High Frequency

In this episode of "High Frequency," host Kapish Singla explores the state of transit funding with Yonah Freemark, senior research associate at the Urban Institute. Based on insights from the recent Urban Institute report, “Surmounting the Fiscal Cliff,” the interview delves into the reasons behind transit's current fiscal cliff,  and the policy choices that have perpetually put transit agency finances on precarious footing. The episode advances sustainable funding solutions that could finally disrupt this vicious cycle of underinvestment, and ensure that the current crisis is transit's last fiscal cliff.“Transit is key to our society, and transit is going to come back from the pandemic at higher ridership levels if we give our transit systems the opportunity to provide the services they need. Transit systems that have invested in improved quality of service have benefited from increased ridership, including higher levels of ridership than pre-pandemic, and a number of systems. We don't have to give up on transit. In fact, we should be thinking about the future as a more transit-heavy future than even before the pandemic.” - Yonah FreemarkTo read “Surmounting the Fiscal Cliff,” click here. To watch a webinar with the report researchers, click here.For more on TransitCenter, visit us here. Hosted by Kapish SinglaEdited by Melanie Marich & Kapish SinglaProduced by TransitCenterMusic: “Comma” - Blue Dot SessionsDisclaimer: Political views raised by guests on the podcast do not reflect the views of TransitCenter.

Central Maryland Transportation Alliance is an advocacy group working to improve and expand transportation options in the Baltimore region. Using data and storytelling, CMTA has forefronted how unreliability and breakdown issues on buses and trains have negatively impacted workers and students throughout the region. In this episode, I interview Brian O'Malley, President & CEO at CMTA, to discuss how his organization built a winning coalition to secure state funding for the state of good repair needs of Baltimore's transit system to address the breakdowns. Their advocacy led to the passage of the Transit Safety and Investment Act in 2021, which requires the state of Maryland to provide minimum annual funding for maintenance of the system. CMTA's efforts demonstrate the power of organizing legislators and community groups to challenge the entrenched political prioritization of car infrastructure in transportation funding. “It was compelling when we were able to find data that said that our light rail breaks down the most in the country. That helped us win bipartisan support because legislators view themselves as stewards of taxpayer dollars and public assets and didn't like it one bit that we had let this asset fall into such disrepair that it was breaking down more than any similar system in the country.” - Brian O'MalleyFor more on Central Maryland Transportation Alliance, click here. For more on TransitCenter, click here. Hosted by Kapish SinglaEdited by Kapish SinglaProduced by TransitCenterMusic: “Comma” - Blue Dot SessionsDisclaimer: Political views raised by guests on the podcast do not reflect the views of TransitCenter.

ACT-LA is an advocacy organization that strives to create equitable transit systems and neighborhoods in Los Angeles. In recent years, ACT-LA has campaigned on securing safety alternatives to armed policing on LA Metro's buses and trains, and helped to win an unarmed transit ambassador program that launched in October 2022. In this episode, I interview Scarlett De Leon, Campaigns Director at ACT-LA, to discuss her organization's vision for creating community safety on transit. In 2021, the group released its “Metro as a Sanctuary” report that audited Metro's policing contracts, and analyzed the racially disproportionate impact of over-policing in the system. ACT-LA's report and subsequent pop-up activations demonstrated what care-based safety solutions that forefront rider dignity could look like. “Some population segments might feel more comfortable with armed security, but at the same time, they are causing actual harm to our Black riders, Latino riders, and other segments of our community. When we look at safety for our station, we want to make sure that everyone feels safe.” - Scarlett De LeonFor more on ACT-LA, click here. For more on TransitCenter, click here. Hosted by Kapish SinglaEdited by Ali Lemer and Kapish SinglaProduced by TransitCenterMusic: “Comma” - Blue Dot SessionsDisclaimer: Political views raised by guests on the podcast do not reflect the views of TransitCenter.

