How the FTA Supports Transit Across the U.S. with Acting FTA Administrator Veronica Vanterpool

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Veronica Vanterpool is the Acting Administrator of the U.



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S.



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Federal Transit Administration, and we talked to her on today's episode



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of the Transit Unplugged podcast.



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I'm Paul Comfort, and I thought it was important for us to kind of have



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a wrap up of the last four years of the Biden Administration before we



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head into the Trump Administration.



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Talk about what the FTA has been doing and Veronica tells us about their new



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programs they've been running such as the Low and No Emission Program,



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the Rail Vehicle Replacements, the All Stations Accessibilities, the



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Ferry Program, the Tribal Transit.



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We dive into all of it in detail and actually, Veronica explains how the



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FTA works and the role of the regional administrators and how they operate in



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this system here in the United States.



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Plus we take a look at what we think the future of public transportation will hold.



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All that on this episode of Transit Unplugged with Veronica Vanderpool,



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the Acting Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration.



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Enjoy.



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Great to have with us on the program today, my friend, Veronica Vanterpool,



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who is Acting Administrator of the U.



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S.



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Federal Transit Administration.



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Veronica, thanks for being on the show.



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Well, thank you for having me.



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Yeah, so I thought, you know, we ought to have you on to talk about



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the last four years of what's been going on in public transportation.



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I mean, it's been some of the most challenging years coming out of



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the pandemic, but also some of the most eventful years with all the



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money coming from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and the movements.



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And it seems like every week, Veronica, you've been in a different city, you know,



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cutting a ribbon or giving a big check and your predecessor, the same thing.



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It's been a lot going on, hasn't there?



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There sure has been a lot to be proud of, a lot that we're glad to



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be touting and noting its progress so much over the past four years.



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We're leaving quite a legacy behind.



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As you and I are recording this, which will be one week from when we air



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it it's the Monday when we've got a big snowstorm coming, the first big



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snow we've had in years, and there's hundreds, if not thousands, of people



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joining you in Washington, D.C.



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For the TRB conference and all the receptions that are going to go on.



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And we were going to do this in person in your office, which I appreciate the



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invite, but with all the snow coming this morning, I'm, like, locked in here



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at my house, but public transportation, the reason I bring that up is because



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public transportation really plays a key, essential role in communities, especially



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in times of crisis or storms, natural disasters, those kind of things, right?



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And we've seen it do that over the last four years of your term.



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That is exactly right.



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In fact, we've seen some unprecedented events.



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So I've lived in DC now just about three and a half years.



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This is the first major snowfall that I've seen.



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And as you noted, this is a very big week in DC because of the TRB conference and



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activities and events are still ongoing.



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And I have no problem getting to my venue later because I'll



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be using WMATA's metro system.



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Right.



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And while federal offices are closed in the city and schools are closed



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and many businesses are closed, TRB is able to continue on because we



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have a functioning, strong, and well funded and invested transit network



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in the metro system operated by WMATA.



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So, I expect to have no problems getting in, but transit continues



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to serve as that lifeline.



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So, so many individuals who have to rely on a personal vehicle, you know,



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may not have that option of a transit system in their community, but those of



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us that do have that privilege and that option and that proximity, we're very



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fortunate to be able to say, I'm going to walk to my nearest metro station



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and hop on, you know, the next train.



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And it has actually allowed me, as the senior most official or the most official



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senior transit person in the country to not own a vehicle because I live in



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a community where I can take transit, I can walk, I can bike and when and if



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needed, I can use a rideshare vehicle.



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So I have a lot of options, but I recognize communities across the United



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States don't always have those options, and that's really what the Federal



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Transit Administration tries to do.



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Yeah, let's talk about that.



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Yes, our mission is to improve America's communities through public transportation.



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So, We are a very unique structure in this country.



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Many countries do not have a federalized agency that is supporting



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public transportation in the ways that we do across 50 different



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states, different territories, across different geographies and certainly



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many different constituencies and abilities and modes of public transit.



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We use taxpayer dollars, federal funds, to support over 3, 500 recipients.



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So that is mostly transit agencies or state departments of transportation or



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metropolitan planning organizations.



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So we do not support non profits generally.



