Welcome to our 6th anniversary and the start of season 7 of Transit Unplugged. Host Paul Comfort has a special opening reflecting on the past 270+ episodes so far and what lies ahead down the road. In our interview this week, we have Randy Clarke, GM and CEO of WMATA (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority) https://www.wmata.com/, chatting with Paul from his new LEED Platinum office building.

In his first year as CEO, Randy has:

• fixed safety issues with his trains
• improved frequency
• increased ridership
• reduced fare evasion
• worked to reduce crime on the system
• and begun an ambitious project to update the Metro bus routes

By any accounts, a successful first year on the job, but...

But WMATA faces a looming budget shortfall larger than many agencies' entire budget. Learn how he's approaching the crisis and what he's doing to protect service levels and his people.

After the interview, regular contributor Mike Bismeyer reflects on Randy's leadership and everything else he does across the transit industry.

Coming up next week we have part 2 of our special new CEO roundtable recorded live at APTA TRANSform Conference and EXPO. In part two you'll hear about the projects they have on the go, what new technologies they have their eyes on, and what they want to celebrate at their agency.

If you have a question or comment, email us at info@transitunplugged.com.

Transit Unplugged is brought to you by Modaxo, Passionate About Moving the World's People.

Randy Clarke Has Boosted WMATA, But a Budget Crisis Looms

00:00 Introduction and Reflection on the Sixth Anniversary of the Transit Unplugged Podcast

01:09 Interview with Randy Clarke, GM of WMATA: Leading a Major Transit Agency and Facing Looming Challenges

02:07 Randy Clarke's Journey as CEO of WMATA

03:04 Challenges and Achievements at WMATA

05:58 Addressing the Fiscal Crisis in WMATA

10:09 Dealing with the Fiscal Cliff, Funding, and Budgets

17:09 Fighting Fare Evasion and Supporting Low Income Riders

19:21 Delivering a Bus Route Optimization Project in Only a Year

21:35 Efforts to Curb Crime in the Transit System

25:48 What Randy Enjoys Most About His Job

30:16 Mike's Minute with Mike Bismeyer: Reflection on Leadership and Mentorship

32:12 Coming up next week on Transit Unplugged