Transit Labs CEO Dag Gogue on Embracing Data, Analytics and Performance

Dag Gogue and Farhan Daredia of Transit Labs join the CT Podcast to talk big data, analytics and the most recent edition of DigitalCT magazine — which included 25 pages of data infographics. According to Gogue, community and public transit need to embrace data's positive influence on measuring outcomes, understanding trends and improving efficiency. "Data is a tool that can help make transit's case here in Washington, or at state legislatures," he notes, during the discussion.

Listen Here: 25:17

Transit and the 2014 Elections with CFTE's Ashley Robbins

Ashley Robbins of the Center for Transportation Excellence joins Scott to break down how transit fared in the 2014 elections. We cover the the big wins and disappointments and analyze the key takeaways leading into 2015 and 2016.

Listen Here (17:01)

Jarrett Walker, public transit author, blogger and consultant

Jarrett Walker -- transit author, blogger and consultant -- becomes the first recurring guest on the CTPodcast. Walker discusses the changing nature of the work trip in public transit, particularly as it relates to service design, noting: "the way you plan for transit to work is the way you plan for everyday trips... work trips should not be an isolated service." Key topics covered in this discussion include high-frequency service, low-income workers and common-sense system design and redesign.

Listen Here (21:03)

Pat Branson, Mayor, Kodiak, Alaska

Mayor Pat Branson of Kodiak, Alaska joins the CTPodcast to discuss transit in Kodiak — the nation's second largest island — as well as across Alaska. From the community-based operation in Kodiak to ferry connections on Alaska's Marine Highway (a 13-hour one-way trip to Homer, Alaska), to the use of planes, snowmobiles, trains and more across the last frontier, Branson knows the difference between rural and remote. "Transit is a vital piece of our economic engine," says Branson.

Listen Here (23:34)

Small Urban Transit Legends Les White and Hugh Mose

Les White and Hugh Mose both recently retired from transit management after lengthy stints at Santa Cruz (Calif.) Metro and Centre Area Transportation Authority (State College, Pa.), respectively. Prior to that, the list of small cities in which they led transit agencies covers Kalamazoo, Mich., Vancouver, Wash., Fort Wayne, Ind., Iowa City, Iowa, Fresno, Calif., and Olympia, Wash. Here, Les and Hugh talk about what they learned along the way, and how each system and community was unique. They highlight what real transit leadership looks like, how things have changed and why they loved leading small city transit operations.

Listen Here: 32:34

Janae Futrell, Atlanta Regional Commission Senior Principal Planner

Atlanta Regional Commission Senior Principal Planner Janae Futrell joins the CTPodcast to discuss the agency's growing role in shaping the transportation future of the 10-county Atlanta region through innovative mobility management practices. Building from TCRP's influential Standardizing Data for Mobility Management report, Futrell discusses how the ARC has built upon such concepts as trip discover, trip transaction and even trip triaging. The goal of the ARC's work is route optimization that uses all modes — including volunteers and taxi-style operations.

Listen Here: (18:36)

HIPAA, Privacy and Community and Public Transportation

Here, CTAA's Sheryl Gross-Glaser, director of the Partnership for Mobility Management, discusses the implications of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other privacy laws for various types of community and public transit agencies. We reference a recently-released TCRP Legal Research Digest on the topic, and cover additional information on HIPAA in plain English. Gross-Glaser, a lawyer, urges systems to think globally about privacy as well as the reasonable standards and training that all systems should consider.

Listen Here: 19:20

Nathan Shimanek, Driver, CyRide, Ames, Iowa

Nathan Shimanek not only won the 2014 Rookie Driver of the Year at the National Community Transportation Roadeo, he also won the highly competitive body-on-chassis vehicle division. It was truly a remarkable accomplishment for the 15-year driver, who acknowledges he didn't practice any of the obstacles prior to last month's competition. In this edition of the CT Podcast, Shimanek talks about the work of a CyRide driver everyday in Ames, and offers advice to future Roadeo drivers.