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There's some programs within FTA that do support those entities, but by and



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large, most of our funding goes to those three agencies groups of recipients.



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And we work with them to make sure that they are delivering



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their projects on time.



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So we also have sort of, our grant funding buckets are competitive,



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but they're also through formula.



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So formulas are set by Congress and they're based on population and



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vehicle miles traveled and communities throughout the United States



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receive those funds automatically.



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But on the grant program side those different entities compete for very



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limited dollars and very competitive programs for funding to support let's



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say a new rail extension, or a new bus rapid transit route, or to plan



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for transit oriented development.



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So we are really changing mobility throughout the United States by the



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way that we direct our federal funds.



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That's something.



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You know, in a lot of countries, the federal government might be involved



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only in capital dollars coming to, for instance, Canada was until the



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pandemic where they only gave capital dollars but it's different in the U.



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S.



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in that there are operating dollars coming to, to support that.



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That's very interesting.



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There are operating dollars to support communities throughout the United States,



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but not in some of the larger cities.



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So operating support.



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Does not go to cities with a population of 200, 000 or more.



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So that would cover many of our major metropolises.



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Of course, the New York Cities and the Philadelphias and the



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Chicagos and the Los Angeles.



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But what's notable is that many of these communities are looking at ways



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to support the operating side, and operating is incredibly important.



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It is really the day to day.



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It supports salaries, it supports maintenance, it supports fuel it



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supports you know, a number of the expenses associated with getting vehicles



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out on the road to move, you know, millions of people every single day.



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But we do support a good amount of communities that are smaller than



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200, 000 with operating assistance.



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Yes.



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You know, I remember I used to



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get some money and I, I appreciated it.



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And, you know, I'm glad that, that you note that Paul, because these are the



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communities that are really providing bus workhorse for many of these rural



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communities or tribal communities where, you know, we are able to ensure



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that there is some sustenance into the day to day operations of these smaller



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systems across the United States.



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Yeah.



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And, you know, state of good repair and the capital investments that we



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have seen a lot of money come out over the last four years to help us with.



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I mean, that's really what what's going on in New York City right now.



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I don't know if you want to comment on it, but this is a very interesting week



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as well, because it's the first week for congestion charging to come to the U.



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S.



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Of course, they have it in London.



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I've seen it there in operation.



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I've been to Singapore and seen it in operation there and heard from Jeremy



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Yap and how it invests, that investment in their system is so key and important.



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And in big cities, like you mentioned, that don't get it.



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Operating dollars, they still have even bigger needs for capital investments.



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And that's where all the money, right, from the congestion charging



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is supposed to go in New York City.



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Indeed.



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In fact New York City is my home.



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I was born and raised and, in fact, have lived most of my life in New York.



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I actually moved from New York in 2020, so not that long ago and, and I have



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a special relationship with public transportation, not just as a user of



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the system all of my life having grown up in The Bronx, one of the five boroughs



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of New York City, but having been an advocate for public transportation



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since 2007, and funny enough, I was an advocate for congestion pricing.



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That's how I started my career.



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Is that right?



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In public transportation at the time Mayor Bloomberg was in office



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and he had proposed a sweeping environmental blueprint plan NYC.



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And congestion pricing was just one of 127 initiatives proposed at the time.



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So I have been working as many advocates have since that time and even before 2007



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when it was first introduced or, you know, some would even say reintroduced because



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it's a concept that had been debated in New York City and the region for decades.



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But yes, a pivotal moment for New York City as it launched this congestion



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pricing program just yesterday, and I served on the board of New York's MTA,



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which is the largest transportation network in this country, for just about



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four years, so I'm, and also gave the deciding vote to launch congestion pricing



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when I was really, I didn't know that.



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Wow.



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So,



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A very interesting and exciting moment for those of us to strongly believe in raising



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dedicated funds for public transportation and looking at ways of improving



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road safety and reducing congestion and improving environmental quality.



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So for many of us who believe in you know, that program, it's certainly.



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It's nice to see it take off, but to your point, Paul, transit systems do



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need dedicated support for the capital programs of public transportation.



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That is what really helps provide more service to more people in



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cities across America through the expansion of existing transit or



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the launch of new transit projects.



