 34
What does it take to build a transit system that powers a city—and wins global recognition for livability? In this episode of Transit Unplugged , Ryan Daniel , CEO of St. Cloud Metro Bus, and Dave Kleis , Board Chair and former mayor of St. Cloud, Minnesota, share how their long-running partnership has driven bold innovation and national recognition. From launching a system-wide redesign to pioneering green hydrogen fuel , their work shows how public transit can be a catalyst for clean energy an...
Jun 18, 2025•27 min•Season 8Ep. 33
When most people think of Detroit, they think cars. But behind the Motor City moniker is a layered, multi-agency public transit system—and Robert Cramer is helping connect the dots. As Executive Director of Transit for the City of Detroit, Cramer leads both DDOT and Detroit Transportation Corporation, operator of the iconic elevated People Mover. In this episode, Paul Comfort joins Robert for a ride downtown and a deep dive into Detroit’s evolving mobility story. You'll hear how: The People Move...
Jun 11, 2025•24 min•Season 8Ep. 32
Markus Moore, Director of Transportation for the City of Annapolis, joins Paul Comfort from the rooftop of the Hillman Garage during Naval Academy Commissioning Week for a wide-ranging conversation about his remarkable journey through transit. From helping launch high-speed rail in North America as part of the Acela project at Amtrak, to managing local bus and on-demand service in Maryland’s historic capital city, Markus brings decades of cross-modal experience and leadership to the mic. This in...
Jun 04, 2025•22 min•Season 8Ep. 31
How does a career in law enforcement, animal services, and civic leadership prepare you to run a transit agency? In this week’s Transit Unplugged , host Paul Comfort sits down with Ozzy Gibson , Executive Director of Louisville’s Transit Authority of River City (TARC), for a candid and compelling conversation about public service, accountability, and what it takes to lead through uncertainty. Ozzy shares lessons from his time as a police officer, deputy mayor, and head of animal services—and how...
May 28, 2025•23 min•Season 8Ep. 30
What does it take to launch a $4.3 billion, multi-modal transit expansion? For Coree Cuff Lonergan, CEO of Broward County Transit, it takes vision, momentum—and a bit of patience. This week on Transit Unplugged, host Paul Comfort hops aboard with Coree for a rolling bus interview through Broward County, Florida. They talk big-picture leadership, boots-on-the-ground transit planning, and why Broward’s “PREMO” program is setting a new standard for regional mobility. From LEED Gold-Certified transi...
May 21, 2025•20 min•Season 8Ep. 29
Michele Stiehler knows paratransit inside and out. After 35 years at New Jersey Transit, she brought her deep operational experience to Boston’s MBTA, where she now oversees one of the largest and most complex paratransit systems in the country. In this episode, Paul Comfort talks with Michele about her leadership philosophy, the importance of frontline experience (hint: everyone on her team is expected to ride The RIDE), and how MBTA is investing in staff and technology to build a smarter, more...
May 14, 2025•27 min•Season 8Ep. 28
What happens when a millennial with a higher ed background takes the wheel of a legacy transit agency? You get 207 new bus stops, a real-time tracking app, and a fresh vision for Western Kentucky mobility. In this episode of Transit Unplugged Podcast, Paul Comfort talks with Jeremi Bumpus, Executive Director of Paducah Transit Authority, about leading change in a small but mighty system. Jeremi shares how he transitioned from higher education into transit, what it means for Paducah to move from ...
May 07, 2025•29 min•Season 8Ep. 27
In this episode of Transit Unplugged Podcast, Paul Comfort talks with Graeme Legh, the new CEO of Kelsian Group, one of the world’s leading transit and mobility operators. From ferries off the coast of Australia to motorcoach operations across the U.S., Graeme shares how Kelsian is tackling growth, innovation, and sustainability across three continents. They discuss: Lessons from leading major transit companies around the world How Kelsian balances local brands with global strategy Innovations l...
Apr 30, 2025•27 min•Season 8Ep. 26
From driving a bus in Dallas to leading one of the largest transit systems in the Midwest, Dwight Ferrell’s story is the blueprint for leadership rooted in experience. In this episode of Transit Unplugged , host Paul Comfort rides along with Dwight, General Manager of the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART), for a candid look at how he’s transforming transit across Southeast Michigan. With Modaxo Portfolio Leader Rod Jones on board, this episode covers: How Dwight’s c...
Apr 23, 2025•26 min•Season 8Ep. 25
This week on Transit Unplugged, Paul visits Las Vegas to talk with M.J. Maynard, CEO of the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC). From managing traffic for massive events like the Las Vegas Marathon and Formula 1, to running one of the busiest bus-only transit systems in the U.S., M.J. gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what makes RTC truly unique. Unlike most transit agencies, RTC operates as a centralized hub for mobility—housing the region’s public transit provider, t...
