Kevin Coggin, Coast Transit Authority, Gulfport Mississippi

Coast Transit Authority Executive Director Kevin Coggin provides insight into his agency's preparations and response to the approaching Hurricane Isaac. With the bulk of local evacuations completed, Coggin covers all that the system undertakes as a storm approaches, and Coast Transit's role in local hurricane preparation and planning. "Clear communications between responders and with the public is really critical," says Coggin. "We do this often enough and have a good plan and experienced staff."

Listen here (8:45)

Larry Harman, Veterans Transportation and Community Living Initiative (VTCLI)

Larry Harman, co-director of the geograhics lab at Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, Mass., talks about his work with Veterans Transportation and Community Living Initiative (VTCLI) grantees and the positive impact these projects are having on both the transit and the veterans fields. He's excited about the commitment of the grantees, as well as the Federal Transit Administration, to improving transit services for veterans and how these innovative grants represent "real" projects with a "can-do" approach that he believes will prove successful.

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Commuter Rail Evolves: The RAIL #30 Editorial Discussion

RAIL Magazine Editors Scott Bogren and Rich Sampson — along with Brent Riddle, Senior Program Officer for Urban and Regional Policy at the German Marshall Fund — discuss the editorial development of the latest edition of RAIL, and the commuter rail themes that emerged as the edition progressed. Don't miss this discussion of New Mexico's Rail Runner, Orlando's SunRail, Denver's FrontRunner and Minneapolis-St. Paul's NorthStar, among others.

Listen Here (16:23)

Burgess Everett, Politico Transportation Reporter

With much of the capitol press corps turning its attention in late June to the surface transportation bill, Burgess Everett's coverage of the surface transportation reauthorization process for Politico provided the latest breaking news from Capitol Hill. In this edition of the CT Podcast, Everett provides insight into how the conference committee suddenly gained traction and how Congressional leadership looked to the key negotiators and said, "Get this done." He talks about the surprising addition of a second year of funding and reveals how important suburban legislators were in keeping transit in the trust fund. It's a behind-the-scenes look at the making of MAP-21 that you won't want to miss.

Listen here (15:22)

Transportation Lobbyist Jason Pavluchuk

Jason Pavluchuk, principal with Pavluchuk and Associates, discusses the passage of MAP-21 and its implications. Who won and who lost in MAP-21? What exactly happened that took the conference committee from being mired in seeming stalemate to overwhelmingly bi-partisan vote totals? What were the big issues that MAP-21 leaves to another day? Take a listen to an insider's perspective on the new surface transportation law that broke a 1,000 day SAFETEA-LU extension

Listen here (21:50 minutes)

Americans For Transit's Andrew Austin

Just two weeks young, Americans For Transit (A4T) is dedicated to organizing and mobilizing transit riders. According to A4T Executive Director Andrew Austin, the organization hopes to build rider and community engagement on key transit issues, particularly funding and ballot initiatives. In this conversation, Andrew and CT Podcast host Scott Bogren talk mobilizing strategies and the potential impact organized transit riders can have on local, state and federal transit investment, as well as the need for flexible transit operating assistance to combat fare increases and service cuts.

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National Roadeo Driver of the Year Ron Stewart

Community and public transportation drivers are the face of the transit industry. In this podcast, Scott Bogren talks with Ron Stewart, a driver with the Baldwin Rural Area Transit System in Robertsdale, Ala., and winner of the 2012 National Community Transportation Roadeo's Otis Reed Jr. Driver of the Year. Stewart discusses how competing in the roadeo prepares him for his job, getting to know his passengers and the special care that must be taken with seniors, people with disabilities and dialysis patients.


Listen Here (13:16)