MDOT presents The Extra Mile podcast.

(Paul) Welcome in to another edition of The Extra Mile podcast presented by the Mississippi Department of Transportation. I’m MDOT Digital Manager Paul Katool and I’m riding solo today. My co-host Will Craft has some MDOT business that he’s taking care of. Don’t you worry. We’ll be back together soon. The gang will be back together.

But today we’ve got a very special guest. We have the Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration Nuria Fernandez. She’s here with us today. And we really appreciate you making time for us today on your trip to Mississippi.

(Nuria Fernandez) Well, thank you very much. I’m delighted to be here.

(Paul) This is awesome. So, we want to get into your background a little bit. We also want to talk about you know an overview of the Federal Transit Administration. Why don’t you go ahead? It’s June twenty-third so we’re recording a little bit ahead of time. So, can you tell you us why are you here in Mississippi today?

(Nuria Fernandez) Well, I’m here in Mississippi because today we are making a major announcement for one of our most important programs and that is the areas of persistent poverty. It’s a grant program that is awarded to communities across the nation. And the emphasis is ensuring that rural communities and even urban areas where there are transit deserts have access to funds so they can plan, they can acquire technology to close the distance between an individual needing to go somewhere and actually getting to go there.

(Paul) Well, that is awesome, and we always certainly appreciate our federal partners and everything you do for us. So, why Claiborne County? That’s really cool to me.

(Nuria Fernandez) Claiborne County together with their partners submitted a really great proposal. They are looking to use the funds so that they can try out two-part pilot that is going to identify the right type of technology on knowing to dispatch the service but to put the technology in the hands of individuals who need access to that service. They can just call in do an on-demand and do so online.

(Paul) That is really cool. So, we want to get into your background a little bit. Quite impressive. You have been you know in leadership positions for a lot of transit agencies across the country. I know you’re a civil engineer by trade so, can you hit some of the highlights of your career and how it brought you to be in the leadership position and lead the federal transit administration?

(Nuria Fernandez) I have an interesting background. Not that many people know but I’m originally from Panama Central America. And I came to the United States to study civil engineering in Peoria, Illinois at Bradley University. After leaving the university as a civil engineer, worked with the City of Chicago, the Department of Public Works and then had my first exposure to the world of transit with an opportunity at the Chicago Transit Authority where I headed out there in designing construction.

From Chicago I went to Washington, DC, worked with the federal government and then went to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority another transportation system. And then my third transit agency was the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority different positions engineering, construction then as Chief Operating Officer and then finally as the Chief Executive Officer of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority in Silicon Valley in San Jose, California.

All of those opportunities have not only affirmed that I had identified the right field in engineering because it gave me a better appreciation for what infrastructure can and makes thing possible. In addition to that connecting the people through the public services transportation. So, whether you’re in a 40-foot bus or you’re in a cutaway or a minivan we are moving people. We’re getting them to where they need to go. Public transportation is a lifeline.
And when you look at rural communities and look at Claiborne County and you hear the stories of people who really needed to get access to transportation, and they didn’t know how and then they learn that there are these opportunities that are funded with federal, state and local dollars that gives them that “aha” that puts that smile on their face because now they can get to do what they thought they couldn’t.

(Paul) No doubt. And actually, during your speech today you said you teared up when one of the users of the public transit system in Claiborne County you know talked about her experience and that was really cool. So, can you just talk about you know about that emotion?

(Nuria Fernandez) You believe that what you are doing is the right thing and in your heart you know but when you hear others tell the stories of what they thought was a challenge and how that challenge became an opportunity when they found out and discovered that there was a public transportation system that they could make that call and that that system will send someone to pick them up and get them to that doctor’s appointment they thought they were going to miss that just makes your heart warm.

(Paul) That is really cool. Really great to hear her speak this morning. And let’s back up just a little bit. So, the Federal Transit Administration you mentioned that Secretary Pete Buttigieg is your boss at USDOT. But can you kind of give us an overview of the FTA and everything that it kind of does and provides?

