January 15, 2025 • 32 mins
In a Transit Unplugged exclusive, Paul talks with Veronica Vanterpool, Acting Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) about the inner workings of the FTA, how the Regional Administrators help set priorities and connect agencies with funding, the transformative developments in public transportation over the past four years, and Veronica’s vision for transit in 2025.
In the U.S., the FTA is responsible for large-scale oversight, rule-making, and, most importantly, funding for transit agencies across the country. The historic $15.5 billion in funding for transit has helped jumpstart and complete projects across the U.S., but as the Trump Administration enters the White House, what will happen with future funding tranches, especially for low-no emissions programs?
Find out this week on Transit Unplugged.
Next week on the show we have Ned Freeman, CEO of UZURV, talking about how his company is changing lives, one ride at a time.
00:00 Introduction to the show and Veronica Vanterpool
01:03 Introduction and Welcome
01:14 Challenges and Achievements in Public Transportation
02:08 Role of Public Transportation in Crisis
04:09 Federal Transit Administration's Mission and Structure
06:00 Funding and Support for Transit Projects
07:42 Congestion Pricing and Capital Investments
11:03 Accessibility and Inclusivity in Public Transit
13:36 Low and No Emission Grants
15:40 Support for Tribal and Rural Transit
19:08 Structure and Role of the FTA
25:15 Veronica Vanterpool's Background and Career
29:04 Conclusion and Future Outlook
31:18 Coming up next week on Transit Unplugged
If you have a question or comment, email us at info@transitunplugged.com.
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Modaxo Inc., its affiliates or subsidiaries, or any entities they represent (“Modaxo”). This production belongs to Modaxo, and may contain information that may be subject to trademark, copyright, or other intellectual property rights and restrictions. This production provides general information, and should not be relied on as legal advice or opinion. Modaxo specifically disclaims all warranties, express or implied, and will not be liable for any losses, claims, or damages arising from the use of this presentation, from any material contained in it, or from any action or decision taken in response to it.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:05):
Veronica Vanterpool is theActing Administrator of the U.
S.
Federal Transit Administration, andwe talked to her on today's episode
of the Transit Unplugged podcast.
I'm Paul Comfort, and I thought itwas important for us to kind of have
a wrap up of the last four years ofthe Biden Administration before we
head into the Trump Administration.
Talk about what the FTA has been doingand Veronica tells us about their new
(00:28):
programs they've been running suchas the Low and No Emission Program,
the Rail Vehicle Replacements, theAll Stations Accessibilities, the
Ferry Program, the Tribal Transit.
We dive into all of it in detail andactually, Veronica explains how the
FTA works and the role of the regionaladministrators and how they operate in
this system here in the United States.
(00:48):
Plus we take a look at what we think thefuture of public transportation will hold.
All that on this episode of TransitUnplugged with Veronica Vanderpool,
the Acting Administrator of theFederal Transit Administration.
Enjoy.
Great to have with us on the programtoday, my friend, Veronica Vanterpool,
who is Acting Administrator of the U.
(01:09):
S.
Federal Transit Administration.
Veronica, thanks for being on the show.
Well, thank you for having me.
Yeah, so I thought, you know, weought to have you on to talk about
the last four years of what's beengoing on in public transportation.
I mean, it's been some of the mostchallenging years coming out of
the pandemic, but also some of themost eventful years with all the
money coming from the BipartisanInfrastructure Act and the movements.
(01:32):
And it seems like every week, Veronica,you've been in a different city, you know,
cutting a ribbon or giving a big checkand your predecessor, the same thing.
It's been a lot going on, hasn't there?
There sure has been a lot to beproud of, a lot that we're glad to
be touting and noting its progressso much over the past four years.
We're leaving quite a legacy behind.
(01:53):
As you and I are recording this, whichwill be one week from when we air
it it's the Monday when we've got abig snowstorm coming, the first big
snow we've had in years, and there'shundreds, if not thousands, of people
joining you in Washington, D.C.
For the TRB conference and all thereceptions that are going to go on.
And we were going to do this in personin your office, which I appreciate the
invite, but with all the snow comingthis morning, I'm, like, locked in here
(02:15):
at my house, but public transportation,the reason I bring that up is because
public transportation really plays a key,essential role in communities, especially
in times of crisis or storms, naturaldisasters, those kind of things, right?
And we've seen it do that overthe last four years of your term.
That is exactly right.
In fact, we've seen someunprecedented events.
So I've lived in DC now justabout three and a half years.
(02:36):
This is the first majorsnowfall that I've seen.
And as you noted, this is a very big weekin DC because of the TRB conference and
activities and events are still ongoing.
And I have no problem gettingto my venue later because I'll
be using WMATA's metro system.
Right.
And while federal offices are closedin the city and schools are closed
(02:58):
and many businesses are closed, TRBis able to continue on because we
have a functioning, strong, and wellfunded and invested transit network
in the metro system operated by WMATA.
So, I expect to have no problemsgetting in, but transit continues
to serve as that lifeline.
So, so many individuals who have torely on a personal vehicle, you know,
(03:22):
may not have that option of a transitsystem in their community, but those of
us that do have that privilege and thatoption and that proximity, we're very
fortunate to be able to say, I'm goingto walk to my nearest metro station
and hop on, you know, the next train.
And it has actually allowed me, as thesenior most official or the most official
(03:42):
senior transit person in the countryto not own a vehicle because I live in
a community where I can take transit,I can walk, I can bike and when and if
needed, I can use a rideshare vehicle.
So I have a lot of options, but Irecognize communities across the United
States don't always have those options,and that's really what the Federal
(04:05):
Transit Administration tries to do.
Yeah, let's talk about that.
Yes, our mission is to improve America'scommunities through public transportation.
So, We are a very uniquestructure in this country.
Many countries do not have afederalized agency that is supporting
public transportation in the waysthat we do across 50 different
(04:28):
states, different territories, acrossdifferent geographies and certainly
many different constituencies andabilities and modes of public transit.
We use taxpayer dollars, federal funds,to support over 3, 500 recipients.
So that is mostly transit agencies orstate departments of transportation or
(04:51):
metropolitan planning organizations.
So we do not supportnon profits generally.
There's some programs within FTA thatdo support those entities, but by and
large, most of our funding goes to thosethree agencies groups of recipients.
And we work with them to makesure that they are delivering
(05:12):
their projects on time.
So we also have sort of, our grantfunding buckets are competitive,
but they're also through formula.
So formulas are set by Congressand they're based on population and
vehicle miles traveled and communitiesthroughout the United States
receive those funds automatically.
(05:32):
But on the grant program side thosedifferent entities compete for very
limited dollars and very competitiveprograms for funding to support let's
say a new rail extension, or a newbus rapid transit route, or to plan
for transit oriented development.