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And you need capital dollars and New York, as many states in this country,



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Washington State recently passed some legislation to invest significantly



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in public transportation, but New York State, Washington State many others



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have really committed to funding public transportation on the capital side and



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it does need a combination of federal support, state support, and local support.



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Yeah, I do want to comment on that.



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I think you know, but for five years, I worked in Washington, D.C.



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As a contractor with MV Transportation running the paratransit system,



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the ADA paratransit, and it was you know, one of the highlights of my



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career, and I was so happy that, you know, you guys have funded it.



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Almost a hundred stations across America to upgrade them, making



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them accessible for the very first time for people with disabilities.



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These were stations that were built before the ADA was passed in 1990.



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But I want to thank you because I'm a passionate advocate for the needs of



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people with disabilities and the elderly.



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I feel like they're the ones that really need our services the most,



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and so we need to give them the most.



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You know, we need to reach out to them further.



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There may be other folks who say, here, we're going to make sure that



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you definitely can use this because without it, you could be stuck.



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You know, you could be like, you know, it's like a lot of people are today.



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Like I am right now, not able to get out of my house.



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So, but with that investment that has made, you know, probably hundreds



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of thousands of more people able to use public transportation.



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Absolutely, and I appreciate you noting accessibility.



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That has been a priority and a goal of this administration, but frankly,



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it should be a priority and a goal of every administration, of every federal



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transit program, because what it does, it strengthens our economies to make sure



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All members of our communities can be active members of their their society.



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They can participate in church activities and school activities and



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connect with each other, and especially connecting with everything that matters.



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And through our All Stations Accessibility Program, the one that you largely



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referenced, We have been able to update nearly 100 stations across the country.



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Many of them are still in development in progress, but putting these



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funds, particularly towards some of these stations and communities



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that have the oldest rail and train infrastructure, makes a big difference.



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You know, this, this means that someone who may be mobility impaired



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doesn't have to skip three station stops in order to get to work or to



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connect to their doctor appointment.



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It may mean that they can walk to the station stop in their



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neighborhood and get on a train there.



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That's right.



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This is a time savings, but it's also important again to making



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sure that people have access to opportunities, that they can work at



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their local library if they chose.



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And while this is particularly important for those who are older, those living



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with disabilities, it's important for people who've just broken their



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foot and are in crutches for the day.



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Or a parent who is pushing a stroller and wants to take, you know, their child to



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the zoo and does not want to drive, right?



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So, this, these deliver benefits for so many individuals beyond those who are



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most reliant on public transportation, and we're really proud of that.



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Let's talk for a minute about, if you would, about the



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low and no emission grants.



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That's been another key initiative of the Biden administration and DOT and FTA.



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I mean, five billion dollars.



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Come on now.



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That's a significant investment, Paul.



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And it's really an investment in reducing pollution in communities across America,



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in every size community, whether you're a small rural community, to one of the



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biggest cities across the United States and reducing pollution is everyone's goal.



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No one wants to be in a community or live in a community or work in a



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community where air quality is bad.



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And you certainly don't want to be a user of a city.



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So we have a system um, where you have outdated vehicles, right?



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Our personal vehicles have been upgraded with the latest and cleanest technology.



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We've seen cars get cleaner over generations.



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And we are now investing in buses and other transit modes to get cleaner



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in the same way with new technology.



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So we've spent a lot of money, 5 billion, and on buses and in buses to upgrade



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to the newest cleanest technology.



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In doing so we're supporting an American base of manufacturing buses domestically



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producing in the United States.



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So in this administration we would have had nearly 6, 000 buses



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either operating on the on the ground ordered or manufactured.



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It's almost 6, 000 in that those three buckets.



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From our 5 billion investment.



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And, you know, what that means is we are making it easier for communities



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to achieve so many goals and again, making sure that our communities remain



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healthy communities for everyone.



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So very, very proud of that investment, very proud to support domestic



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manufacturing in this country.



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American made buses is a very big deal but then again, really proud to be reducing



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pollution in the ways that we have been.



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One last specific program I want to call out because it means a lot to me.



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I started my career in rural, right here in Queen Anne's County, Maryland,



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in rural America, running a small bus system, but another one that doesn't get



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a lot of attention is tribal transit.



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My good friend Kendra Sue McGady Scott Bogen, of CTAA, all them, you know the.



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This is their passion.



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Obviously, Kendra works there Pelavan Transit and you all have increased



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funding by 31 percent to help tribal transit, and this is an area, again,



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where without this service people could be stuck and not be able to have any



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mobility, and we know that mobility equals life, so you've got to have



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mobility to really live a full life and to enjoy all that life has to offer,



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and, and you've helped make that happen.



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Thank you, Veronica.



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Thank you, Paul.



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And, you know, I want to note quite a few things on this.



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So, Scott and Kendra, I know well.



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They are wonderful, wonderful advocates for rural and tribal communities.



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We're so glad to have had their partnership in so many of our



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initiatives and glad to see them advance so much of their work.



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We have really put a great deal of emphasis on making it



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easier for tribal communities to successfully compete for this money.



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So one way we've done that is we've actually eliminated the local match for



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tribal communities because typically when the federal government invests



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and FTA invests, we do an 80 20 split and we expect local communities to to



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contribute 20 percent of the project cost.



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We want to know that there is local support for our federal investment,



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but for tribal communities that can be more challenging for them



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to generate that local match.



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So we very successfully in this administration waived that local



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match for tribal communities.



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So what that means is they're able to keep the federal dollars without the



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pressure of having to meet that match.



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We've also made it so much easier to apply for these funds.



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So we have reformatted the tribal application so it is so much simpler.



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We've reduced the word count.



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We've taken out the jargon.



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We have made it an easier fillable PDF and that's important because what we've



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learned in many tribal communities is.



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They're all different sizes with all different sorts of resources.



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Some of the bigger tribes have resources for grant writing.



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Some of the smaller sometimes they close because of salmon fishing season.



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And they need to get to that point.



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So they are not working and competing for federal grants during that time.



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So, you know, we, we recognize that we want to get this money



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into these tribal communities.



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I've had the privilege and the benefit in my role to travel



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across the United States.



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And I was able to visit Coeur d'Alene in Idaho and a transit service



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that's provided by a tribe there and the connection of that service



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00:18:35
to the local reservations, right?



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00:18:37
Without this service that is supported by Federal Transit Administration, there



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00:18:42
would not be a bus to bring members of the community to very needed employment



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00:18:48
in the reservations and elsewhere.



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00:18:50
Without that bus, They would have to find an alternative means that



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00:18:54
would be more costly because it would largely depend on, you know, a private



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00:18:59
vehicle or sharing a vehicle, etc.



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00:19:01
We're really proud of that.



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00:19:03
We're proud of making those connections, particularly in our



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00:19:06
tribal and rural communities.



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00:19:08
We could talk about so many more of the things that have been done, but



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00:19:10
let's dive into a little bit about your background and maybe a little



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00:19:13
bit more, if you don't mind, about the structure of the FTA and how it works,



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00:19:16
what the role of the administrator is, what are these regional administrators?



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00:19:20
I know people in Australia may not understand that, but we've got



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00:19:23
the country broken into regions.



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00:19:25
Can you walk through that some a little bit and then



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00:19:26
let's go into your background?



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00:19:27
What do you do day to day as the administrator?



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00:19:29
Let's start with that.



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00:19:30
What's your role?



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00:19:31
My day to day is working with a really talented team across the United



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00:19:35
States of 700 plus FTA employees.



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00:19:38
We have a dedicated team of individuals who come from all sorts of backgrounds,



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00:19:44
legal, planning, Advocacy, non profit, financial, who all share in the same



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00:19:51
mission, and that's really, again, to improve America's communities



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00:19:54
through public transportation.



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00:19:55
So, we are headquartered in Washington D.C.



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00:19:58
In the Department of Transportation headquartered building, and within



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00:20:03
the Department of Transportation, I'll start very high level.



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00:20:05
There's nine different agencies, if you will.



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00:20:08
Federal Transit is one of those nine Federal Aviation is another of those



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00:20:12
nine, Federal Rail, et cetera, and we, we partner across many initiatives.



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00:20:17
There's obviously a lot of intersectional work amongst all of the nine, but FTA is



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00:20:22
broken into 10 regional offices across the United States, and each of those



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00:20:27
regional offices handles many states.



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00:20:29
And each office is based in a hub.



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00:20:32
So, we have hubs, for example, in Denver, Colorado, or Los Angeles,



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00:20:38
California Washington, D.C., as I noted, Chicago, Illinois.



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00:20:42
And our regional administrators lead a team.



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00:20:45
And the team varies in size you know, anywhere from, you know,



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00:20:48
20 to 60 members of the team.



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00:20:51
And what that regional team led by the regional administrator does is



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00:20:56
they guide our federal investment in that region across those states



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00:21:00
that they're responsible for.



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00:21:02
So they're really working closely with those recipients of federal



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00:21:07
transit administration funds.



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00:21:09
So again, those Transit agencies, those state departments of transportation,



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00:21:14
those metropolitan planning organizations, and they're working with them to make



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00:21:18
sure that they are meeting all the federal requirements, such as our



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00:21:21
environmental regulations under NEPA, our National Environmental Policy Act.



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00:21:27
They're making sure that they're meeting civil rights obligations.



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00:21:31
They're making sure they're meeting the legal requirements of the grants.



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00:21:34
But they're also doing some hand holding.



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00:21:37
answering very technical questions from the project sponsors.



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00:21:41
So our teams are comprised of experts who are engineers, who are experts



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00:21:46
in project management and oversight, who are experts in legal work, who



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00:21:51
are working with Transit Agency X to fulfill the requirements of the grant.



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00:21:57
To deliver the best project for the community and to answer questions



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00:22:03
that make them competitive for the next grants that they're applying for.



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00:22:08
You'll remember that I said we give out money in two buckets.



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00:22:11
Automatic formula funding and then The competitive funding, and many of these



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00:22:16
transit recipients want to continue to compete successfully for the next,



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00:22:23
you know, competitive grant cycles, and our team in the regions know them



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00:22:27
intimately and work closely with them.



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00:22:29
In many ways, they're their advocates.



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00:22:31
Our regional administrator and teams, they want to see these projects done



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00:22:36
well, and I think that's something that's incredibly important.



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00:22:39
Many people see federal government as bureaucratic and sometimes oppositional,



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00:22:45
but our team is really the best advocate for transit projects in their region.



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00:22:51
They want to see those projects delivered well because we've made



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00:22:54
an investment and we like to see a good ROI on our investment and we



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00:22:58
like to see successful projects.



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00:23:00
That's good.



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00:23:00
I think one other note to make is that they're not politically appointed, right?



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00:23:04
They're, they are, what do you call that?



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00:23:06
Civil service, right?



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00:23:07
Yes.



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00:23:08
They're civil servants.



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00:23:09
They're career employees and many of them bring decades and



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00:23:14
many of them are new to the work.



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00:23:16
But yes, they are there politically.



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00:23:17
over many, many years, so they've acquired a good deal of expertise,



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00:23:22
but local regional knowledge that we in headquarters don't have.



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00:23:26
So many times I am out on the road, people will come over to me and say, I have



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00:23:32
this very specific question, or I am not sure how to do X, and my first question



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00:23:37
to them is, well, have you met and or engaged with your regional administrator?



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00:23:42
Because they're the first place you should start and we in headquarters



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00:23:47
are not making decisions without engaging with our regional team.



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00:23:51
They're the experts in the region.



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00:23:53
Like one you recently hired, Kerry Butler in Region 7, an expert who's



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00:23:56
been CEO of a number of agencies.



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00:23:58
When I visit these transit association conferences across the country where I



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00:24:02
speak, there almost always is a regional administrator there as one of the main



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00:24:06
speakers explaining all the latest down into the nitty gritty details about how



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00:24:11
to apply for grants, what's available.



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00:24:13
It's one of the most popular sessions of every state transit association conference



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00:24:17
is when the Regional Administrator talks because they're explaining to



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00:24:20
them, you know, how to access and tap into those federal resources.



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00:24:23
That's right.



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00:24:24
And when we're selecting these regional administrators, and I've been involved



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00:24:28
in a number of interviews over these four years, we're selecting the very



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00:24:32
best individuals who know public transit well and come with stellar



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00:24:37
credentials, because we expect them to make decisions that reflect my



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00:24:42
decision or the administrator's decision during any given, you know, tenure.



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00:24:47
Yes.



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00:24:47
And they have to reflect.



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00:24:49
So, to reflect what overall FTA and what's coming from headquarters,



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00:24:53
they need to reflect and execute that at the regional level.



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00:24:55
So, we have the most exceptional leaders and I want to note that most



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00:25:01
of our leaders in the headquarters across the region are women.



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00:25:05
In fact FTA, a stat I'm very proud of more than 50 percent



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00:25:09
of our total workforce is women.



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00:25:12
That's



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00:25:12
really reflected in our leadership roles.



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00:25:15
Yeah.



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00:25:15
So, another thing, talking about a background experience, if



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00:25:18
you've got a few more minutes, let's talk about your background.



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00:25:21
So, I love the fact that you worked, you know, in transit not only the,



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00:25:24
what you've talked about in New York City, but I think I first became aware



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00:25:27
of you when you were working with my friend John Sisson in Delaware.



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00:25:31
You know, right next to where I'm at, I've, I've been very involved with



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00:25:33
Delaware Transit for many years, and being enrolled in Maryland and all.



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00:25:37
So, tell us something about your background, how you ended up first



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00:25:39
becoming the deputy and now acting.



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00:25:41
Well, you know, a very interesting path.



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00:25:44
My background is in environmental It always is, isn't



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00:25:46
it?



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00:25:46
Always.



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00:25:47
In transit, man.



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00:25:48
Our careers are wild.



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00:25:49
Well, I, my background is in environmental science and policy, and of course, we know



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00:25:54
the intersection there, but that's what I went to school for, and my early jobs



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00:25:58
were in environmental policy, but I, as I mentioned earlier, I'm a born and bred



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00:26:02
New Yorker, born and raised in The Bronx.



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00:26:05
I love saying that.



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00:26:06
I took three buses each way to high school and that was important for me.



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00:26:12
I, I knew the importance of public transportation because I relied on it.



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00:26:17
So that was very critical and crucial to the formation of my



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00:26:21
appreciation for public transportation.



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00:26:24
I, as I noted earlier, I actually transitioned into transportation



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00:26:28
in 2007 for a small non profit headquartered in Manhattan.



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00:26:33
And I started working on sustainable transportation broadly



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00:26:37
in the New York Metro Region.



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00:26:39
So that was all of New York State, New Jersey, Connecticut.



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00:26:42
And we looked at, of course, public transportation, but how



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00:26:45
to reduce deaths on our roadway.



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00:26:48
From, you know, vehicular collisions.



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00:26:51
How to invest sustainably in roads and bridges and fix it first.



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00:26:55
As opposed to, you know, expanding this infrastructure without investing



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00:26:59
in the existing infrastructure.



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00:27:01
So, I really developed a strong appreciation for the whole of the



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00:27:05
transportation network and providing a lot of different options for people to



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00:27:10
move around and why that so important important from, of course, tapping into



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00:27:15
my background in environmental science, right, important from issues of equity



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00:27:20
and accessibility, making sure everyone contributes in their communities and has



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00:27:24
ways of doing that but making sure that our economies were sound the economy of



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00:27:29
New York City, the economy of Chicago, of Philadelphia, of so many cities across



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00:27:34
the United States, and small ones as well.



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00:27:37
is dependent and or intertwined with public transportation when you



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00:27:43
make those investments, they matter.



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00:27:45
So I have always sought out work in public transportation.



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00:27:50
I did go from New York into Delaware.



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00:27:53
I served as its first Chief Innovation Officer at the



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00:27:56
Delaware Transit Corporation.



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00:27:58
And that was important because it gave me insight into launching a new transit



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00:28:04
service in a rural community that was agricultural that had a lot of migrant



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00:28:10
workers and why that was important.



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00:28:12
And then from there I moved into the role at FTA, but I come from the side of



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00:28:18
community engagements, public advocacy institutional coalition building, public



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00:28:24
policy campaigns, and working with every stakeholder, whether you're a community



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00:28:29
resident, or you're a governor, or you are a member of the federal delegation,



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00:28:34
my role was to engage with everyone.



