Next Stop: Transit Tech

S3E5: Including Your Staff in Technology Transitions

carpenter@ctaa.org (National Center for Applied Transit Technology) — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 15:37:21 +0000

In our final episode of the season, we talk to Kevin Chambers of Full Path Technology about the challenges transit agencies can face in generating buy-in with their staff on new technology investments. A successful tech deployment requires a fully engaged staff, so listen in!

S3E4: AI and Transit

carpenter@ctaa.org (National Center for Applied Transit Technology) — Thu, 5 Oct 2023 17:44:29 +0000

Yes, we're talking about AI - artificial intelligence! This technology could play a variety of roles in transit. In this episode, we talk to Kyle Shannon, lecturer in the Cognitive Science Department and Data Science Institute at UC San Diego, and the Director of Data Science at the Volunteer Transportation Center in New York State. We discuss where AI can play a role in supporting transit agencies, as well as where it's overhyped and its potential pitfalls.

S3E3: Rural Transit Electrification

carpenter@ctaa.org (National Center for Applied Transit Technology) — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 13:39:36 +0000

In this episode we talk with Scott Chancey from Josephine County Transit in Grants Pass, Oregon, about the path to electrifying a rural transit fleet in his mountainous region. Scott shares many lessons learned, and what other rural transit managers should consider if they'd like to go electric, too.

S3E2. Bikeshare's Role in Transit Networks

carpenter@ctaa.org (National Center for Applied Transit Technology) — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 15:11:06 +0000

Erich and Andrew talk to Geoff Coates and Patrick Urbine of Blue Krewe, the nonprofit operator of Blue Bikes Nola. Geoff and Patrick show us how their community-driven, nonprofit model of bikeshare supports economic development and increases the use of transit infrastructure throughout New Orleans.

S3E1. On-Demand Transit in Rural Iowa

carpenter@ctaa.org (National Center for Applied Transit Technology) — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 17:30:16 +0000

Last year, the Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA) launched a new on-demand transit service across 7 counties of rural Iowa. This is an exciting development since many rural communities lack on-demand transportation options; instead many people who use transit services in similar communities need to book their trips well in advance. Changes like this are exciting opportunities to make mobility even more accessible to rural residents. Julia Castillo, HIRTA’s Executive Director, and Brooke Ramsey, HIRTA’s Business Manager talk to us about this latest effort among their endless numbers of innovative programs.

Season 3 Trailer

carpenter@ctaa.org (Erich Lange, Andrew Carpenter) — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 16:46:34 +0000

Season three is coming soon! We're excited to share more transit tech with you this summer

S2E8: It Takes Two: Microtransit & Fixed-Route Transit in Wilmington, NC

carpenter@ctaa.org (National Center for Applied Transit Technology) — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 12:30:10 +0000

Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority, also known as Wave Transit operates public transportation in Wilmington, North Carolina. They operated 15 fixed-routes, a university shuttle, a downtown trolley and most recently…a microtransit service! RideMICRO, an on-demand service was launched in October 2021 to connect residents of Brunswick, Pender, and New Hanover counties to Wave Transit’s fixed-route service. This zone-based service serves as a first/last mile solution to connect the rural areas around Wilmington to the urban core. Listen in to this episode to hear more about how Wave Transit has connected communities in the Wilmington area!

S2E7: When the Stars Align: Why Microtransit Works in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

carpenter@ctaa.org (National Center for Applied Transit Technology) — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 18:01:27 +0000

Neighborhood Transportation Service is a curb-to-curb van service that provides an affordable transportation option for Cedar Rapids residents when fixed-route service is not available. NTS was established in the 1990’s to ensure that 2nd and 3rd shift workers could have a safe, affordable ride to and from work. Prior to 2021, NTS was using paper based scheduling for their rides, but transitioned to the microtransit platform Via. Their service has seen substantial growth since the implementation of the software, as well as increased coordination with neighboring transit agencies.

S2E6. The Fleet is Greener on the Other Side - Transit Authority of River City (TARC)

carpenter@ctaa.org (National Center for Applied Transit Technology) — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 18:15:43 +0000

Winter is coming – and so is the Low and No Emission grant application period! In this episode, Marcela and Andrew interview Carrie Butler, Executive Director of the Transit Authority of River City (TARC) and Geoffrey Hobin, Director of Grants & Capital Programs at TARC about their growing electric bus fleet. Their fleet currently has 15 all-electric vehicles in its fleet. As past recipients of the Low-No grant, we chat on how to make your case for funding, as well as details on their electric vehicle deployment.

S2E5. December News Updates in Transit Tech

carpenter@ctaa.org (National Center for Applied Transit Technology) — Thu, 30 Dec 2021 14:54:52 +0000

In another crossover episode with the host of the National Center for Mobility Management's podcast, Mobility Lines. Andrew, Kevin and Marcela discuss recent news in transit technology - including tech-enabled mobility for all pilots, the evolution of MaaS, and transit fleet electrification.

S2E4. What's New in Transit Tech

carpenter@ctaa.org (National Center for Applied Transit Technology) — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 19:37:37 +0000

In this *special* crossover episode with the host of the National Center for Mobility Management's podcast, Mobility Lines. Andrew, Kevin and Marcela discuss recent news in transit technology - including new developments with the Transit app, the City of Pittsburgh's plans to launch Mobility as a Service (MaaS), automated vehicles and research on how to harness data for an equitable deployment of electric vehicles.

S2E3. Duluth Transit Authority’s MyDTA Launch

carpenter@ctaa.org (National Center for Applied Transit Technology) — Fri, 1 Oct 2021 19:54:50 +0000

In this episode, Marcela and Andrew interview Christopher Belden, Duluth Transit Authority’s Director of Planning & Grants. DTA, in partnership with Masabi and Transit app, launched the MyDTA fare payment system. The launch gives DTA’s passengers the ability for a more seamless experience of mobile ticketing and trip planning through the MyDTA or Transit mobile applications. The launch is anticipated to provide shorten boarding time and provide riders and operators a more efficient and safe experience.

S2E2. NIPRC’s Northwest Indiana Transit Map

carpenter@ctaa.org (National Center for Applied Transit Technology) — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 13:40:49 +0000

In this episode, Marcela chats with Peter Kimball and Kevin Polette from the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC). In May 2021, a team from NIRPC launched a web feature that details the accessibility of every bus stop in Northwest Indiana. The map aims to inform transit riders to navigate bus stops across municipal and regional systems, determine their accessibility and plan their trip. Listen in for details on the data collection process, the launch of their map and lessons learned!

S2E1. Looking Back & Onward to Season Two

carpenter@ctaa.org (National Center for Applied Transit Technology) — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 15:25:58 +0000

In this episode, Andrew and Marcela open up season 2 of Next Stop: Transit Tech. In the next year, public transportation will be navigating the post-pandemic world. What are some of the practices instilled during the pandemic that will continue forward? How has transportation changed, and what will the road ahead look like? How will emerging technologies facilitate transportation systems building back better?

Next Stop: Transit Tech hosts will also look forward to Year 2 activities of the National Center for Applied Transit Technology. Along with publications, webinars & podcasts, they discuss upcoming technical assistance opportunities for transportation providers and how to stay connected.

Episode 7. What’s Next in Transportation Technology?

carpenter@ctaa.org (National Center for Applied Transit Technology) — Fri, 7 May 2021 13:41:17 +0000

Next Stop: Transit Tech is hosted by the team behind the National Center for Applied Transit Technology, a Federal Transit Administration funded technical assistance center that is administered by the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA). CTAA is a national nonprofit association representing rural, small city, tribal and other forms of specialized transportation providers including services for seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, non-emergency medical and for Tribal areas. CTAA has over 1,000 members and affiliates in their network. Today, we are interviewing Scott Bogren, CTAA’s Executive Director to close out this season with a retrospective on 2020 and what are trends as we return to the new normal.

Episode 6. The Future of Automated Vehicles: AECOM’s Automated Bus Consortium

carpenter@ctaa.org (National Center for Applied Transit Technology) — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 13:15:51 +0000

Next Stop: Transit Tech chats with Suzanne Murtha, with AECOM’s Automated Bus Consortium, and Jean Ruestman from Michigan DOT. The Consortium is a first-of-its-kind approach to accelerate the development of automated transit technologies, and will combine the purchasing power and decision-making of its founding transit agencies. If implemented, their pilot projects will use full-sized, full-speed, accessible buses and allow Consortium members to demonstrate and deploy automated technology in a live service environment. We'll chat about the state of automated vehicles and the future of the technology in the transit realm.

Episode 5. Real-Time Passenger Arrival Information Implementation & Impacts in Oregon

carpenter@ctaa.org (National Center for Applied Transit Technology) — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 13:07:14 +0000

Next Stop: Transit Tech speaks to Angie Jones from the Grant County People Mover about the implementation process for their new platform, which allows their agency to provide real-time arrival updates, track ridership and provide passenger count information to their riders. People Mover provides curb-to-curb transportation that provides service to Grant County, OR, dial-a-ride service, and intercity service to Walla Walla, WA, Bend, OR and surrounding areas. The Grant County People Mover provided over 40,000 trips in FY2019 while putting over 260,000 revenue miles on the ground.

Episode 4. From Hand Calculated Schedules to Computer Aided Dispatch in New Mexico

carpenter@ctaa.org (National Center for Applied Transit Technology) — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 19:19:01 +0000

Next Stop: Transit Tech is thrilled to interview Delilah Garcia, the Operations Director at the North Central Regional Transit District (NCRTD) in New Mexico. NCRTD operates several local and intercity bus routes in northern New Mexico, serving Santa Fe, Espanola, Taos and other small communities. In total, NCRTD runs a network of 28 fixed and flex routes (26 of which are fare free), two demand response routes and one Dial-A-Ride service. Recently, NCRTD moved from a hand calculated scheduling and dispatching process to computer-aided dispatch (CAD). Throughout the country, agencies are moving toward software that streamlines and digitizes the scheduling and dispatch process. We’re here to hear more about the behind the scenes work that goes into the implementation of new software and processes, and about key takeaways for other agencies looking to do the same.

Episode 3. Micromobility & Transit: Bikeshare in Colorado's Roaring Fork Valley

carpenter@ctaa.org (National Center for Applied Transit Technology) — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 16:57:05 +0000

Next Stop: Transit Tech wanted to feature the team from We-Cycle and the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority in western Colorado to hear more about the interplay between We-Cycle’s bikeshare program, and the transit network in the Roaring Fork Valley. Micromobility solutions, such as bikeshare play a critical role in providing first/last mile trips to transit stops. We are thrilled to hear more about how bikeshare and public transportation are working together in the Roaring Fork Valley to keep people moving.

Episode 2. AI-based Scheduling & Dispatch in Chattanooga, TN

carpenter@ctaa.org (National Center for Applied Transit Technology) — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 15:46:59 +0000

Next Stop: Transit Tech interviews CARTA in Chattanooga, TN to hear more about their partnership with Vanderbilt University to enhance mobility and energy efficiency in their transit system. Their goal is to improve public transportation accessibility in Chattanooga from 41% to 73% of people who have frequent public transportation access within ¼ mile of their home. In this episode, we’ll hear more about how this project came to fruition, how it’s going and takeaways for other transit agencies.

Episode 1. Introductions

carpenter@ctaa.org (National Center for Applied Transit Technology) — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 19:26:29 +0000

Marcela and Andrew from the National Center for Applied Transit Technology (N-CATT) introduce themselves, N-CATT and N-CATT's new podcast, Next Stop: Transit Tech. They dive into their journeys into the transit industry, and share what is to come in this next season.