Are we doing enough to support rural transit?
What do you do when the only option is transit, and it’s not there?
Our second hot topic episode talks about something often forgotten in the public transit world–serving rural communities. It might not be as flashy as big city transit, but transit in rural communities might even be more essential than it is in the city. The distances are longer, the money is tighter, and coverage areas as big as some U.S. States. Let’s get to it.
Let’s get real about transit in rural communities.
We’ve had a few shows featuring rural transit agencies (like Kendra McGeady of Pelivan Transit), but we’ve never had a deep dive into the unique issues facing rural agencies. We’ve brought together Eddie VanStine, Steuben County Mobility Manager in Upstate New York, and Wendy Weedon, Deputy CEO of Brazos County Transit in Texas, to talk about their communities and what transit means to the people they serve. They talk about coordinating across agencies to make sure scarce resources are spent wisely and how often they aren’t able to take advantage of government funding because there is no local funding to match it.
Big challenges and even bigger needs to fulfill. Don’t miss this episode.
Next week we go from small towns to the biggest North American transit operation you may not have heard of with Eve Wiggins, Director of Mississauga Transit (MiWay), for a look at an agency that grew ridership 27% last year and is at 109% of 2019 ridership numbers. Learn the secret sauce that powers MiWay’s success. Make sure you follow us where ever you listen to podcasts so you don’t miss this great episode.
Speaking of Texas…
We’ve got a new episode of Transit Unplugged TV coming up next week featuring one of the most unique cities in the world–Austin! Austin is known for the SXSW Festival, its music scene, and its food. Here’s a sneak peek with just a taste of what’s to come:
