Fast Forward

Fast Forward

Fast Forward is a bi-weekly podcast covering the revolution in urban mobility. Hosted by urban researcher Nick Perloff-Giles, each episode features a guest on the front lines of the transformation in transportation, along with fun and incisive commentary on that week’s news. Visit www.comotionla.com to find out more about our flagship gathering convening the top players shaping the future of mobility.

Episodes

The Political Future of European Autonomy with Pierfrancesco Maran

November 26, 2025 • 25 mins
In cities across the United States, you can now order a self-driving robotaxi with the push of a button. Not so in Europe, where challenges to scaling and piloting keep the technology in an ever-nascent state. What needs to change for the technology to truly take off there, and what'll be different there than in car-hungry America? Those are the questions our guest today, Pierfrancesco Maran, answers.
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Rethinking Urban Design with Josephine Yilan Liu

November 10, 2025 • 26 mins
What might a city look like if it was designed for cognitive comfort, rather than efficiency or productivity? That's the question asked by Josephine Yilan Liu, a 'cognitive urbanist' and founder of Transformative Cities, a framework and consulting practice that turns scientific insight into design tools—practical enough to guide small decisions, deep enough to reframe how we think about urban life. In this episode, host Nick Perlof...
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New Tricks for Old Bureaucracies with Joshua Schank

October 27, 2025 • 30 mins
In the latest episode of CoMotion's Fast Forward podcast, host Nick Perloff-Giles sat down with Joshua Schank to discuss his forthcoming book 'New Tricks for Old Bureaucracies,' which examines his time as Director of LA Metro's Office of Extraordinary Innovation, including insights into how to break logjams, build consensus, and get agencies moving.  ———————————— At this inflection point in the American mobility ecosystem, the na...
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Belgium is Building the Future with Piet Demunter

October 13, 2025 • 27 mins
Belgium leads the EU in EV adoption, and isn't resting on its laurels - it already has 3x the number of EV chargers per capita than the average peer country, and is planning a massive buildout. How exactly did they make it happen, and what opportunities exist for those outside of the country to get involved? To learn more, Nick Perloff-Giles sat down with Piet Demunter, CEO of Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT), to discuss the Bel...
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How the Port of Long Beach Beat Pollution (and is doing it again)

September 30, 2025 • 34 mins
In this episode, Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Dr. Noel Hacegaba, COO of the Port of Long Beach, and Heather Tomley, Managing Director of Planning and Environmental Affairs for the Port of Long Beach, to discuss how a system as complicated as one of America's largest ports has managed to effectively stop most port-related pollution, and how it plans to go even further. ———————————— At this inflection point in the American mob...
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Riyadh's Mobility Revolution: A Global Perspective

September 2, 2025 • 21 mins
In this episode of Fast Forward, Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Founder & Chief Curator of CoMotion John Rossant to discuss CoMotion's newest venture - a conference in Riyadh, focused on the intersection of east and west, mobility and technology, and policy and application. Listen for a preview of what the conference is preparing to offer. ———————————— Saudi Arabia and Riyadh are at the crossroads of a global shift to sustaina...
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Paving Progress: Building Coalitions for Urbanism with Steve Adler

June 24, 2025 • 39 mins
In this episode, Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Steve Adler, former mayor and city councilmember of Austin, TX. They discuss the work required to bridge across interest groups, passing legislation with long time horizons, and how to build consensus for large-scale transit projects.
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High Hopes: Can a Gondola Solve Events Traffic?

June 9, 2025 • 25 mins
With the recent signing of Shohei Otani, traffic to Dodger Stadium, LA's premiere sports venue, is up more than 12% - all without fixed transit infrastructure to handle the surge. In this episode, Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with David Grannis of Zero-Emissions Transit and Michael Manley of Gondola manufacturer Leitner-Poma to discuss their project that solves the stadium's congestion by going in one direction: up.
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No Strings Attached: Open Loop Payments with Ben Lebedin

May 27, 2025 • 28 mins
Why is it often easier to pay for a cup of coffee than it is to pay for a ride on transit? In this episode, Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Ben Lebedin from US Bank & Elavon to discuss the opportunities presented by open-loop payments, the benefits of the service to both consumers and transit agencies, and the treasure trove of data that it presents.
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Fare Assessment: What's Going on in New York City's Transportation Policy with Matt Daus

May 13, 2025 • 38 mins
In this episode, Nick Perloff-Giles is joined by Matthew Daus, Partner at Windels-Marx and former Commissioner of the New York City TLC. They discuss the political headwinds facing congestion pricing, the challenges and successes of modernizing taxi service in the city, and what insurance markets might yield in policy to come.
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Sustainable Urban Mobility Investment with Mauricio Rodas & Lisa Sachs

April 22, 2025 • 28 mins
More than 70% of CO2 emissions are being generated in cities and these cities often lack access to the financing tools necessary to bring sustainable solutions to life. In this episode, CoMotion’s John Rossant chats with Mauricio Rodas, Former Mayor of Quito, Ecuador, and Lisa Sachs, Director, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment to discuss the rising demand for sustainable mobility and transit solutions, and the new global T...
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Access Granted: The Future of Rider's Choice, with Uber Transit

April 8, 2025 • 36 mins
Across the country, transit agencies face a dilemma: how to provide reliable, safe, and equitable service for individuals who rely on ADA paratransit, while keeping costs low? In this episode, CoMotion's Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Dmitriy Vanchugov, Head of Partnerships at Uber Transit, alongside Spare Labs Co-Founder & CEO Kristoffer Vik Hansen, Stephanie Doughty (MV Transportation), and David Hatch (MBTA) to explore all t...
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Toll Story: New York City's Congestion Pricing, Two Months In

March 17, 2025 • 30 mins
In this episode, Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Lewis Lehe, Assistant Professor in the Transportation Systems group of the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at UIUC, to discuss congestion pricing's consequences, two months later. Has the toll worked in reducing congestion downtown? How might we measure that? And beyond simply reducing congestion, are there other benefits to this policy? This conversation explores an...
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Magic City Mindset: Unlocking Innovation with Leigh-Ann Buchanan

March 3, 2025 • 26 mins
In this episode, Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Leigh-Ann Buchanan, Founder & CEO of the Miami-Dade Innovation Authority, a 501c(3) non-profit that connects the most innovative startups in Miami's private markets with the most pressing needs in the public sector. They discuss how MDIA is disrupting slow procurements, and how public sector involvement can 'de-risk' innovation. Plus, a sneak peek at CoMotion MIAMI '25.
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Funding the Future of Mobility with Puneeth Meruva

February 16, 2025 • 31 mins
In this episode, Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Puneeth Meruva, Partner at Trucks VC, a fund which invests in early-stage ideas that make transportation decarbonized, safer and more accessible. With the retrenchment of public dollars in things like electrification and alternatives to private automotives, the private sector is exploring where true creativity and returns are possible, and where policy adaptations can yield scalabl...
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Chain Reaction: Bikeshare's Resurgence with Alison Cohen

February 3, 2025 • 39 mins
In this episode, Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Alison Cohen, founder, chair, and president of Bicycle Transit Systems, one of the oldest and largest bikesharing networks in the country. They talk about the stubborn economics of bikeshares, the history of the model from coin-operated to electrified, and what's in store as systems recover from the ebbing ridership of the pandemic.
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Autopilot for Everyone: Autonomy Beyond Robotaxis

January 5, 2025 • 36 mins
In this episode, Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Henriette Cornet, USF professor and sustainable autonomy expert, and Toby McGraw, Chief Revenue Officer at Beep, an autonomous shared mobility startup, to discuss the past, present, and future of autonomy, with lessons from Europe and beyond on fleet management, integration of autonomous infrastructure into urban cores, and using autonomy to compliment, rather than compete, with pu...
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Moving Fast & (Un)breaking Things with Ya-Ting Liu

December 5, 2024 • 37 mins
In this episode, Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Ya-Ting Liu, the new Chief Public Realm Officer for New York City. They talk about how urban leaders can thoughtfully deploy pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, tackle entrenched bureaucracies, and expand economic opportunity through vibrant, joyful urban design. ———————————— Join us next at CoMotion MIAMI '25, Apr 29-30. Get your pass now and save 50% off: www.comotionmiami.com...
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British Automation: The UK's New Autonomy Framework with Paul Rennie

December 5, 2024 • 25 mins
In this episode, John Rossant talks to Paul Rennie, OBE, the British Consul General in Los Angeles, about the UK's new legal framework around autonomy and how that'll impact the next decade of innovation in the sector. They also talk regional investment, what LA's car-culture can learn from the brits, and how autonomy may reshape not only our cities, but the demographic fabric of our countries. ———————————— Join us next at CoMoti...
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Venturing Forth: What's Next for VCs in Mobility

December 1, 2024 • 29 mins
2024 saw a significant contraction in venture capital investment in mobility, down more than 50% since its frothy peak in 2021. So what comes next? In this episode, John Rossant, CEO & Founder of CoMotion chats with Prescott Watson, Operating Partner at RedBlue Capital, and investor and board member of Aerolane, a new company focusing on reducing aerial cargo costs. Hear from them about where venture does (and doesn't) make sense i...
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