Transit Unplugged

What does it take to move 70,000 riders a day while keeping innovation, reliability, and customer experience at the center of every decision? This week on Transit Unplugged, Paul Comfort sits down with Jack Khzouz, CEO of Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE Bus) and Senior Vice President at Transdev North America, to explore one of the largest contracted public transportation operations in the Unite...

What does the future of public transportation leadership look like? And who are the emerging professionals already making a difference? On this special episode of Transit Unplugged, host Paul Comfort is joined by Megan Perrero, Editor-in-Chief of @MassTransitMagazine , to celebrate the publication's 2026 40 Under 40 honorees. Now in its 18th year, the program recognizes 40 outstanding transit prof...

What will define the next year of mobility—and which technologies are actually ready to move from hype to reality? In this episode of Transit Unplugged, Paul Comfort sits down with John Rossant, CEO of CoMotion, for a wide-ranging look at the technologies, policies, and partnerships shaping transportation as 2027 approaches. Rossant explains why he believes autonomy will become a defining feature...

Nashville asked for more public transportation. WeGo is delivering. In this episode, Paul Comfort talks with Andy Burke, Chief Operating Officer of WeGo Public Transit, about how Nashville is preparing for one of the largest transit expansions in the agency’s history. Following voter approval of the Choose How You Move transportation program and its half-cent sales tax, WeGo is adding approximatel...

What does a great transit leader leave behind? For Ken McDonald, President and CEO of Long Beach Transit and the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) 2025 Outstanding Public Transportation CEO of the Year, leadership isn’t just about running a successful agency. It’s about making the people around you better—and giving them the knowledge and opportunities to become leaders themselve...

Does commuter rail still describe what the service is becoming in many cities? Across the industry, the traditional model of carrying workers downtown in the morning and home again in the evening is evolving. At Metra in Chicago, that change is showing up in a fascinating way: total ridership remains below 2019 levels, but CEO and Executive Director Jim Derwinski says Metra now serves more unique...

What if the work you're meant to do isn't something you find—but something you build? In Part II of Transit Unplugged's special Find Your X Factor series, Paul Comfort talks with two transportation leaders whose very different careers reveal how our experiences, abilities, and passions can eventually come together into something bigger. Mike Heidkamp spent his career working his way through nearly...

What happens when the bus can actually beat the car? In this episode of Transit Unplugged, Paul Comfort sits down with Melinda Metzger, Executive Director of Pace Suburban Bus, for a conversation recorded at Pace’s ADA headquarters in downtown Chicago. Melinda has spent 42 years at Pace, beginning as a summer intern and eventually working her way through planning, operations, procurement, and exec...

What happens when the things you’re naturally good at intersect with the things that give you energy? In this special episode of Transit Unplugged, Paul Comfort brings his new book, Find Your X Factor , to life through conversations with two leaders who found very different ways to turn their interests, abilities, and experiences into meaningful careers. First, Paul talks with Noah Berger, CEO of...

How can transit agencies give riders more options while still strengthening the core network? In this special episode of Transit Unplugged, Paul Comfort returns to St. Pete/Clearwater for extended conversations originally filmed for Transit Unplugged TV, exploring how transit leaders across Pinellas County, FL are approaching everything from Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and microtransit to ferries, par...

San Antonio is growing fast—and VIA Metropolitan Transit is growing right along with it. For this special episode of Transit Unplugged, we’re going back to our Transit Unplugged TV visit to San Antonio and bringing you three extended, uncut conversations with the VIA leaders shaping the future of mobility in the city. VIA President and CEO Jon Gary Herrera talks about what makes San Antonio unique...

In this episode, Frank joins Paul Comfort to discuss what it's really like to move from leading bus operations at one of the world's largest transit agencies to running an entire organization. He shares how Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) is building on a legacy of innovation while tackling today's biggest challenges—from the post-pandemic fiscal cliff to workforce development, tr...

https://youtu.be/M1PeM6D1ciw The future of passenger rail is being built right now—and Transit Unplugged takes you inside one of the industry's biggest events to see it firsthand. Recorded on location at the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Rail Conference in Baltimore, this special video episode features exclusive conversations with the leaders driving some of North America's mos...

