Episode 400: A Decade of Transit Unplugged
This week we’re celebrating a major milestone: Episode 400 of Transit Unplugged. Host Paul Comfort sits down with Mark Miller to reflect on the origins of the podcast and how a simple idea—connecting transit leaders through honest conversation—grew into one of the industry’s most trusted platforms. Nearly a decade later, those conversations are still helping agencies learn from one another and navigate a rapidly changing mobility landscape. And more inside, including workforce insights from National Transit Institute, the latest industry headlines, and an invitation to join your peers at the ThinkTransit Executive Summit.
This Week on The Podcast
In this special milestone episode of Transit Unplugged, host Paul Comfort celebrates Episode 400 and nearly a decade of conversations with the leaders shaping public transportation around the world. To kick off the episode, Paul sits down with Mark Miller, President of Constellation Software and Executive Chairman of the Volaris Group. Mark reflects on the early days of the podcast, the thinking behind creating a platform for industry dialogue, and why connecting transit leaders across agencies and continents continues to matter.
COMING SOON: Boston Travel Guide
Welcome to Boston—where American history, iconic neighborhoods, and modern city life move side by side. In this episode of Transit Unplugged TV, host Paul Comfort explores the city on foot, along the “T,” and through the stories that shaped the nation, from the Boston Tea Party waterfront to the brick‑lined Freedom Trail. The journey also takes you inside the 2025 American Public Transportation Association (APTA) TRANSform Conference, where transit leaders from across the country gather to share ideas, innovation, and the future of mobility—offering a behind‑the‑scenes look at how cities like Boston continue to evolve.
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:
- 🇨🇦 Canadians are pushing back against proposed $5B transit funding cuts, warning of major impacts on riders and communities.
- 🚌 The U.S. Federal Transit Administration announces nearly $390M in grants for buses and transit facilities.
- ✊ Transit agencies marked Rosa Parks’ 113th birthday, highlighting her lasting legacy and the importance of transit equity.
- 🏆 Congrats to the American Public Transportation Association #AdWheel Awards winners — including Transit Unplugged’s Think Transit Executive Summit taking first place 👏
ICYMI: Geisha Ester
In this episode of Transit Unplugged, host Paul Comfort talks with Geisha Ester, Executive Director of the National Transit Institute (NTI) at Rutgers University, about why workforce development has become the industry’s most important investment — and how agencies and professionals can take advantage of it right now. NTI, funded by the Federal Transit Administration, delivers no-cost training for transit professionals across the United States, helping agencies upskill their teams, strengthen succession planning, and prepare for a rapidly changing mobility landscape.
Register: ThinkTransit Executive Summit
The transit landscape is shifting faster than ever, and it demands leadership that’s ready to move with it. That’s why the APTA AdWheel Award-Winning Executive Summit was created: to curate one day for executives like you to step out of the day-to-day and focus on big-picture conversations with your peers that shape the future of the industry.
Join fellow CEOs, GMs, and senior leaders from across North America for a full day of panels, leadership insights, and roundtable discussions focused on the real-world challenges facing transit today (and the strategies that are actually working).
Whether you’re navigating funding constraints, workforce transitions, zero-emission mandates, or digital modernization, this is where candid conversations happen. Peer-to-peer, executive-to-executive.