Listen here (13:59)

Clark Harder, Director of the Michigan Public Transit Association

The Michigan Public Transit Association's Clark Harder discusses key transit issues for MPTA, including how his previous career as a member of the Michigan State Legislature informs his work with the Association, his thoughts on the impact of term limits, and the Association's recent foray into non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) at the state level.

Listen Here (33:03)

Julie Wilcke of Portland's Ride Connection on Improving Transportation for Dialysis Patients

Ride Connection's Julie Wilcke discusses the agency's recent research on Improving Transportation for Patients Receiving Dialysis Treatments. The research, funded by the Administration for Community Living's Inclusive Coordinated Transportation Planning Project, involved direct feedback from dialysis patients, their caregivers, family members and more. Here, Wilcke talks about potential solutions gleaned from a more patient-centric approach to dialysis transportation.

Listen Here (24:23)

Dr. Marsha Simon on Transit's Vital Role in Managing Chronic Illnesses

Dr. Marsha Simon, President of MJ Simon & Co., recently authored Medicaid Expansion and Premium Assistance: The Importance of Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) To Coordinated Care for Chronically Ill Patients, a report that recognizes the complexity of today’s medical environment by highlighting the important role that behavioral health and other complex medical conditions play in transportation to today’s medical services. This edition of the CT Podcast expands on that report, looking at the key trends and impacts its research reveals.

Listen Here (20:55)

CTAA's Charles Rutkowski, Technical Assistance Programs Director

In 23 years, CTAA's Charles Rutkowski has helped develop rural transit systems and solutions in more than 200 communities and in conjunction with 50 tribes. In this rural transit-focused edition of the CT Podcast, Mr. Rutkowski discusses some of what he's learned in working with so many rural areas about how to develop transit solutions that meet local needs and that build local community support.

Listen Here (21:55)

Jeff Meilbeck, GM, NAIPTA, Flagstaff, Ariz.

Jeff Meilbeck, General Manager of the Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority (NAIPTA) in Flagstaff, Ariz.,  joins the CTPodcast to discuss NAIPTA and its tremendous growth — from 100,000 rides 13 years ago, to 1.8 million today. NAIPTA, like many other small-urban transit systems, is thriving, but needs sufficient federal bus and bus facility investment to maintain its services and meet burgeoning local demand. Given Flagstaff's current bus and bus facility formula allocation, it will take 48 years, according to Meilbeck, for the agency to have enough investment to build the facility the system and community needs. In this conversation, Jeff also explains the importance of the Small Transit Intensive City program and urges its expansion.

Meilbeck is a leader with CTAA's Small Urban Network (SUN). For more information on the SUN click here. He presented at the SUN Legislative Staff Briefing, those materials are available here.

For the latest information on MAP-21 reauthorization, click here.

LISTEN HERE: (13:04)

You Can Go Home Again: Newly named Detroit DOT Director Dan Dirks on Turning Around Transit in the Motor City

Dan Dirks, who was appointed Director of the Detroit DOT on January 16 by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, joins the CT Podcast to discuss the commitment of Detroit DOT employees to reviving public transit across the city. From covering the current state of the system to the initial beginnings of what many hope is a remarkable comeback story, Dirks provides an inside look at the challenges ahead, the focus on customers and transit's role in facilitating Detroit's economic recovery. Born and raised in Detroit, Dirks certainly seems like the right person for this job.

Listen Here (25:06) 

Brrrr... Expert cold weather transit tips

With much of the U.S. experiencing extreme cold weather, the first CT Podcast edition of 2014 takes a look cold weather transit. Jim Heilig, Director of Administration and Planning with the Duluth Transit Authority in Duluth, Minnesota and Rochelle Cotey, Executive Director of Alger County Public Transportation in Michigan's Upper Peninsula discuss how their operations deal with extreme winter weather, from low temps to piles of snow. From planning and communications to emergency management and special equipment, these two seasoned transit professionals — each located along the shores of Lake Superior — offer their best advice on handling winter conditions while ably serving their communities.

Duluth's temperature at 8am today: -16 F
Munising's temperature at 8am today: 6

Listen Here: (26:24)