Ride New Orleans is an advocacy organization with a mission to win equitable public transportation for all residents across the New Orleans region. For over a decade, Ride New Orleans has advocated for better bus service, particularly service that would improve access to jobs. Years of advocacy by Ride will pay off in September 2022 when the New Orleans RTA launches a bus network redesign that is largely informed by the needs of riders. The “New Links” redesign will be the most transformative change to transit in the region since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city, and depleted local transit service in its aftermath.Ride New Orleans actively pushed to have a seat at the table when the community engagement outreach for New Links began. In this episode, I speak with the organization's Executive Director, Courtney Jackson, about how Ride hosted “therapeutic engagement sessions” in collaboration with decision-makers that served to amplify the rider experience and empower the rider voice. Courtney also shares how Ride combines data and storytelling to demonstrate the urgency of frequent, reliable transit service in their advocacy campaigns.“People like data and numbers, but folks have hearts. Humanizing our transit system really makes decision-makers pause and reflect. And in that pause, they [decision-makers] start to see the importance of the work that they do and that humanizes their work.” - Courtney JacksonFor more on Ride New Orleans, click here.For more on TransitCenter, click here.Hosted by Kapish SinglaEdited by Ali Lemer and Kapish SinglaProduced by TransitCenterMusic: “Comma” - Blue Dot SessionsDisclaimer: Political views raised by guests on the podcast do not reflect the views of TransitCenter.

In February 2022,  Pittsburgh's Mon-Oakland Connector Project—an autonomous shuttle proposal that would have spent $23 million of taxpayer dollars—finally died. Cause of death? Years of organizing by the advocacy group Pittsburghers for Public Transit that called attention to the fact that the project did little to serve the actual mobility needs of Pittsburgh residents. PPT is a grassroots organization of transit riders, workers, and residents who defend and expand public transit. In this episode, I spoke with the organization's executive director,  Laura Chu Wiens, about how PPT and allied groups successfully fought against the Mon-Oakland Connector and shifted public funds towards community-led solutions. Laura also shares her thoughts about how governmental agencies can build trust with and listen to communities."If the city was taking the time to finally address mobility needs, why wouldn't it be that they would've started with the things that would be so impactful and so obviously needed rather than investing in this tech-based solution.” - Laura Chu WiensFor more on Pittsburghers for Public Transit, click here.For more on TransitCenter, click here.Hosted by Kapish SinglaEdited by Ali Lemer and Kapish SinglaProduced by TransitCenterMusic: “Comma” - Blue Dot SessionsDisclaimer: Political views raised by guests on the podcast do not reflect the views of TransitCenter.

How do policies that make transit more equitable get implemented? That's a question that Laurel Paget-Seekins, Leadership in Government Fellow at Open Society Foundations, is looking into. Laurel draws from her experiences as a transit advocate in Atlanta and former Assistant General Manager of Policy at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.In this episode, Laurel reflects on her time working with advocates in Boston to implement a low-fare youth pass, and her experience in Atlanta advocating alongside agency leadership to win more funding for bus service. Those collaborations led Laurel to think deeply about how the power to enact change is built from both the inside and the outside of government.“How do we make sure that we're holding the government accountable while also trying to build trust in the institution of government? Part of that is understanding that our government institutions are essentially a collection of people who are managing a bunch of business processes, physical assets, and technology systems that are patched together through years of underinvestment. And so we have to get at those root problems, as well as the big policy questions to make government work.” - Laurel Paget-SeekinsClick here to read Laurel's blog.For more on TransitCenter, click here.Hosted by Kapish SinglaEdited by Ali Lemer and Kapish SinglaProduced by TransitCenterMusic: “Comma” - Blue Dot SessionsDisclaimer: Political views raised by guests on the podcast do not reflect the views of TransitCenter.