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00:28:36
On these topics that are so important about mobility.



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00:28:39
And then here I am now at FTA in an acting administrator role because



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00:28:44
my predecessor Administrator Nuria Fernandez retired after an illustrious



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00:28:50
40 years plus in the transit industry.



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00:28:53
And I stepped up given that I was deputy to serve as acting throughout



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00:28:58
the remainder of this administration.



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00:29:01
It's wonderful.



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00:29:01
Well, thank you for spending some time with us today.



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00:29:04
Summary of what you feel like, you know, you've done so far, or look ahead



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00:29:08
into what you think is coming next.



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00:29:10
I want to note that in this administration, we've invested the



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00:29:14
most ever in public transportation.



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00:29:17
15.



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00:29:17
5 billion dollars.



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00:29:20
This has been an unprecedented time with unprecedented vision,



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00:29:24
unprecedented commitment, Unprecedented execution to so many shared goals



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00:29:30
across this country, strengthening communities, strengthening economies,



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00:29:35
providing opportunities for people.



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00:29:37
And that's what public transportation really does.



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00:29:39
So I am really proud to now lead a team that has been led by strong leaders before



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00:29:46
at this moment with the biggest investment in public transportation, thanks to



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00:29:51
the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.



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00:29:53
Candidly, but 15.



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00:29:55
5 billion over four years invested to improve America's



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00:29:59
communities through public transit.



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00:30:01
I'm really proud of what we've accomplished, but I'm proud



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00:30:04
of the stories that I hear.



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00:30:05
I've traveled a lot.



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00:30:06
I've talked to a lot of people.



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00:30:08
I've ridden on buses with bus riders and asked them, what do



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00:30:11
you like about your commute?



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00:30:13
What don't you like about your commute?



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00:30:15
And that comes from my advocacy side as well, that connecting to people.



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00:30:19
But I hear you.



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00:30:20
The benefits of our investment from the people who use the systems



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00:30:23
themselves, and it is work that I'm really, really proud of.



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00:30:27
It is work that's in my blood.



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00:30:29
I am very proud of our team who's worked really hard to deliver four new programs



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00:30:35
and get so much more money out the door.



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00:30:38
We've made changes in this country and we expect those changes to



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00:30:42
continue to be made moving forward.



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00:30:45
That's wonderful.



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00:30:45
Well, Veronica, thank you for the role you've played over the last many years



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00:30:49
at FTA and before that, and I'm sure whatever the next chapter in your career



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00:30:54
holds, you'll continue to be a passionate advocate for public transportation.



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00:30:58
Thank you, Paul, and thank you for all of your work to highlight success stories



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00:31:02
of this industry, but for connecting so many people across the globe to make



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00:31:07
sure that we're connecting people to what matters through public transportation.



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00:31:11
Oh, thank you very much.



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00:31:12
Take care and have a good rest of your uh, TRB conference there in DC.



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00:31:16
Stay safe.



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00:31:17
Stay



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00:31:17
Thank you, Paul.



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00:31:21
Thank you for listening to this week's episode of Transit Unplugged with our



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00:31:25
special guest, Acting Administrator of the FTA, Veronica Vanterpool.



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00:31:29
Hi, I'm Tris Hussey, editor of the podcast, and coming up next week, we



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00:31:34
actually continue this conversation about serving others, and the role of transit in



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00:31:40
society with the CEO of UZURV Ned Freeman.



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00:31:44
Ned shares his passion for UZURV and the job it does, connecting people with public



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00:31:49
transit regardless of their abilities.



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00:31:52
Hey, do you know we have a really large and active community on LinkedIn?



Speaker:
00:31:57
You should check it out.



Speaker:
00:31:58
You can check out the newsletter, you can answer a poll, and you know we always



Speaker:
00:32:03
post something interesting about the episodes, either the podcast or Transit



Speaker:
00:32:08
Unplugged TV as soon as they come out.



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00:32:11
Transit Unplugged is brought to you by Modaxo.



Speaker:
00:32:13
At Modaxo, we're passionate about moving the world's people, and at



Speaker:
00:32:17
Transit Unplugged, we're passionate about telling those stories.



Speaker:
00:32:21
So until next week, ride safe and ride happy.