It’s never bad luck to work in transit
Our diversity is our strength—no matter where in the world you are
It’s pretty interesting how many of us who work in public transit, never really thought about having careers in transit. Here on the Transit Unplugged team, only Paul started his career in transit. Tris worked in marketing at tech startups and Julie was a radio personality and voice actor. This week we have Philip Gerhardt of Transport for London (TfL) on the podcast, who fully admits to falling into transit by accident, and on Transit Unplugged TV this week we feature Alexandra Reinagl who started out in finance before coming to Wiener Linien.
I think it’s safe to say when you listen to both of these transit leaders, they wouldn’t trade their career in transit for anything. A hallmark of public transit is the diverse range of people who use and rely on it. So maybe it’s no wonder transit attracts such a broad cross-section of people to work in it too.
It’s this diversity that gives public transit its edge. Different perspectives, different experiences, different skill sets. These let transit agencies think beyond how things have always been done to how things could be done differently.
But no matter how we got here, we’re all excited to be here helping improve our communities–our world–now and into the future.
On the podcast Philip talks not only about his transit career, but also about the creative solutions TfL uses to keep the buses on the over 650 routes all humming along. Sometimes you have to be pretty creative and try new things–especially when the “tried and true” methods might be falling a bit short. Because sometimes letting a driver take a detour is the best way to keep things on time.
There’s something special about Europe and transit
If you’ve ever travelled to Europe, you know there is just something special about transit there. Maybe it’s the culture of streetcars, subways, and rail. Maybe it’s something about just enjoying the experience of travel. No matter the reason why, when you look at a city like Vienna and its transit system or rail travel like the ÖBB Nightjet, you can see it’s something different, something special.
This week we premiere our latest episode of Transit Unplugged TV featuring Hamburg and Vienna. If you caught the trailer last week, you know you’re in for a treat seeing the full episode.
Join Paul as he tours these two historic cities, enjoying the food, people, and transit. In Vienna, Paul gets a tour of the new underground subway line, visits the World Passenger Festival, and is visited by a few surprise guests too.
Coming up next week on Transit Unplugged: How TNCs are changing transit
Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) have found a special place in the transit industry around the world. In an episode sponsored by Uber Transit, we learn how it all got started in the U.S. and how companies like Uber are bringing transit to people who need it the most, when they need it, and wherever they are.
The episode features Bonnie Epstein of Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), Carlos Cruz-Casas of Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation & Public Works, and Robert Betts of Marin Transit all talking about how TNCs have give their riders flexibility, let them expand service to more people, and save thousands of dollars in the process.
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