Making Holiday Transportation Work For Everyone

Transportation is something that affects our lives on a daily basis. At one point or another, we’ve all fumed about getting stuck in traffic or experienced the frustration of a train running behind schedule. It can often feel like we’re fighting with our methods of transportation rather than harnessing them to work in our favor. Sure, we’re able to get from place to place, but does it have to always been such a frustrating process?

This episode of the MarketScale Transportation Podcast features interviews with two people who are using their expertise to make various methods of transportation work better for the people who use them.

How Public/Private Partnerships Can Drive the Future of Transportation

How can cities modernize to keep up with the constant transportation demands of an increasingly urban-based population? That’s the question being posed by the Transit Innovation Partnership in New York City.

Rachel Haot is the Executive Director of the Transit Innovation Partnership and she joined the MarketScale Transportation podcast to talk about the ways that a public/private partnership can work to help serve the needs of the citizens of New York. “Today in New York City we have a public transit system in crisis,” Haot said. She cited a statistic that says the subway system experiences 50,000 to 60,000 delays per month.

Haot is hoping that the initiatives being put forth can begin to help solve the city’s transportation issues. “The first [initiative] that we’ve announced is the Transit Tech Lab that focuses on specific challenges identified by New York City Transit…and asks startups to submit their technology for consideration in order to lead to a potential pilot that helps to improve performance and customer service,” Haot said.

Having served in governmental roles in the past, Haot is no stranger to the usefulness of partnering with the private sector. “I’ve been very thankful to have served as the Chief Digital Officer for the city and for the state, and in both those roles it was critical to have support from private sector partners,” she said.

Holiday Travel Doesn’t Have to be Miserable

The holiday season is a popular time to travel to visit family and friends around the country and the world. The busy airports and long lines can often leave travelers feeling frustrated, turning what should be a joyous time into a headache.

Joining the podcast to help navigate the perils of traveling over the holidays is aviation expert Ken Jenkins, owner and founder of Ken Jenkins LLC. He says there are tools available at your disposal that can make your travel experience much more enjoyable. “One of the most valuable resources for everybody to look at is TSA.gov,” he said. “One tool they have that everyone may find beneficial to them is a travel checklist. The checklist even gets into the size and dimensions, not only of luggage, but how many ounces of liquid can you have?”

Jenkins advocates for doing the work on the front end to avoid issues on the backside. He provides more tips and tricks to help you slide through security, settles the debate about how early you should get to the airport, and eases any concerns about the safety of airplanes.

Make sure you avoid the headaches when you travel this holiday season!

Other Articles Mentioned:

• AAA: More Than 54 Million Americans to Travel this Thanksgiving, the Most Since 2005
• Holiday Travel Tips
• Apply to the Transit Tech Lab

For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Transportation Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @TransportMKSL

Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale

LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale