“Raise Your Hand!” — Leadership Lessons from Bridgette Beato
Leadership in transit isn’t accidental. It’s built — through mentorship, intentional choices, and the courage to raise your hand when the moment calls for it.
This week’s podcast episode with Bridgette Beato is a powerful reminder that strong systems depend on strong leaders — and that cultivating talent is just as important as deploying capital.
From career-building conversations to car-free exploration in Salt Lake City, this week’s newsletter is about progress — personal and industry-wide.
This Week on The Podcast
FANTASTIC FEBRUARY continues! Bridgette Beato (Lumenor Consulting Group, WTS International) joins Paul Comfort to unpack the evolving role of women in public transportation—and the systems, networks, and intentional choices that help leaders thrive at every stage of their careers. From WTS’s nearly 50-year history to its current global footprint of more than 10,000 members, Bridgette explains how the organization attracts, advances, and retains women across all modes of transportation through scholarships, training, mentorship, and community.
Premiere: Salt Lake City!
New Transit Unplugged TV Episode! Ride Utah Transit Authority’s FrontRunner commuter rail, experience all-electric Bus Rapid Transit in Ogden, hop a free downtown trolley, and take the Ski Bus into the mountains to Alta and Snowbasin—showcasing how transit fits into a broader, multimodal transportation ecosystem.
The News Minute
Curious about the latest headlines in the transit industry? Check out our Transit Unplugged News Minute with Julie Gates. She covers the biggest stories in the industry every week. Click to view, and subscribe so you don’t miss a thing. This week:
- 💰 Congress approved the FY2026 THUD bill — including $16.5B for transit and $2.9B for rail.
- 📱 In Canada, STM – Mouvement collectif is expanding its text-to-report safety service after receiving 25,000 rider messages in its first year.
- 📈 And the North Carolina Department of Transportation says restoring rail corridors could generate over $1B for the state economy.
- 💘 Plus, Bay Area Rapid Transit is running a special “Valentraine” speed-dating event this weekend — because sometimes the best connections happen on board.
