Stop Requested

In this bonus episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Alejandro Schmidt and Freddy Canales from DTPM, Santiago’s public transport authority, and Jose Mostajo from SONDA. Recorded in Spanish at APTA EXPO in Chicago, the conversation traces how Santiago’s transit system has changed since the difficult launch of Transantiago in 2007. Alejandro and Freddy discuss cashl...

In this episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Nicholas Sofoul, Executive Director of the North Central Regional Transit District (Blue Bus), about the challenges of providing public transportation across 10,000 square miles of northern New Mexico, where transit often provides the only connection to healthcare, employment, groceries, and other essential services....

In this episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Nicholas Dagen Bloom, professor and chair of the Department of Urban Policy and Planning at Hunter College and author of The Great American Transit Disaster, about how American transit systems declined and why some cities fared better than others. The conversation explores the role of zoning, automobile growth, transi...

In the third installment of Stop Requested’s AI Roundtable series, ETA CEO John Maglio joins hosts Levi McCollum and Christian Londono, along with Derrick VanGennep of Voloridge Investment Management, to explore how machine learning can help transit agencies move from understanding what happened to predicting what might happen next. The conversation covers data quality, model validation, uncertain...

In this episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Charley Territo, Chief Growth Officer at Hayden AI, about how vision AI is helping transit agencies understand what is happening on the street and why it is affecting service. The conversation explores bus lane and bus stop enforcement, changing driver behavior, improving safety and reliability, and using data to meas...

In the second installment of Stop Requested’s AI Roundtable series, ETA CEO John Maglio joins hosts Levi McCollum and Christian Londono, along with Eric Hilton and Zach Vinduska of North Highland, to discuss what AI adoption means for cybersecurity, data privacy, and trust inside transit agencies. The conversation explores new attack surfaces created by AI, practical guardrails for employees, ente...

In this special roundtable episode of Stop Requested, ETA CEO John Maglio joins hosts Levi McCollum and Christian Londono, along with Stephen Kuban, CEO of Kuban Transit Solutions, to compare what they are seeing and hearing about AI across the public transportation industry. The conversation explores how agencies are using AI today, from everyday staff productivity and data analysis to NTD report...

In this replay of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono revisit their conversation with Linda Morris, Chief of Service Planning and Scheduling at Miami-Dade County, as part of the Miami-Dade series. Linda oversees service planning across bus, rail, and Metromover in one of the country’s most complex transit environments. The conversation covers launching Metro Express BRT, coordinati...

In this episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Eric Goldwyn, professor at NYU and director of the Transportation and Land Use program at NYU Marron. Eric shares what the Transit Costs Project has learned by comparing nearly a thousand transit infrastructure projects around the world. The conversation explores why U.S. projects cost more and take longer to build, w...

In this episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Brian McCollom, a transit management consultant with more than 50 years of experience in planning, operations, performance management, and the National Transit Database. Brian shares why good transit planning requires more than technical skill, combining data and standards with judgment, observation, and a clear under...

In this episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Frank White III, former CEO of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority and founder and managing partner of Praxis Advisors Group. Frank reflects on leading KCATA through workforce shortages, funding pressures, regional coordination, and the return of fares after years of fare-free service. The conversation explo...

In this episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Anthony Trasatti, co-founder and CEO of Ontra Mobility. Anthony shares how his work in operations research and the MARTA Reach pilot led to building an AI-powered platform for transit planning. The conversation explores how agencies can test thousands of network scenarios, uncover unmet demand, and weigh tradeoffs bet...

In this episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Shofi Ull Azum, Chief Planning and Development Officer at Cherriots in Salem, Oregon. Shofi shares how the agency uses community feedback, rider data, and operational experience to shape service decisions. The conversation explores Cherriots’ ridership growth, 90 percent on-time performance, and plans for microtransit...

In this episode of Stop Requested, I sit down with Kristin Taylor, Senior Director of UX at MBTA and Chief Experience Officer for Transit Ops. We explore the importance of designing transit technology around the full rider journey rather than just focusing on tools. Kristin emphasizes that trip planning is a process that requires accurate data and effective communication across all channels to ens...

In this episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Coree Cuff Lonergan, CEO and General Manager of Broward County Transit. Coree shares how Broward is building on its bus network through TransitFORWARD 2040 and PREMO, the county’s long-term effort to create a more connected, multimodal transit system. The conversation explores Broward County’s plans for bus rapid tran...

In this episode of Stop Requested, I sit down with Doug Bermudez, Chief of the Easy Card Fare Programs and Customer Experience division at Miami-Dade County Transportation. As we wrap up our Miami-Dade series, Doug shares insights from his journey in public transit, emphasizing the importance of a seamless rider experience. We discuss how technological advancements, such as the Easy Card system, a...

In this episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Dottie Watkins, President and CEO of CapMetro in Austin, Texas. Dottie began at CapMetro as a part-time bus operator more than three decades ago and now leads the agency through a period of service expansion and long-term investment. The conversation explores how changing travel patterns are reshaping Austin’s transit...

In this episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Jarice Rodriguez, Chief of Paratransit Operations and Services for Miami-Dade County. As part of the ongoing Miami-Dade series, Jarice shares how her team is rethinking accessibility across one of the nation’s largest ADA paratransit programs. The conversation explores universal design, accessible journeys, and why ac...

In this episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Laura Moeini, Senior Director of the Performance Analysis Unit in Subways at New York City MTA. Laura shares how her path through consulting, WMATA, and MTA shaped the way she thinks about performance management, data storytelling, and continuous improvement. The conversation explores how agencies can move beyond repo...

In this episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Hunter Abel, Project Manager and Transit Lead at Modern Mobility Partners. Hunter shares how his experience at LeeTran, MARTA, and now in consulting has shaped the way he approaches transit planning and project delivery. The conversation explores why plans often stall between planning and implementation, how agencies...

In this episode of Stop Requested, John Maglio, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Jolene Molitoris, former Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration and former Director of the Ohio Department of Transportation. As the first woman to lead the FRA, Jolene shares how her career grew from Ohio rail advocacy to national transportation leadership. The conversation explores rail sa...

In this replay episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with John Maglio, Founder and CEO of ETA Transit, about building transit technology and trust over the long term. John explains how disciplined growth, reliability, and focus shape effective CAD/AVL systems, and why trust is earned through follow-through rather than features. The conversation covers leadership and c...

In this episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Christy Wegener, Executive Director of the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority, also known as LAVTA. Christy shares how she found her way into transit from social work and public policy, and how her career across multiple agencies shaped the way she thinks about planning, operations, customer service, and leader...

In this episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Mark Hughes, founder and Principal Transit Experience Lead at Transit Experience Group and Chief Design Officer at Mark Hughes Creative. With a background in product design, digital experience, and customer experience, Mark brings a private sector design perspective into the transit industry. The conversation explores...

In this episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Leslie Keener, Transit Director at ABQ RIDE, wrapping up a four part series on transit in Albuquerque. Leslie leads a multimodal system that includes fixed route service, the ART BRT line, Sun Van paratransit, and ABQ RIDE Connect microtransit. The conversation explores Leslie’s path from freight rail into transit lea...