In June, TransitCenter released the Transit Equity Dashboard. The dashboard uses maps and graphs to show how transit access varies by race, class, and other demographic factors in 6 major urban regions.TransitCenter Senior Research Associate Mary Buchanan led the development of the dashboard. In this episode, Mary explains the importance of access to opportunity metrics, and how these metrics can be used to measure equity. Mary also shares major findings from the dashboard, and explains how this type of data can bolster advocacy efforts for more equitable service.Ron Thompson is Policy Officer at Greater Greater Washington. Ron joins us to reflect on what the dashboard tells us about inequitable transit access in the DC region. In particular, he describes the East-West divide in the city, and how it affects access to hospitals for Black and Latinx residents.“The data illuminates that in many US regions, the transit systems are providing more access to white people compared to people of color, while at the same time in those cities we know that the demand is much higher from people of color for transit.” - Mary BuchananTo access the Transit Equity Dashboard, click here.To view a video tutorial of the dashboard, click here.For more on Greater Greater Washington, click here.For more on TransitCenter, visit us here. Hosted by Kapish SinglaEdited by Ali Lemer and Kapish SinglaProduced by TransitCenterMusic: “Comma” - Blue Dot SessionsDisclaimer: Political views raised by guests on the podcast do not reflect the views of TransitCenter.

King County Metro, the largest transit agency in the Seattle region, is guided by the principle that “mobility is a human right.” For Metro, that means reducing barriers to frequent, reliable transit that connects people to jobs and other opportunities.Chris O'Claire is Mobility Division Director at King County Metro. In this episode, Chris details how the agency applies an equity lens to service planning and fare policy. Chris also tells us about Metro's Equity Cabinet and how it has led to more inclusive decision-making at the agency.“One of the most important things that we're hearing is that it's not just the individual that needs to travel to their job, but that families are dependent as a whole on public transportation.”For more on King County Metro's Mobility Framework, click here.For more on TransitCenter, visit us hereDisclaimer: Political views raised by guests on the podcast do not reflect the views of TransitCenter.Hosted by Kapish SinglaEdited by Ali Lemer and Kapish SinglaProduced by TransitCenterMusic: “Comma” - Blue Dot Sessions

At the onset of the pandemic, LA Metro made deep cuts to its bus service despite retaining the highest proportion of bus riders among large transit agencies in 2020. Over the past year, a coalition of transit advocates put pressure on LA Metro to reverse the cuts. The advocacy culminated in a commitment from the agency in January 2021 to restore service to pre-pandemic levels later this year. The win follows years of advocacy to make bus service a higher priority at LA Metro. Investing in Place is a Los Angeles advocacy organization that has been changing the conversation on bus investments. In this episode, Jessica Meaney and Scott Frazier of Investing in Place discuss the campaign that led to the January 2021 commitment. Jessica and Scott also reflect on the political nature of transit advocacy, and share their thoughts on what an equitable transit system looks like."I'm focused on taking all these wonderful ideas from the Better Bus Initiative, and putting them into a budget with real resources directed at our equity focused communities. We've had such a tremendous focus at the agency over the past several years on building giant projects. We need someone who really cares about the rider experience and the transit system as it exists today."For more on Investing in Place, click here.For more on TransitCenter, visit us here.Disclaimer: Political views raised by guests on the podcast do not reflect the views of TransitCenter.Hosted by Kapish SinglaEdited by Ali Lemer and Kapish SinglaProduced by TransitCenterMusic: “Comma” - Blue Dot Sessions

Cities across the US, including Miami, have been redesigning their bus networks to better serve today’s riders. Many decades-old networks have simply not kept pace with changing residential and employment patterns. Az Chougle is the Executive Director of Transit Alliance Miami, a non-profit organization that advocates for walkable streets, bikeable neighborhoods, and better public transit. In 2019, Transit Alliance Miami became the first advocacy group in the country to lead its city’s bus network redesign process. In this episode, Az details the group’s innovative community engagement efforts, and discusses how Transit Alliance worked to ensure the redesign benefitted Miami residents who rely on transit the most. He also outlines the benefits and drawbacks of advocacy groups taking on this work. “I think it's very important for agencies around the country to recognize that distinction between who you actually are trying to serve. Are you trying to get someone out of an Audi, or are you trying to prevent someone in poverty from having to take out a car payment because your service is not frequent, reliable, dependable enough?"For more on Transit Alliance Miami, click here.For more on TransitCenter, visit us here.Disclaimer: Political views raised by guests on the podcast do not reflect the views of TransitCenter.Disclosure: TransitCenter is a funder of Transit Alliance Miami, and has provided support for the Better Bus Project.Hosted by Kapish SinglaEdited by Ali Lemer and Kapish SinglaProduced by TransitCenterMusic: “Comma” - Blue Dot Sessions

In November 2020, Austin residents voted in favor of Proposition A. The $7 billion plan will expand bus service and build new light rail. Prop A also broke ground by pairing transit investments with housing funds to prevent displacement. João Paulo Connolly is the Director of Housing and Community Development at the Austin Justice Coalition. AJC is a racial justice group that educates and builds community power for people of color in Austin. In this episode, João Paulo discusses the anti-displacement fund and the equity dashboard written into Prop A. He also shares how transit advocacy can incorporate housing justice.“Project Connect is a mass transit infrastructure project that includes anti-displacement funding right at the ballot. This is a unique chance that we have to try to get it right and build new transit infrastructure without displacing people from their neighborhoods."To learn more about the Austin Justice Coalition, click here.For more on TransitCenter, visit us here.Disclaimer: Political views raised by guests on the podcast do not reflect the views of TransitCenter.Hosted and edited by Kapish SinglaProduced by TransitCenterMusic: “Comma” - Blue Dot Sessions

In Chicago, racial disparities run deep. A history of redlining, disinvestment, and movement of jobs to the suburbs have resulted in disparate life outcomes for Black and white residents. In transportation, this has manifested in longer transit commutes for Black residents, and a disproportionate number of cycling tickets given out in Black and brown neighborhoods, among other ways. Olatunji Oboi Reed is CEO & President of The Equiticity Racial Equity Movement. Based in Chicago, Equiticity advocates for mobility justice for Black, Brown, and Indigenous people of color. In this episode, Oboi discusses how Equiticity is tackling barriers to transportation access by collecting data about existing barriers, and developing legislation and policies that will codify and track the equitable distribution of resources across the city. “The root cause of all injustice experienced by Black, Brown and Indigenous people in our society is structural racism. Our oppression was and is by design. The most important work we must do is the dismantling of structural racism and the building of a society where Black, Brown and Indigenous people thrive. For those organizations that have still not arrived. A reckoning is required.”To learn more about The Equiticity Racial Equity Movement, click here.For more on TransitCenter, visit us here.Disclaimer: Political views raised by guests on the podcast do not reflect the views of TransitCenter.Music: “Comma” - Blue Dot SessionsHosted and edited by Kapish SinglaProduced by TransitCenter

In 2019, New York’s MTA announced a plan to hire 500 additional police officers, citing the need to reduce fare evasion. Transit advocates, community organizers, and police reformers quickly pointed out the racially discriminatory patterns of fare enforcement, and that the additional police presence would lead to more discriminatory enforcement within the system. Analysis of NYPD data by the Community Service Society demonstrates that fare summonses and arrests are disproportionately issued in high-poverty Black neighborhoods. In this episode, Brooklyn Movement Center Deputy Director Anthonine Pierre discusses how over-policing limits the movement of Black and brown New Yorkers, particularly on public transit. BMC is a community organizing group based in Central Brooklyn, and a member of Communities United for Police Reform, which recently led the #NYCBudgetJustice campaign to reallocate funding from NYPD to social services and public infrastructure. “We really want to zero into the kinds of policing that people don't often see but feel... That means Black and brown folks being harassed for standing on a sidewalk and being told that they're loitering... We find that rules about how people can move freely in public spaces are often enforced more harshly on people of color.”TransitCenter’s TransitTool on Policing + Transit can be accessed hereFor more on Brooklyn Movement Center's “Defund the NYPD” campaign, click hereDisclaimer: Political views raised by guests on the podcast do not reflect the views of TransitCenter.Music: “Comma” - Blue Dot SessionsHosted and edited by Kapish SinglaProduced by TransitCenter

How do transit agencies weather a crisis? In February 2015, the public transit system in Boston completely shut down due to heavy snowstorms. As a result, the general manager resigned and oversight of the MBTA was delegated to the newly formed Fiscal and Management Control Board. Under the board’s leadership the past five years, the agency has advanced projects that riders advocated for.In this episode, FMCB Vice Chair Monica Tibbits-Nutt reflects on the 2015 crisis and the parallels to 2020. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented challenge for the MBTA and every other transit agency. Monica shares how agencies will begin to re-think operations to prioritize operator and rider safety in the future.“It became very clear that the built space creates a lot of the inequalities that exist within our society, at least within the United States. So then it's how do you bridge that gap? And it was very clear that transportation was the way you did that.”Monica was the recipient of the “Good Governance Award” at TransitCenter’s First Annual Frequency Awards. To view Monica’s acceptance, click here. Disclaimer: Political views raised by guests on the podcast do not reflect the views of TransitCenter.Music: “Comma” - Blue Dot SessionsHosted and edited by Kapish SinglaProduced by TransitCenter

Nathan Vass is a bus operator at King County Metro in Seattle. For several years, Nathan has written about his interactions with riders on his route. His stories, compiled in a book called The Lines That Make Us, offer a compassionate glimpse into the lives of riders.Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, bus operators have encountered a new set of challenges. Many are working without adequate personal protective equipment, transporting passengers at significant risk to their own health. They have also struggled to get clear information on sick leave and the health of fellow transit workers. In this episode, we talk to Nathan about how he’s coping with these challenges, and about the steps that King County Metro has taken to address the concerns of bus operators.“I love driving the bus because it's an opportunity for me to offer help in a very elemental way. I'm providing this elemental need of transport. I feel like I'm offering something tactile that I can see the effect of. I'm taking somebody down the street and that's what they need.”Disclaimer: Political views raised by guests on the podcast do not reflect the views of TransitCenter.Sign our petition to demand that the White House supply better personal protective equipment for transit workers.To read Nathan’s blog, click here.Music: “Comma” - Blue Dot SessionsHosted and edited by Kapish SinglaProduced by TransitCenter

Alex Hudson is Executive Director at Transportation Choices Coalition, a policy and advocacy organization based in Seattle, Washington. Since the 1990s, TCC has worked to build broad coalitions on various campaigns and initiatives including Sound Transit 3, a $53.8 billion plan to expand transit approved by Seattle area voters in 2016. In this episode of High Frequency, Alex shares her wisdom about the elements of a winning campaign -- how to paint a big vision, garner support from elected leaders, and build a big tent coalition. She also shares lessons about communications tactics that have and haven’t worked when talking to voters about transit. “A lot of the way that we talk about transit is car-oriented, and that somehow transit is about traffic when transit is about itself. Transit is about the environment, opportunity, and a mobility future that provides a healthy civic environment” - Alex HudsonDisclaimer: Political views raised by guests on the podcast do not reflect the views of TransitCenter.For more information on Transportation Choices Coalition, click here.To learn more about the TransitCenter event Alex participated in, click here. Music: “Comma” - Blue Dot SessionsHosted and edited by Kapish SinglaProduced by TransitCenter

Maya Rosas is director of policy at the advocacy organization Circulate San Diego. In this episode, Maya discusses how Circulate successfully made the case for converting transit station parking lots into new housing. Last year, the momentum continued, with the San Diego city government reducing parking requirements near frequent transit stops. Maya shares her advocacy tactics and describes how Circulate uses research to cultivate relationships with decision makers and change public policy.“When we’re advocating for something, we’re not doing it for the prestige of us being able to claim a win, but because we want to see that change happen...and embrace the decision-makers, whether it be MTS or City Council.” - Maya RosasFor more information on the "Real Opportunity" report, click here.To learn more about TransitCenter's event program, click here.You can read about latest developments on a downtown San Diego project here.Music: “Comma” - Blue Dot SessionsHosted by Kapish SinglaProduced by TransitCenter