(05:53):
So we are really changing mobilitythroughout the United States by the
way that we direct our federal funds.
That's something.
You know, in a lot of countries, thefederal government might be involved
only in capital dollars coming to,for instance, Canada was until the
pandemic where they only gave capitaldollars but it's different in the U.
S.
in that there are operatingdollars coming to, to support that.
(06:14):
That's very interesting.
There are operating dollars to supportcommunities throughout the United States,
but not in some of the larger cities.
So operating support.
Does not go to cities with apopulation of 200, 000 or more.
So that would cover manyof our major metropolises.
Of course, the New York Citiesand the Philadelphias and the
(06:34):
Chicagos and the Los Angeles.
But what's notable is that many ofthese communities are looking at ways
to support the operating side, andoperating is incredibly important.
It is really the day to day.
It supports salaries, it supportsmaintenance, it supports fuel it
supports you know, a number of theexpenses associated with getting vehicles
(06:58):
out on the road to move, you know,millions of people every single day.
But we do support a good amount ofcommunities that are smaller than
200, 000 with operating assistance.
Yes.
You know, I remember I used to
get some money and I, I appreciated it.
And, you know, I'm glad that, that younote that Paul, because these are the
communities that are really providingbus workhorse for many of these rural
(07:21):
communities or tribal communitieswhere, you know, we are able to ensure
that there is some sustenance into theday to day operations of these smaller
systems across the United States.
Yeah.
And, you know, state of good repairand the capital investments that we
have seen a lot of money come out overthe last four years to help us with.
(07:42):
I mean, that's really what what'sgoing on in New York City right now.
I don't know if you want to comment onit, but this is a very interesting week
as well, because it's the first week forcongestion charging to come to the U.
S.
Of course, they have it in London.
I've seen it there in operation.
I've been to Singapore and seen it inoperation there and heard from Jeremy
Yap and how it invests, that investmentin their system is so key and important.
And in big cities, like youmentioned, that don't get it.
(08:03):
Operating dollars, they still have evenbigger needs for capital investments.
And that's where all the money,right, from the congestion charging
is supposed to go in New York City.
Indeed.
In fact New York City is my home.
I was born and raised and, in fact,have lived most of my life in New York.
I actually moved from New York in 2020,so not that long ago and, and I have
(08:25):
a special relationship with publictransportation, not just as a user of
the system all of my life having grownup in The Bronx, one of the five boroughs
of New York City, but having been anadvocate for public transportation
since 2007, and funny enough, I wasan advocate for congestion pricing.
That's how I started my career.
Is that right?
(08:45):
In public transportation at thetime Mayor Bloomberg was in office
and he had proposed a sweepingenvironmental blueprint plan NYC.
And congestion pricing was just one of127 initiatives proposed at the time.
So I have been working as many advocateshave since that time and even before 2007
(09:07):
when it was first introduced or, you know,some would even say reintroduced because
it's a concept that had been debated inNew York City and the region for decades.
But yes, a pivotal moment for New YorkCity as it launched this congestion
pricing program just yesterday, and Iserved on the board of New York's MTA,
which is the largest transportationnetwork in this country, for just about
(09:31):
four years, so I'm, and also gave thedeciding vote to launch congestion pricing
when I was really, I didn't know that.
Wow.
So,
A very interesting and exciting moment forthose of us to strongly believe in raising
dedicated funds for public transportationand looking at ways of improving
road safety and reducing congestionand improving environmental quality.
(09:55):
So for many of us who believe in youknow, that program, it's certainly.
It's nice to see it take off, but toyour point, Paul, transit systems do
need dedicated support for the capitalprograms of public transportation.
That is what really helps providemore service to more people in
cities across America through theexpansion of existing transit or
(10:18):
the launch of new transit projects.
And you need capital dollars and NewYork, as many states in this country,
Washington State recently passed somelegislation to invest significantly
in public transportation, but New YorkState, Washington State many others
have really committed to funding publictransportation on the capital side and
(10:41):
it does need a combination of federalsupport, state support, and local support.
Yeah, I do want to comment on that.
I think you know, but for fiveyears, I worked in Washington, D.C.
As a contractor with MV Transportationrunning the paratransit system,
the ADA paratransit, and it was youknow, one of the highlights of my
career, and I was so happy that,you know, you guys have funded it.
(11:03):
Almost a hundred stations acrossAmerica to upgrade them, making
them accessible for the very firsttime for people with disabilities.
These were stations that were builtbefore the ADA was passed in 1990.
But I want to thank you because I'm apassionate advocate for the needs of
people with disabilities and the elderly.
I feel like they're the ones thatreally need our services the most,
and so we need to give them the most.
(11:24):
You know, we need toreach out to them further.
There may be other folks who say,here, we're going to make sure that
you definitely can use this becausewithout it, you could be stuck.
You know, you could be like, you know,it's like a lot of people are today.
Like I am right now, notable to get out of my house.
So, but with that investment thathas made, you know, probably hundreds
of thousands of more people ableto use public transportation.
Absolutely, and I appreciateyou noting accessibility.
(11:47):
That has been a priority and a goalof this administration, but frankly,
it should be a priority and a goal ofevery administration, of every federal
transit program, because what it does,it strengthens our economies to make sure
All members of our communities can beactive members of their their society.
They can participate in churchactivities and school activities and
(12:10):
connect with each other, and especiallyconnecting with everything that matters.
And through our All Stations AccessibilityProgram, the one that you largely
referenced, We have been able to updatenearly 100 stations across the country.
Many of them are still in developmentin progress, but putting these
funds, particularly towards someof these stations and communities
(12:32):
that have the oldest rail and traininfrastructure, makes a big difference.
You know, this, this means thatsomeone who may be mobility impaired
doesn't have to skip three stationstops in order to get to work or to
connect to their doctor appointment.
It may mean that they can walkto the station stop in their
(12:54):
neighborhood and get on a train there.
That's right.
This is a time savings, but it'salso important again to making
sure that people have access toopportunities, that they can work at
their local library if they chose.
And while this is particularly importantfor those who are older, those living
with disabilities, it's importantfor people who've just broken their
(13:15):
foot and are in crutches for the day.
Or a parent who is pushing a stroller andwants to take, you know, their child to
the zoo and does not want to drive, right?
So, this, these deliver benefits for somany individuals beyond those who are
most reliant on public transportation,and we're really proud of that.
(13:36):
Let's talk for a minuteabout, if you would, about the
low and no emission grants.
That's been another key initiative ofthe Biden administration and DOT and FTA.
I mean, five billion dollars.
Come on now.
That's a significant investment, Paul.
And it's really an investment in reducingpollution in communities across America,
in every size community, whether you'rea small rural community, to one of the
(14:01):
biggest cities across the United Statesand reducing pollution is everyone's goal.
No one wants to be in a communityor live in a community or work in a
community where air quality is bad.
And you certainly don'twant to be a user of a city.
So we have a system um, where youhave outdated vehicles, right?
Our personal vehicles have been upgradedwith the latest and cleanest technology.
(14:26):
We've seen cars getcleaner over generations.
And we are now investing in buses andother transit modes to get cleaner
in the same way with new technology.
So we've spent a lot of money, 5 billion,and on buses and in buses to upgrade
to the newest cleanest technology.
In doing so we're supporting an Americanbase of manufacturing buses domestically
(14:51):
producing in the United States.
So in this administration wewould have had nearly 6, 000 buses
either operating on the on theground ordered or manufactured.
It's almost 6, 000 inthat those three buckets.
From our 5 billion investment.
And, you know, what that means is weare making it easier for communities
(15:16):
to achieve so many goals and again,making sure that our communities remain
healthy communities for everyone.
So very, very proud of that investment,very proud to support domestic
manufacturing in this country.
American made buses is a very big deal butthen again, really proud to be reducing
pollution in the ways that we have been.
(15:36):
One last specific program I want tocall out because it means a lot to me.
I started my career in rural, righthere in Queen Anne's County, Maryland,
in rural America, running a small bussystem, but another one that doesn't get
a lot of attention is tribal transit.
My good friend Kendra Sue McGady ScottBogen, of CTAA, all them, you know the.
This is their passion.
Obviously, Kendra works there PelavanTransit and you all have increased
(15:58):
funding by 31 percent to help tribaltransit, and this is an area, again,
where without this service people couldbe stuck and not be able to have any
mobility, and we know that mobilityequals life, so you've got to have
mobility to really live a full life andto enjoy all that life has to offer,
and, and you've helped make that happen.
Thank you, Veronica.
Thank you, Paul.
And, you know, I want to notequite a few things on this.
(16:21):
So, Scott and Kendra, I know well.
They are wonderful, wonderful advocatesfor rural and tribal communities.
We're so glad to have had theirpartnership in so many of our
initiatives and glad to see themadvance so much of their work.
We have really put a greatdeal of emphasis on making it
easier for tribal communities tosuccessfully compete for this money.
(16:45):
So one way we've done that is we'veactually eliminated the local match for
tribal communities because typicallywhen the federal government invests
and FTA invests, we do an 80 20 splitand we expect local communities to to
contribute 20 percent of the project cost.
(17:06):
We want to know that there is localsupport for our federal investment,
but for tribal communities thatcan be more challenging for them
to generate that local match.
So we very successfully in thisadministration waived that local
match for tribal communities.
So what that means is they're able tokeep the federal dollars without the
(17:26):
pressure of having to meet that match.
We've also made it so mucheasier to apply for these funds.
So we have reformatted the tribalapplication so it is so much simpler.
We've reduced the word count.
We've taken out the jargon.
We have made it an easier fillable PDFand that's important because what we've
(17:48):
learned in many tribal communities is.
They're all different sizes withall different sorts of resources.
Some of the bigger tribes haveresources for grant writing.
Some of the smaller sometimes theyclose because of salmon fishing season.
And they need to get to that point.
So they are not working and competingfor federal grants during that time.
(18:11):
So, you know, we, we recognizethat we want to get this money
into these tribal communities.
I've had the privilege and thebenefit in my role to travel
across the United States.
And I was able to visit Coeur d'Alenein Idaho and a transit service
that's provided by a tribe thereand the connection of that service
(18:35):
to the local reservations, right?
Without this service that is supportedby Federal Transit Administration, there
would not be a bus to bring members ofthe community to very needed employment
in the reservations and elsewhere.
Without that bus, They would haveto find an alternative means that
would be more costly because it wouldlargely depend on, you know, a private
(18:59):
vehicle or sharing a vehicle, etc.
We're really proud of that.
We're proud of making thoseconnections, particularly in our
tribal and rural communities.
We could talk about so many more ofthe things that have been done, but
let's dive into a little bit aboutyour background and maybe a little
bit more, if you don't mind, about thestructure of the FTA and how it works,
what the role of the administrator is,what are these regional administrators?
(19:20):
I know people in Australia maynot understand that, but we've got
the country broken into regions.
Can you walk through thatsome a little bit and then
let's go into your background?
What do you do day today as the administrator?
Let's start with that.
What's your role?
My day to day is working with areally talented team across the United
States of 700 plus FTA employees.
We have a dedicated team of individualswho come from all sorts of backgrounds,
(19:44):
legal, planning, Advocacy, non profit,financial, who all share in the same
mission, and that's really, again,to improve America's communities
through public transportation.
So, we are headquarteredin Washington D.C.
In the Department of Transportationheadquartered building, and within
the Department of Transportation,I'll start very high level.
(20:05):
There's nine differentagencies, if you will.
Federal Transit is one of those nineFederal Aviation is another of those
nine, Federal Rail, et cetera, and we,we partner across many initiatives.
There's obviously a lot of intersectionalwork amongst all of the nine, but FTA is
broken into 10 regional offices acrossthe United States, and each of those
(20:27):
regional offices handles many states.
And each office is based in a hub.
So, we have hubs, for example, inDenver, Colorado, or Los Angeles,
California Washington, D.C.,as I noted, Chicago, Illinois.
And our regionaladministrators lead a team.
And the team varies in size youknow, anywhere from, you know,
(20:48):
20 to 60 members of the team.
And what that regional team led bythe regional administrator does is
they guide our federal investmentin that region across those states
that they're responsible for.
So they're really working closelywith those recipients of federal
transit administration funds.
(21:09):
So again, those Transit agencies, thosestate departments of transportation,
those metropolitan planning organizations,and they're working with them to make
sure that they are meeting all thefederal requirements, such as our
environmental regulations under NEPA,our National Environmental Policy Act.
They're making sure that they'remeeting civil rights obligations.
(21:31):
They're making sure they're meetingthe legal requirements of the grants.
But they're also doing some hand holding.
answering very technical questionsfrom the project sponsors.
So our teams are comprised of expertswho are engineers, who are experts
in project management and oversight,who are experts in legal work, who
(21:51):
are working with Transit Agency X tofulfill the requirements of the grant.
To deliver the best project for thecommunity and to answer questions
that make them competitive for thenext grants that they're applying for.
You'll remember that I said wegive out money in two buckets.
Automatic formula funding and then Thecompetitive funding, and many of these
(22:16):
transit recipients want to continueto compete successfully for the next,
you know, competitive grant cycles,and our team in the regions know them
intimately and work closely with them.
In many ways, they're their advocates.
Our regional administrator and teams,they want to see these projects done
well, and I think that's somethingthat's incredibly important.
(22:39):
Many people see federal government asbureaucratic and sometimes oppositional,
but our team is really the best advocatefor transit projects in their region.
They want to see those projectsdelivered well because we've made
an investment and we like to see agood ROI on our investment and we
like to see successful projects.
(23:00):
That's good.
I think one other note to make is thatthey're not politically appointed, right?
They're, they are, what do you call that?
Civil service, right?
Yes.
They're civil servants.
They're career employees andmany of them bring decades and
many of them are new to the work.
But yes, they are there politically.
over many, many years, so they'veacquired a good deal of expertise,
(23:22):
but local regional knowledge thatwe in headquarters don't have.
So many times I am out on the road, peoplewill come over to me and say, I have
this very specific question, or I am notsure how to do X, and my first question
to them is, well, have you met and orengaged with your regional administrator?
(23:42):
Because they're the first place youshould start and we in headquarters
are not making decisions withoutengaging with our regional team.
They're the experts in the region.
Like one you recently hired, KerryButler in Region 7, an expert who's
been CEO of a number of agencies.
When I visit these transit associationconferences across the country where I
(24:02):
speak, there almost always is a regionaladministrator there as one of the main
speakers explaining all the latest downinto the nitty gritty details about how
to apply for grants, what's available.
It's one of the most popular sessions ofevery state transit association conference
is when the Regional Administratortalks because they're explaining to
them, you know, how to access andtap into those federal resources.
(24:23):
That's right.
And when we're selecting these regionaladministrators, and I've been involved
in a number of interviews over thesefour years, we're selecting the very
best individuals who know publictransit well and come with stellar
credentials, because we expect themto make decisions that reflect my
decision or the administrator's decisionduring any given, you know, tenure.
(24:47):
Yes.
And they have to reflect.
So, to reflect what overall FTA andwhat's coming from headquarters,
they need to reflect and executethat at the regional level.
So, we have the most exceptionalleaders and I want to note that most
of our leaders in the headquartersacross the region are women.
In fact FTA, a stat I'm veryproud of more than 50 percent
(25:09):
of our total workforce is women.
That's
really reflected in our leadership roles.
Yeah.
So, another thing, talking abouta background experience, if
you've got a few more minutes,let's talk about your background.
So, I love the fact that you worked,you know, in transit not only the,
what you've talked about in New YorkCity, but I think I first became aware
of you when you were working withmy friend John Sisson in Delaware.
(25:31):
You know, right next to where I'm at,I've, I've been very involved with
Delaware Transit for many years, andbeing enrolled in Maryland and all.
So, tell us something about yourbackground, how you ended up first
becoming the deputy and now acting.
Well, you know, a very interesting path.
My background is inenvironmental It always is, isn't
it?
Always.
In transit, man.
Our careers are wild.
Well, I, my background is in environmentalscience and policy, and of course, we know
(25:54):
the intersection there, but that's whatI went to school for, and my early jobs
were in environmental policy, but I, asI mentioned earlier, I'm a born and bred
New Yorker, born and raised in The Bronx.
I love saying that.
I took three buses each way to highschool and that was important for me.
I, I knew the importance of publictransportation because I relied on it.
(26:17):
So that was very critical andcrucial to the formation of my
appreciation for public transportation.
I, as I noted earlier, I actuallytransitioned into transportation
in 2007 for a small non profitheadquartered in Manhattan.
And I started working onsustainable transportation broadly
(26:37):
in the New York Metro Region.
So that was all of New YorkState, New Jersey, Connecticut.
And we looked at, of course,public transportation, but how
to reduce deaths on our roadway.
From, you know, vehicular collisions.
How to invest sustainably in roadsand bridges and fix it first.
As opposed to, you know, expandingthis infrastructure without investing
(26:59):
in the existing infrastructure.
So, I really developed a strongappreciation for the whole of the
transportation network and providing alot of different options for people to
move around and why that so importantimportant from, of course, tapping into
my background in environmental science,right, important from issues of equity
(27:20):
and accessibility, making sure everyonecontributes in their communities and has
ways of doing that but making sure thatour economies were sound the economy of
New York City, the economy of Chicago,of Philadelphia, of so many cities across
the United States, and small ones as well.
is dependent and or intertwinedwith public transportation when you
(27:43):
make those investments, they matter.
So I have always sought outwork in public transportation.
I did go from New York into Delaware.
I served as its first ChiefInnovation Officer at the
Delaware Transit Corporation.
And that was important because it gaveme insight into launching a new transit
(28:04):
service in a rural community that wasagricultural that had a lot of migrant
workers and why that was important.
And then from there I moved into therole at FTA, but I come from the side of
community engagements, public advocacyinstitutional coalition building, public
(28:24):
policy campaigns, and working with everystakeholder, whether you're a community
resident, or you're a governor, or youare a member of the federal delegation,
my role was to engage with everyone.
On these topics that are soimportant about mobility.
And then here I am now at FTA in anacting administrator role because
my predecessor Administrator NuriaFernandez retired after an illustrious
(28:50):
40 years plus in the transit industry.
And I stepped up given that I wasdeputy to serve as acting throughout
the remainder of this administration.
It's wonderful.
Well, thank you for spendingsome time with us today.
Summary of what you feel like, youknow, you've done so far, or look ahead
into what you think is coming next.
(29:10):
I want to note that in thisadministration, we've invested the
most ever in public transportation.
15.
5 billion dollars.
This has been an unprecedentedtime with unprecedented vision,
unprecedented commitment, Unprecedentedexecution to so many shared goals
(29:30):
across this country, strengtheningcommunities, strengthening economies,
providing opportunities for people.
And that's what publictransportation really does.
So I am really proud to now lead a teamthat has been led by strong leaders before
at this moment with the biggest investmentin public transportation, thanks to
(29:51):
the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Candidly, but 15.
5 billion over four yearsinvested to improve America's
communities through public transit.
I'm really proud of what we'veaccomplished, but I'm proud
of the stories that I hear.
I've traveled a lot.
I've talked to a lot of people.
I've ridden on buses with busriders and asked them, what do
(30:11):
you like about your commute?
What don't you like about your commute?
And that comes from my advocacy sideas well, that connecting to people.
But I hear you.
The benefits of our investmentfrom the people who use the systems
themselves, and it is work thatI'm really, really proud of.
It is work that's in my blood.
I am very proud of our team who's workedreally hard to deliver four new programs
(30:35):
and get so much more money out the door.
We've made changes in this countryand we expect those changes to
continue to be made moving forward.
That's wonderful.
Well, Veronica, thank you for the roleyou've played over the last many years
at FTA and before that, and I'm surewhatever the next chapter in your career
holds, you'll continue to be a passionateadvocate for public transportation.
(30:58):
Thank you, Paul, and thank you for allof your work to highlight success stories
of this industry, but for connectingso many people across the globe to make
sure that we're connecting people to whatmatters through public transportation.
Oh, thank you very much.
Take care and have a good rest ofyour uh, TRB conference there in DC.
Stay safe.
Stay
Thank you, Paul.
(31:21):
Thank you for listening to this week'sepisode of Transit Unplugged with our
special guest, Acting Administratorof the FTA, Veronica Vanterpool.
Hi, I'm Tris Hussey, editor of thepodcast, and coming up next week, we
actually continue this conversation aboutserving others, and the role of transit in
society with the CEO of UZURV Ned Freeman.
(31:44):
Ned shares his passion for UZURV and thejob it does, connecting people with public
transit regardless of their abilities.
Hey, do you know we have a reallylarge and active community on LinkedIn?
You should check it out.
You can check out the newsletter, youcan answer a poll, and you know we always
post something interesting about theepisodes, either the podcast or Transit
(32:08):
Unplugged TV as soon as they come out.
Transit Unplugged isbrought to you by Modaxo.
At Modaxo, we're passionate aboutmoving the world's people, and at
Transit Unplugged, we're passionateabout telling those stories.
So until next week, ridesafe and ride happy.
Veronica Vanterpool is theActing Administrator of the U.
S.
Federal Transit Administration, andwe talked to her on today's episode
of the Transit Unplugged podcast.
I'm Paul Comfort, and I thought itwas important for us to kind of have
a wrap up of the last four years ofthe Biden Administration before we
head into the Trump Administration.
Talk about what the FTA has been doingand Veronica tells us about their new
(00:28):
programs they've been running suchas the Low and No Emission Program,
the Rail Vehicle Replacements, theAll Stations Accessibilities, the
Ferry Program, the Tribal Transit.
We dive into all of it in detail andactually, Veronica explains how the
FTA works and the role of the regionaladministrators and how they operate in
this system here in the United States.
(00:48):
Plus we take a look at what we think thefuture of public transportation will hold.
All that on this episode of TransitUnplugged with Veronica Vanderpool,
the Acting Administrator of theFederal Transit Administration.
Enjoy.
Great to have with us on the programtoday, my friend, Veronica Vanterpool,
who is Acting Administrator of the U.
(01:09):
S.
Federal Transit Administration.
Veronica, thanks for being on the show.
Well, thank you for having me.
Yeah, so I thought, you know, weought to have you on to talk about
the last four years of what's beengoing on in public transportation.
I mean, it's been some of the mostchallenging years coming out of
the pandemic, but also some of themost eventful years with all the
money coming from the BipartisanInfrastructure Act and the movements.
(01:32):
And it seems like every week, Veronica,you've been in a different city, you know,
cutting a ribbon or giving a big checkand your predecessor, the same thing.
It's been a lot going on, hasn't there?
There sure has been a lot to beproud of, a lot that we're glad to
be touting and noting its progressso much over the past four years.
We're leaving quite a legacy behind.
(01:53):
As you and I are recording this, whichwill be one week from when we air
it it's the Monday when we've got abig snowstorm coming, the first big
snow we've had in years, and there'shundreds, if not thousands, of people
joining you in Washington, D.C.
For the TRB conference and all thereceptions that are going to go on.
And we were going to do this in personin your office, which I appreciate the
invite, but with all the snow comingthis morning, I'm, like, locked in here
(02:15):
at my house, but public transportation,the reason I bring that up is because
public transportation really plays a key,essential role in communities, especially
in times of crisis or storms, naturaldisasters, those kind of things, right?
And we've seen it do that overthe last four years of your term.
That is exactly right.
In fact, we've seen someunprecedented events.
So I've lived in DC now justabout three and a half years.
(02:36):
This is the first majorsnowfall that I've seen.
And as you noted, this is a very big weekin DC because of the TRB conference and
activities and events are still ongoing.
And I have no problem gettingto my venue later because I'll
be using WMATA's metro system.
Right.
And while federal offices are closedin the city and schools are closed
(02:58):
and many businesses are closed, TRBis able to continue on because we
have a functioning, strong, and wellfunded and invested transit network
in the metro system operated by WMATA.
So, I expect to have no problemsgetting in, but transit continues
to serve as that lifeline.
So, so many individuals who have torely on a personal vehicle, you know,
(03:22):
may not have that option of a transitsystem in their community, but those of
us that do have that privilege and thatoption and that proximity, we're very
fortunate to be able to say, I'm goingto walk to my nearest metro station
and hop on, you know, the next train.
And it has actually allowed me, as thesenior most official or the most official
(03:42):
senior transit person in the countryto not own a vehicle because I live in
a community where I can take transit,I can walk, I can bike and when and if
needed, I can use a rideshare vehicle.
So I have a lot of options, but Irecognize communities across the United
States don't always have those options,and that's really what the Federal
(04:05):
Transit Administration tries to do.
Yeah, let's talk about that.
Yes, our mission is to improve America'scommunities through public transportation.
So, We are a very uniquestructure in this country.
Many countries do not have afederalized agency that is supporting
public transportation in the waysthat we do across 50 different
(04:28):
states, different territories, acrossdifferent geographies and certainly
many different constituencies andabilities and modes of public transit.
We use taxpayer dollars, federal funds,to support over 3, 500 recipients.
So that is mostly transit agencies orstate departments of transportation or
(04:51):
metropolitan planning organizations.
So we do not supportnon profits generally.
There's some programs within FTA thatdo support those entities, but by and
large, most of our funding goes to thosethree agencies groups of recipients.
And we work with them to makesure that they are delivering
(05:12):
their projects on time.
So we also have sort of, our grantfunding buckets are competitive,
but they're also through formula.
So formulas are set by Congressand they're based on population and
vehicle miles traveled and communitiesthroughout the United States
receive those funds automatically.
(05:32):
But on the grant program side thosedifferent entities compete for very
limited dollars and very competitiveprograms for funding to support let's
say a new rail extension, or a newbus rapid transit route, or to plan
for transit oriented development.
(05:53):
So we are really changing mobilitythroughout the United States by the
way that we direct our federal funds.
That's something.
You know, in a lot of countries, thefederal government might be involved
only in capital dollars coming to,for instance, Canada was until the
pandemic where they only gave capitaldollars but it's different in the U.
S.
in that there are operatingdollars coming to, to support that.
(06:14):
That's very interesting.
There are operating dollars to supportcommunities throughout the United States,
but not in some of the larger cities.
So operating support.
Does not go to cities with apopulation of 200, 000 or more.
So that would cover manyof our major metropolises.
Of course, the New York Citiesand the Philadelphias and the
(06:34):
Chicagos and the Los Angeles.
But what's notable is that many ofthese communities are looking at ways
to support the operating side, andoperating is incredibly important.
It is really the day to day.
It supports salaries, it supportsmaintenance, it supports fuel it
supports you know, a number of theexpenses associated with getting vehicles
(06:58):
out on the road to move, you know,millions of people every single day.
But we do support a good amount ofcommunities that are smaller than
200, 000 with operating assistance.
Yes.
You know, I remember I used to
get some money and I, I appreciated it.
And, you know, I'm glad that, that younote that Paul, because these are the
communities that are really providingbus workhorse for many of these rural
(07:21):
communities or tribal communitieswhere, you know, we are able to ensure
that there is some sustenance into theday to day operations of these smaller
systems across the United States.
Yeah.
And, you know, state of good repairand the capital investments that we
have seen a lot of money come out overthe last four years to help us with.
(07:42):
I mean, that's really what what'sgoing on in New York City right now.
I don't know if you want to comment onit, but this is a very interesting week
as well, because it's the first week forcongestion charging to come to the U.
S.
Of course, they have it in London.
I've seen it there in operation.
I've been to Singapore and seen it inoperation there and heard from Jeremy
Yap and how it invests, that investmentin their system is so key and important.
And in big cities, like youmentioned, that don't get it.
(08:03):
Operating dollars, they still have evenbigger needs for capital investments.
And that's where all the money,right, from the congestion charging
is supposed to go in New York City.
Indeed.
In fact New York City is my home.
I was born and raised and, in fact,have lived most of my life in New York.
I actually moved from New York in 2020,so not that long ago and, and I have
(08:25):
a special relationship with publictransportation, not just as a user of
the system all of my life having grownup in The Bronx, one of the five boroughs
of New York City, but having been anadvocate for public transportation
since 2007, and funny enough, I wasan advocate for congestion pricing.
That's how I started my career.
Is that right?
(08:45):
In public transportation at thetime Mayor Bloomberg was in office
and he had proposed a sweepingenvironmental blueprint plan NYC.
And congestion pricing was just one of127 initiatives proposed at the time.
So I have been working as many advocateshave since that time and even before 2007
(09:07):
when it was first introduced or, you know,some would even say reintroduced because
it's a concept that had been debated inNew York City and the region for decades.
But yes, a pivotal moment for New YorkCity as it launched this congestion
pricing program just yesterday, and Iserved on the board of New York's MTA,
which is the largest transportationnetwork in this country, for just about
(09:31):
four years, so I'm, and also gave thedeciding vote to launch congestion pricing
when I was really, I didn't know that.
Wow.
So,
A very interesting and exciting moment forthose of us to strongly believe in raising
dedicated funds for public transportationand looking at ways of improving
road safety and reducing congestionand improving environmental quality.
(09:55):
So for many of us who believe in youknow, that program, it's certainly.
It's nice to see it take off, but toyour point, Paul, transit systems do
need dedicated support for the capitalprograms of public transportation.
That is what really helps providemore service to more people in
cities across America through theexpansion of existing transit or
(10:18):
the launch of new transit projects.
And you need capital dollars and NewYork, as many states in this country,
Washington State recently passed somelegislation to invest significantly
in public transportation, but New YorkState, Washington State many others
have really committed to funding publictransportation on the capital side and
(10:41):
it does need a combination of federalsupport, state support, and local support.
Yeah, I do want to comment on that.
I think you know, but for fiveyears, I worked in Washington, D.C.
As a contractor with MV Transportationrunning the paratransit system,
the ADA paratransit, and it was youknow, one of the highlights of my
career, and I was so happy that,you know, you guys have funded it.
(11:03):
Almost a hundred stations acrossAmerica to upgrade them, making
them accessible for the very firsttime for people with disabilities.
These were stations that were builtbefore the ADA was passed in 1990.
But I want to thank you because I'm apassionate advocate for the needs of
people with disabilities and the elderly.
I feel like they're the ones thatreally need our services the most,
and so we need to give them the most.
(11:24):
You know, we need toreach out to them further.
There may be other folks who say,here, we're going to make sure that
you definitely can use this becausewithout it, you could be stuck.
You know, you could be like, you know,it's like a lot of people are today.
Like I am right now, notable to get out of my house.
So, but with that investment thathas made, you know, probably hundreds
of thousands of more people ableto use public transportation.
Absolutely, and I appreciateyou noting accessibility.
(11:47):
That has been a priority and a goalof this administration, but frankly,
it should be a priority and a goal ofevery administration, of every federal
transit program, because what it does,it strengthens our economies to make sure
All members of our communities can beactive members of their their society.
They can participate in churchactivities and school activities and
(12:10):
connect with each other, and especiallyconnecting with everything that matters.
And through our All Stations AccessibilityProgram, the one that you largely
referenced, We have been able to updatenearly 100 stations across the country.
Many of them are still in developmentin progress, but putting these
funds, particularly towards someof these stations and communities
(12:32):
that have the oldest rail and traininfrastructure, makes a big difference.
You know, this, this means thatsomeone who may be mobility impaired
doesn't have to skip three stationstops in order to get to work or to
connect to their doctor appointment.
It may mean that they can walkto the station stop in their
(12:54):
neighborhood and get on a train there.
That's right.
This is a time savings, but it'salso important again to making
sure that people have access toopportunities, that they can work at
their local library if they chose.
And while this is particularly importantfor those who are older, those living
with disabilities, it's importantfor people who've just broken their
(13:15):
foot and are in crutches for the day.
Or a parent who is pushing a stroller andwants to take, you know, their child to
the zoo and does not want to drive, right?
So, this, these deliver benefits for somany individuals beyond those who are
most reliant on public transportation,and we're really proud of that.
(13:36):
Let's talk for a minuteabout, if you would, about the
low and no emission grants.
That's been another key initiative ofthe Biden administration and DOT and FTA.
I mean, five billion dollars.
Come on now.
That's a significant investment, Paul.
And it's really an investment in reducingpollution in communities across America,
in every size community, whether you'rea small rural community, to one of the
(14:01):
biggest cities across the United Statesand reducing pollution is everyone's goal.
No one wants to be in a communityor live in a community or work in a
community where air quality is bad.
And you certainly don'twant to be a user of a city.
So we have a system um, where youhave outdated vehicles, right?
Our personal vehicles have been upgradedwith the latest and cleanest technology.
(14:26):
We've seen cars getcleaner over generations.
And we are now investing in buses andother transit modes to get cleaner
in the same way with new technology.
So we've spent a lot of money, 5 billion,and on buses and in buses to upgrade
to the newest cleanest technology.
In doing so we're supporting an Americanbase of manufacturing buses domestically
(14:51):
producing in the United States.
So in this administration wewould have had nearly 6, 000 buses
either operating on the on theground ordered or manufactured.
It's almost 6, 000 inthat those three buckets.
From our 5 billion investment.
And, you know, what that means is weare making it easier for communities
(15:16):
to achieve so many goals and again,making sure that our communities remain
healthy communities for everyone.
So very, very proud of that investment,very proud to support domestic
manufacturing in this country.
American made buses is a very big deal butthen again, really proud to be reducing
pollution in the ways that we have been.
(15:36):
One last specific program I want tocall out because it means a lot to me.
I started my career in rural, righthere in Queen Anne's County, Maryland,
in rural America, running a small bussystem, but another one that doesn't get
a lot of attention is tribal transit.
My good friend Kendra Sue McGady ScottBogen, of CTAA, all them, you know the.
This is their passion.
Obviously, Kendra works there PelavanTransit and you all have increased
(15:58):
funding by 31 percent to help tribaltransit, and this is an area, again,
where without this service people couldbe stuck and not be able to have any
mobility, and we know that mobilityequals life, so you've got to have
mobility to really live a full life andto enjoy all that life has to offer,
and, and you've helped make that happen.
Thank you, Veronica.
Thank you, Paul.
And, you know, I want to notequite a few things on this.
(16:21):
So, Scott and Kendra, I know well.
They are wonderful, wonderful advocatesfor rural and tribal communities.
We're so glad to have had theirpartnership in so many of our
initiatives and glad to see themadvance so much of their work.
We have really put a greatdeal of emphasis on making it
easier for tribal communities tosuccessfully compete for this money.
(16:45):
So one way we've done that is we'veactually eliminated the local match for
tribal communities because typicallywhen the federal government invests
and FTA invests, we do an 80 20 splitand we expect local communities to to
contribute 20 percent of the project cost.
(17:06):
We want to know that there is localsupport for our federal investment,
but for tribal communities thatcan be more challenging for them
to generate that local match.
So we very successfully in thisadministration waived that local
match for tribal communities.
So what that means is they're able tokeep the federal dollars without the
(17:26):
pressure of having to meet that match.
We've also made it so mucheasier to apply for these funds.
So we have reformatted the tribalapplication so it is so much simpler.
We've reduced the word count.
We've taken out the jargon.
We have made it an easier fillable PDFand that's important because what we've
(17:48):
learned in many tribal communities is.
They're all different sizes withall different sorts of resources.
Some of the bigger tribes haveresources for grant writing.
Some of the smaller sometimes theyclose because of salmon fishing season.
And they need to get to that point.
So they are not working and competingfor federal grants during that time.
(18:11):
So, you know, we, we recognizethat we want to get this money
into these tribal communities.
I've had the privilege and thebenefit in my role to travel
across the United States.
And I was able to visit Coeur d'Alenein Idaho and a transit service
that's provided by a tribe thereand the connection of that service
(18:35):
to the local reservations, right?
Without this service that is supportedby Federal Transit Administration, there
would not be a bus to bring members ofthe community to very needed employment
in the reservations and elsewhere.
Without that bus, They would haveto find an alternative means that
would be more costly because it wouldlargely depend on, you know, a private
(18:59):
vehicle or sharing a vehicle, etc.
We're really proud of that.
We're proud of making thoseconnections, particularly in our
tribal and rural communities.
We could talk about so many more ofthe things that have been done, but
let's dive into a little bit aboutyour background and maybe a little
bit more, if you don't mind, about thestructure of the FTA and how it works,
what the role of the administrator is,what are these regional administrators?
(19:20):
I know people in Australia maynot understand that, but we've got
the country broken into regions.
Can you walk through thatsome a little bit and then
let's go into your background?
What do you do day today as the administrator?
Let's start with that.
What's your role?
My day to day is working with areally talented team across the United
States of 700 plus FTA employees.
We have a dedicated team of individualswho come from all sorts of backgrounds,
(19:44):
legal, planning, Advocacy, non profit,financial, who all share in the same
mission, and that's really, again,to improve America's communities
through public transportation.
So, we are headquarteredin Washington D.C.
In the Department of Transportationheadquartered building, and within
the Department of Transportation,I'll start very high level.
(20:05):
There's nine differentagencies, if you will.
Federal Transit is one of those nineFederal Aviation is another of those
nine, Federal Rail, et cetera, and we,we partner across many initiatives.
There's obviously a lot of intersectionalwork amongst all of the nine, but FTA is
broken into 10 regional offices acrossthe United States, and each of those
(20:27):
regional offices handles many states.
And each office is based in a hub.
So, we have hubs, for example, inDenver, Colorado, or Los Angeles,
California Washington, D.C.,as I noted, Chicago, Illinois.
And our regionaladministrators lead a team.
And the team varies in size youknow, anywhere from, you know,
(20:48):
20 to 60 members of the team.
And what that regional team led bythe regional administrator does is
they guide our federal investmentin that region across those states
that they're responsible for.
So they're really working closelywith those recipients of federal
transit administration funds.
(21:09):
So again, those Transit agencies, thosestate departments of transportation,
those metropolitan planning organizations,and they're working with them to make
sure that they are meeting all thefederal requirements, such as our
environmental regulations under NEPA,our National Environmental Policy Act.
They're making sure that they'remeeting civil rights obligations.
(21:31):
They're making sure they're meetingthe legal requirements of the grants.
But they're also doing some hand holding.
answering very technical questionsfrom the project sponsors.
So our teams are comprised of expertswho are engineers, who are experts
in project management and oversight,who are experts in legal work, who
(21:51):
are working with Transit Agency X tofulfill the requirements of the grant.
To deliver the best project for thecommunity and to answer questions
that make them competitive for thenext grants that they're applying for.
You'll remember that I said wegive out money in two buckets.
Automatic formula funding and then Thecompetitive funding, and many of these
(22:16):
transit recipients want to continueto compete successfully for the next,
you know, competitive grant cycles,and our team in the regions know them
intimately and work closely with them.
In many ways, they're their advocates.
Our regional administrator and teams,they want to see these projects done
well, and I think that's somethingthat's incredibly important.
(22:39):
Many people see federal government asbureaucratic and sometimes oppositional,
but our team is really the best advocatefor transit projects in their region.
They want to see those projectsdelivered well because we've made
an investment and we like to see agood ROI on our investment and we
like to see successful projects.
(23:00):
That's good.
I think one other note to make is thatthey're not politically appointed, right?
They're, they are, what do you call that?
Civil service, right?
Yes.
They're civil servants.
They're career employees andmany of them bring decades and
many of them are new to the work.
But yes, they are there politically.
over many, many years, so they'veacquired a good deal of expertise,
(23:22):
but local regional knowledge thatwe in headquarters don't have.
So many times I am out on the road, peoplewill come over to me and say, I have
this very specific question, or I am notsure how to do X, and my first question
to them is, well, have you met and orengaged with your regional administrator?
(23:42):
Because they're the first place youshould start and we in headquarters
are not making decisions withoutengaging with our regional team.
They're the experts in the region.
Like one you recently hired, KerryButler in Region 7, an expert who's
been CEO of a number of agencies.
When I visit these transit associationconferences across the country where I
(24:02):
speak, there almost always is a regionaladministrator there as one of the main
speakers explaining all the latest downinto the nitty gritty details about how
to apply for grants, what's available.
It's one of the most popular sessions ofevery state transit association conference
is when the Regional Administratortalks because they're explaining to
them, you know, how to access andtap into those federal resources.
(24:23):
That's right.
And when we're selecting these regionaladministrators, and I've been involved
in a number of interviews over thesefour years, we're selecting the very
best individuals who know publictransit well and come with stellar
credentials, because we expect themto make decisions that reflect my
decision or the administrator's decisionduring any given, you know, tenure.
(24:47):
Yes.
And they have to reflect.
So, to reflect what overall FTA andwhat's coming from headquarters,
they need to reflect and executethat at the regional level.
So, we have the most exceptionalleaders and I want to note that most
of our leaders in the headquartersacross the region are women.
In fact FTA, a stat I'm veryproud of more than 50 percent
(25:09):
of our total workforce is women.
That's
really reflected in our leadership roles.
Yeah.
So, another thing, talking abouta background experience, if
you've got a few more minutes,let's talk about your background.
So, I love the fact that you worked,you know, in transit not only the,
what you've talked about in New YorkCity, but I think I first became aware
of you when you were working withmy friend John Sisson in Delaware.
(25:31):
You know, right next to where I'm at,I've, I've been very involved with
Delaware Transit for many years, andbeing enrolled in Maryland and all.
So, tell us something about yourbackground, how you ended up first
becoming the deputy and now acting.
Well, you know, a very interesting path.
My background is inenvironmental It always is, isn't
it?
Always.
In transit, man.
Our careers are wild.
Well, I, my background is in environmentalscience and policy, and of course, we know
(25:54):
the intersection there, but that's whatI went to school for, and my early jobs
were in environmental policy, but I, asI mentioned earlier, I'm a born and bred
New Yorker, born and raised in The Bronx.
I love saying that.
I took three buses each way to highschool and that was important for me.
I, I knew the importance of publictransportation because I relied on it.
(26:17):
So that was very critical andcrucial to the formation of my
appreciation for public transportation.
I, as I noted earlier, I actuallytransitioned into transportation
in 2007 for a small non profitheadquartered in Manhattan.
And I started working onsustainable transportation broadly
(26:37):
in the New York Metro Region.
So that was all of New YorkState, New Jersey, Connecticut.
And we looked at, of course,public transportation, but how
to reduce deaths on our roadway.
From, you know, vehicular collisions.
How to invest sustainably in roadsand bridges and fix it first.
As opposed to, you know, expandingthis infrastructure without investing
(26:59):
in the existing infrastructure.
So, I really developed a strongappreciation for the whole of the
transportation network and providing alot of different options for people to
move around and why that so importantimportant from, of course, tapping into
my background in environmental science,right, important from issues of equity
(27:20):
and accessibility, making sure everyonecontributes in their communities and has
ways of doing that but making sure thatour economies were sound the economy of
New York City, the economy of Chicago,of Philadelphia, of so many cities across
the United States, and small ones as well.
is dependent and or intertwinedwith public transportation when you
(27:43):
make those investments, they matter.
So I have always sought outwork in public transportation.
I did go from New York into Delaware.
I served as its first ChiefInnovation Officer at the
Delaware Transit Corporation.
And that was important because it gaveme insight into launching a new transit
(28:04):
service in a rural community that wasagricultural that had a lot of migrant
workers and why that was important.
And then from there I moved into therole at FTA, but I come from the side of
community engagements, public advocacyinstitutional coalition building, public
(28:24):
policy campaigns, and working with everystakeholder, whether you're a community
resident, or you're a governor, or youare a member of the federal delegation,
my role was to engage with everyone.
On these topics that are soimportant about mobility.
And then here I am now at FTA in anacting administrator role because
my predecessor Administrator NuriaFernandez retired after an illustrious
(28:50):
40 years plus in the transit industry.
And I stepped up given that I wasdeputy to serve as acting throughout
the remainder of this administration.
It's wonderful.
Well, thank you for spendingsome time with us today.
Summary of what you feel like, youknow, you've done so far, or look ahead
into what you think is coming next.
(29:10):
I want to note that in thisadministration, we've invested the
most ever in public transportation.
15.
5 billion dollars.
This has been an unprecedentedtime with unprecedented vision,
unprecedented commitment, Unprecedentedexecution to so many shared goals
(29:30):
across this country, strengtheningcommunities, strengthening economies,
providing opportunities for people.
And that's what publictransportation really does.
So I am really proud to now lead a teamthat has been led by strong leaders before
at this moment with the biggest investmentin public transportation, thanks to
(29:51):
the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Candidly, but 15.
5 billion over four yearsinvested to improve America's
communities through public transit.
I'm really proud of what we'veaccomplished, but I'm proud
of the stories that I hear.
I've traveled a lot.
I've talked to a lot of people.
I've ridden on buses with busriders and asked them, what do
(30:11):
you like about your commute?
What don't you like about your commute?
And that comes from my advocacy sideas well, that connecting to people.
But I hear you.
The benefits of our investmentfrom the people who use the systems
themselves, and it is work thatI'm really, really proud of.
It is work that's in my blood.
I am very proud of our team who's workedreally hard to deliver four new programs
(30:35):
and get so much more money out the door.
We've made changes in this countryand we expect those changes to
continue to be made moving forward.
That's wonderful.
Well, Veronica, thank you for the roleyou've played over the last many years
at FTA and before that, and I'm surewhatever the next chapter in your career
holds, you'll continue to be a passionateadvocate for public transportation.
(30:58):
Thank you, Paul, and thank you for allof your work to highlight success stories
of this industry, but for connectingso many people across the globe to make
sure that we're connecting people to whatmatters through public transportation.
Oh, thank you very much.
Take care and have a good rest ofyour uh, TRB conference there in DC.
Stay safe.
Stay
Thank you, Paul.
(31:21):
Thank you for listening to this week'sepisode of Transit Unplugged with our
special guest, Acting Administratorof the FTA, Veronica Vanterpool.
Hi, I'm Tris Hussey, editor of thepodcast, and coming up next week, we
actually continue this conversation aboutserving others, and the role of transit in
society with the CEO of UZURV Ned Freeman.
(31:44):
Ned shares his passion for UZURV and thejob it does, connecting people with public
transit regardless of their abilities.
Hey, do you know we have a reallylarge and active community on LinkedIn?
You should check it out.
You can check out the newsletter, youcan answer a poll, and you know we always
post something interesting about theepisodes, either the podcast or Transit
(32:08):
Unplugged TV as soon as they come out.
Transit Unplugged isbrought to you by Modaxo.
At Modaxo, we're passionate aboutmoving the world's people, and at
Transit Unplugged, we're passionateabout telling those stories.
So until next week, ridesafe and ride happy.
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