Apr 16, 2025•31 min•Season 8Ep. 24
In this episode of Transit Unplugged , Paul Comfort sits down with John Rossant , founder and CEO of CoMotion , to explore what’s next for cities, transit, and technology. From preparing for mega-events like the World Cup to pioneering hydrogen-powered aviation, John shares how CoMotion is helping shape the future of urban mobility—with a pasta recipe thrown in for good measure. They discuss: The evolving role of public-private partnerships in transit Why CoMotion Miami feels more like a tech su...
Apr 09, 2025•30 min•Season 8Ep. 23
Please subscribe to our newsletter ! This week on Transit Unplugged , Paul Comfort hosts a special episode recorded live at the 2025 Texas Transit Association Conference in McAllen, Texas. In this roundtable, Paul speaks with five accomplished Texas transit leaders about the realities of running transit systems across Texas—from expansive rural regions to fast-growing cities. They share how they’re serving students, seniors, tourists, and workers alike—while facing challenges like extreme heat, ...
Apr 02, 2025•37 min•Season 8Ep. 22
Join Paul Comfort on this episode of Transit Unplugged for an insightful conversation with Professor Niels van Oort, Associate Professor of Public Transport and Shared Mobility at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and co-director of the Smart Public Transport Lab. Paul and Niels explore critical considerations in transit planning, including the effectiveness of light rail versus bus rapid transit (BRT), integration with cycling and micro-mobility, and global best practices for cr...
Mar 26, 2025•39 min•Season 8Ep. 21
In this special episode of Transit Unplugged, Paul Comfort welcomes Dr. Kaan Yildizgöz, host of Mobility Redefined, the new sister podcast of Transit Unplugged. Dr. Yildizögz, a leading global expert in public transportation and former senior director at UITP, shares his personal journey into transportation, driven by childhood memories in his father's bus workshop, and his academic expertise in ride-hailing and mobility. Paul and Kaan dive into global mobility trends, exploring key issues such ...
Mar 19, 2025•36 min•Season 8Ep. 20
Take a behind-the-scenes look at Tucson, Arizona’s SunTran transit system with General Manager Mikel Oglesby. Host Paul Comfort and Mikel explore the city’s transit modes, budget, and future projects, including the innovative Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) plans. Discover Mikel's unique journey in public transit, from his childhood riding buses with his father to becoming a leader in the industry. The episode also features insightful discussions on alternative fuel technologies, fare-free systems, and ...
Mar 12, 2025•37 min•Season 8Ep. 19
In this episode of Transit Unplugged, host Paul Comfort interviews Stephen Gardner, CEO of Amtrak, at their Washington, DC headquarters. They discuss Amtrak's record ridership of 32.8 million passengers in the past year, recent capital investments totaling $4.5 billion, and the introduction of new Acela trains. Gardner shares insights into Amtrak's strategy to double ridership by 2040, high-speed rail initiatives, and the unique structure of Amtrak as a federally-owned yet commercially-operated ...
Mar 05, 2025•35 min•Season 8Ep. 18
After decades at transit agencies across the U.S., Tom Drozt decided at 56 to retire, spend time with his family, work on his yard, and find some new passions to put his energy into. Turns out transit is his passion, so before long he was out of retirement and at MARTA in Atlanta running bus operations. Now the CEO of Ben Franklin Transit in Southern Washington State, Tom is leading the agency with his people-first leadership style and helping people choose transit over cars. Coming up next week...
Feb 26, 2025•26 min•Season 8Ep. 17
In this episode of Transit Unplugged, Paul Comfort interviews Ryan Murphy, the Chair of the City Council's Transportation Committee in Brisbane, while riding one of Brisbane’s famous CityCat ferries to talk about the vibrant and evolving transit system in this river city. Episode Highlights: CityCat Ferries: Discover the unique CityCat ferry service that operates along the Brisbane River, connecting 22 stations and carrying about 5 million passengers annually. Ryan shares how this service has be...
Feb 19, 2025•19 min•Season 8Ep. 16
This is a special episode of Transit Unplugged from our sister podcast, Mobility Redefined. Learn more about this great new show on their website: https://mobilityredefined.com/ . Below are the original show notes for the episode: In this episode of Mobility Redefined, host Dr. Kaan Yildizgoz speaks with Juan Carlos Muñoz, Chile’s Minister of Transport and Telecommunications, about the nation’s journey to sustainable mobility. They discuss Chile’s ambitious 2050 carbon neutrality goal, the elect...