Beth Osborne is Director of Transportation for America. In this episode, Beth explains how the federal transportation program has failed to safely connect Americans with access to jobs and opportunities, despite the billions of dollars being poured into it. Since accomplishing its original mission of building the interstate highway system, the program has floundered, with misplaced goals and metrics for success. “Crumbling roads and bridges” has become common refrains for politicians, yet allocated funds often prioritize new projects rather than maintaining new ones. Many cities have outlined “Vision Zero” goals, yet pedestrian deaths have continued to increase in the past decade. In this episode of High Frequency, Beth walks us through the recommendations Transportation for America has developed for the federal transportation program: 1) prioritize maintenance, 2) design for safety over speed, and 3) connect people to jobs and services."We need to address safety, particularly for more vulnerable populations. While fatalities for people inside vehicles has gone down a little bit. Fatalities for people outside vehicles is going up at an alarming rate and we need to get to the bottom of that." - Beth OsborneDisclaimer: Political views raised by guests on the podcast do not reflect the views of TransitCenter.For more information on Transformation for America, click here. To learn about the TransitCenter event that Beth spoke on, click here.Music: “Comma” - Blue Dot SessionsHosted by Kapish SinglaProduced by TransitCenter

Who runs transit in your city? In many places, this is a complicated answer that involves a mix of different levels of government, transit agencies, and departments of transportation. In London, the answer is slightly more straight-forward. Leon Daniels is former Managing Director, Surface Transport at Transport for London (TfL). In this episode, Leon tells the story of what happened after the London government took responsibility for its transportation program in 2000 back from the central government. This maneuver resulted in many aspects of transportation such as taxicab regulation and bus service planning to be brought under one roof. Since that reorganization, Londoners have benefitted from increased frequency and improved service on public transit routes. In turn, TfL has also been rewarded with historic shares of transit mode share over the years. Finally, Leon shares some lessons from his experience at TfL as US transit agencies like New York’s MTA undergo their own reorganizations.“Cities are full of people who like to complain about they currently have, but don’t want the disruption about anything that they might have instead. And you just have to keep plugging away…and do what you think is right.” - Leon DanielsDisclaimer: Political views raised by guests on the podcast do not reflect the views of TransitCenter.You can read more about the trajectory of London and New York City transit for the past couple of decades here.Click here to learn more about the recent TransitCenter event that Leon spoke at.Music: “Comma” - Blue Dot SessionsHosted by Kapish SinglaProduced by TransitCenter

Stacy Thompson is Executive Director at LivableStreets in Boston. In this episode, Stacy discusses how her advocacy organization has pushed municipalities in the Boston region to prioritize buses. In 2017, the first in a series of “pop-up” bus lane in the Boston neighborhood of Roslindale. This pilot took advantage of the street cleaning schedule to give buses a “red lane” on space that had previously been reserved for parking. The pilot was a success, and has the concept has taken off across the city. Stacy imparts best practices on rider engagement and tips on working with politicians to reclaim our streets for people.“We’re going to double down on buses. They are the biggest opportunity we have for short-term improvements. We focused on our advocacy in the city of Boston -elevating their responsibility to turn over their streets to the bus.” - Stacy ThompsonRead the Getting Boston on Board report LivableStreets has produced.See MBTA’s video about the Roslindale bus priority lane.Click here for more information on the TransitCenter panel that Stacy has recently spoke on.Disclaimer: Political views raised by guests on the podcast do not reflect the views of TransitCenter.Music: “Comma” - Blue Dot SessionsHosted by Kapish SinglaProduced by TransitCenter