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) General Manager Scott Sauer joins Paul Comfort to discuss leading one of North America's most complex transit agencies through a period of transformation. After beginning his career as a trolley operator at just 19 years old, Sauer now oversees the nation's sixth-largest transit system as it modernizes aging infrastructure, grows ridership...

Leadership transitions are inevitable, but successful ones are far from guaranteed. In this special on-location episode of Transit Unplugged , Paul Comfort visits Delaware Transit Corporation (DART First State) to explore a rare example of intentional succession in action. Outgoing CEO John Sisson reflects on a 32-year career and the legacy he leaves after more than a decade leading one of America...

Access to healthcare doesn't start at the doctor's office—it starts with transportation. In this episode of Transit Unplugged, Paul Comfort sits down with Steven Feist, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Coordinated Transportation Solutions (CTS), to explore the world of Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) and its growing role in healthcare access. Steven explains how transporta...

Former Federal Transit Administration Administrator Marc Molinaro joins Paul Comfort for an in-depth conversation about federal transit policy, funding, and the future of public transportation. Drawing on his experience as both a member of Congress and the leader of the FTA, Molinaro offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the agency operates, what transit agencies should understand about federal g...

What does public transit look like when you're serving 20 counties across Central and East Texas? In this episode of Transit Unplugged, Paul Comfort continues his series featuring new transit CEOs with a conversation with Wendy Weedon, CEO of the Brazos Transit District. After spending 17 years with the organization, Wendy stepped into the top leadership role in September and now oversees one of T...

What does success look like for transit agencies in a post-pandemic world? According to Christie Wegener, it may be time to stop measuring against 2019 altogether. In this episode of Transit Unplugged, host Paul Comfort speaks with Christie Wegener, Executive Director of the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA), about the changing realities of suburban transit, evolving commuter behav...

When Steve Fuentes arrived as the new President & CEO of Milwaukee County Transit System, he stepped directly into a perfect storm: major service cuts, labor tensions, budget deficits, and the looming transit fiscal cliff. In this episode of Transit Unplugged, Steve joins Paul Comfort to discuss how his 30-year journey at the Chicago Transit Authority — from part-time bus operator to senior le...

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is coming to North America—and for public transportation agencies across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the countdown is already underway. In this episode of Transit Unplugged, Paul Comfort speaks with transportation journalist Dan Zukowski of Smart Cities Dive about the enormous mobility challenge behind one of the world’s biggest sporting events. From Los Angeles...

Commuter rail is being reinvented—and at Virginia Railway Express (VRE), that shift starts with one big idea: becoming a true regional rail system. Katie Choe, CEO of VRE, joins Paul Comfort to explain how the agency is moving beyond its traditional peak-hour, commuter-focused model toward a more flexible, all-day, bi-directional network designed for today’s travel patterns. At the center of that...

In this quarterly Transit Unplugged Insider, Paul Comfort and Julie Gates break down the most important developments shaping public transportation right now—from Washington leadership changes to emerging mobility technology. They cover the five biggest stories transit leaders need to know, including: FTA Leadership Shakeup – With no administrator or deputy currently in place, what does this leader...

Tiffany Gunter, GM + CEO of Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation, joins Paul Comfort to explain how SMART saw a 40% ridership increase on key high-volume corridors including Gratiot and Woodward. She shares the operational changes behind the gains—from stronger on-time performance and improved frequencies to cleaner shelters, onboard Wi-Fi, and a renewed focus on customer experi...

How Transit CEOs Are Tackling Safety, Growth, and Leadership — Live from ThinkTransit This week on Transit Unplugged , we take you live to Boston for a special CEO Roundtable recorded at the ThinkTransit Conference—featuring four of the most influential leaders in public transportation today. Host Paul Comfort sits down with: Jay Fox — Executive Director, Utah Transit Authority Nora Leerhsen — Act...