Feb 14, 2025•39 min
In this special episode of Transit Unplugged, Paul Comfort and co-host Kelly Chapman highlight the inspiring stories of four remarkable women leaders in Australian public transport. This is the third of five episodes coming from Paul’s recent 10-day tour of Australia. Don’t forget to also check out Transit Unplugged TV on YouTube for the TV episodes as well. First, we hear from Lauren Streifer, Executive Director of the Public Transport Association of Australia and New Zealand (PTAANZ). Lauren's...
Feb 12, 2025•40 min•Season 8Ep. 15
In 2016, Brad Miller, CEO of the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), had an idea. What if subsidized rides with Transportation Networking Companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft could help people in his community get where they needed to go. What if you could get a subsidized Uber ride at the end of your overnight shift when regular transit isn’t running and be able to get home safely? This revolution in public transit and was seen as a model for transit innovation and quickly spread across ...
Feb 05, 2025•33 min•Season 8Ep. 14
In this week’s episode, host Paul Comfort sits down with Steve Butcher, Executive General Manager of Rail and Transport for John Holland. Paul and Steve caught up at the AusRail conference in Brisbane while Paul was on his 10-day tour of Australia. Steve shares his extensive career journey, starting at British Rail at age 16 all the way up to his current job at John Holland and dives into managing Yarra Trams, the Gold Coast Railway, and the Sydney Metro. "Transforming lives through railways is ...
Jan 29, 2025•21 min•Season 8Ep. 13
Ned Freeman joins host Paul Comfort to talk about UZURV and how it's changing how paratransit is delivered in the U.S. UZURV is an adaptive Transportation Network Company (TNC) that gives transit agencies more options for delivering paratransit in their communities. Ned and Paul talk about how UZURV uses its technology to offer on-demand, ADA compliant, and cost-effective paratransit solutions. UZURV’s model combines the flexibility of solutions like Uber, with all the regulatory rigor of an int...
Jan 22, 2025•29 min•Season 8Ep. 12
In a Transit Unplugged exclusive, Paul talks with Veronica Vanterpool, Acting Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) about the inner workings of the FTA, how the Regional Administrators help set priorities and connect agencies with funding, the transformative developments in public transportation over the past four years, and Veronica’s vision for transit in 2025. In the U.S., the FTA is responsible for large-scale oversight, rule-making, and, most importantly, funding for tra...
Jan 15, 2025•33 min•Season 8Ep. 11
This week we are proud and excited to share an interview with a true public transit legend: Howard Collins, OBE. Howard's remarkable 47 year career has taken him from London's Tube and Sydney's trains to leading transit for the state of New South Wales in Australia. Howard sat down with Paul to talk and reflect on not just where transit has been, but where it's going with workforce development, funding, and making transit just better for everyone. This is a don't-miss interview you can draw insi...
Jan 08, 2025•23 min•Season 8Ep. 10
In this special New Year's Eve episode of Transit Unplugged, Paul is joined by transportation expert and futurist Rudy Salo to discuss what's going to shape the entire transportation sector in 2025. From robotaxis and EVs to autonomous vehicles, Rudy shares his thoughts on transportation in Los Angeles even before the Olympics start. Rudy also explains how a little-known facet of municipal bonds could threaten transit projects across the U.S. We kick off 2025 with the second of Paul's episodes f...
Dec 31, 2024•38 min•Season 8Ep. 9
We're turning the tables on host Paul Comfort this week with guest host and Transit Unplugged Executive Producer Julie Gates interviewing Paul on the best of 2024 from Transit Unplugged, what to watch for in 2025, and what they are thankful for. This is also our first video podcast on the podcast! You can watch the video version on YouTube and Spotify, and listen to the audio version everywhere else (the audio-only version will also be on YouTube). Let us know what you think of this new format i...
Dec 24, 2024•19 min•Season 8Ep. 8
We're kicking off the first of five podcast episodes from Paul's 10-day trip to Australia. First up, we have John Storms of Transit Systems Victoria and Mark Peters of Transit Systems Australia giving us an overview of transit in Australia and their plans for the future. Much like North America, Australia has cities surrounded by sprawling, low-density suburbs that are challenging for any public transit system to serve. In their separate interviews with Paul, John and Mark talk frankly about the...
Dec 18, 2024•22 min•Season 8Ep. 7
Sometimes the difference between winning and losing is your bench. The people you can call on to step up and win the game, finish the project, or get it done when your usual players can't. That's a strong bench. People you know who can step into the shoes of current leaders and be the next ones. By 2030 all baby boomers will be 65 or older and preparing to retire. So who is going to replace them? According to this week's guest, Matt Booterbaugh, CEO of RATP Dev USA, we don't have a strong bench ...
Dec 11, 2024•19 min•Season 8Ep. 6