(Nuria Fernandez) Yes. So, the Federal Transit Administration is one of many agencies at the U.S. Department of Transportation and our role is to provide funding, provide technical assistance and also to provide all of the planning help and funds for planning so that transit system so that communities really, it’s really about the community and the people so that communities can plan for better mobility. Mobility that ties into the broader network of highways and bridges and that mobility is public transit. I’ve always said that public transportation is a lifeline.

Public transportation is also the greatest equalizer. And that agency through our agency through what used to be a $13 billion a year funding from congress is now a $20 billion dollar a year thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law we’re able to do so much more. And the grants that we are releasing today in addition to every year from now on we’re going to see how they going to transform communities whether you’re in a rural area, whether you’re in a tribal nation on tribal lands or you’re in an urban center, your community is going to be transformed. And we’re going to be connecting and closing those gaps so that everyone has the highest quality of service that they deserve.

(Paul) No doubt. I mean everybody needs to and deserves to be able to get to the grocery store, to be able to pick up their prescriptions, get to the doctor’s office. So, that’s really great that the FTA is doing all of that.

So, I did want to ask you this is your first trip to Mississippi, right? What do you think of Mississippi so far?

(Nuria Fernandez) It is my first trip. I’ve been here less than 24 hours.

(Paul) Wow! Okay.

(Nuria Fernandez) But I can say that I’m really impressed. When we landed and on our way to the hotel, I noticed how green everything was. And in preparation for this trip, we knew that it was going to be in the high 90s. And I just expected to see a lot of dried grass and to look around it was so lush and vibrant. Met some amazing people really warm and welcoming. It’s just been a really terrific experience.

(Paul) That’s great. And it must be fun to kind of you know, I know you’re based out of DC, correct? So, to be able to you know get to Mississippi and all these other places and kind of get boots on the ground and see the impact that you’re making that must be kind of cool, huh?

(Nuria Fernandez) It is quite that’s one of the things that we do is that we don’t just sit back in Washington, DC and try to anticipate and guess what the communities need. We work with the communities. One of the things I did not mention about the Federal Transit Administration is that we have 10 regions because Washington, DC can’t do it all. So, I have 10 regional administrators located across the country. And the regional administrator that covers Mississippi Dr. Yvette Taylor her office is in Atlanta.

So, we do when we’re doing grants, when we’re doing ground breakings for new facilities, when we’re cutting ribbons, we try to get out there and we want to connect. And we want to celebrate with the communities that have worked so hard and to put their tax dollars for a cause that is so needed.

(Paul) Absolutely. Absolutely. And so, we usually have this question where we ask our guests when they’re out traveling on Mississippi highways where they go get a bite to eat. But seeing as this is your first trip to Mississippi, you’ve only been to one restaurant, but would you like to talk about I believe Char? What was your experience there?

(Nuria Fernandez) It was great. We did not know that there was so much going on in the city. I guess there’s a conference or a convention going on. So, it was we were surprised that we were able to get a table. But our hosts they made sure that we were going to get a taste of great Mississippi. And they’ve promised that in future trips we’ll be trying every single different meal that is offered in this great state.

(Paul) That’s awesome. And so, you got to tell me what’d you get at the restaurant?

(Nuria Fernandez) I ordered the red fish but of course it was Char so there was a lot of steak on the table.

(Paul) There you go. Redfish is definitely I feel like every restaurant in Jackson has some really good redfish. Just one more thing. Is there any you know message from the Federal Transit Administration? Is there anything you’d kind of like to close with and let everyone in Mississippi know?

(Nuria Fernandez) Yes. What I would like to say is that I am so grateful that they’re really committed public servants who are looking out for the benefit and the best solutions to help move people in this great state. So, to have the advocacy and support of the director of MDOT Director White and all of the other members of the MDOT team and the transportation systems and the human resources agencies just to come together. And that’s exactly the spirit of public transportation. It’s connecting people to places and opportunities.

(Paul) Amazing. Well, Administrator Fernandez again we really appreciate you being on the podcast. We really appreciate you coming to Mississippi and as Commissioner Willie Simmons said playing Santa Claus. So, I’m sure Claiborne County everyone appreciates there too.

We’re just going to go ahead and wrap things up. Thank you to all of our listeners out there for listening to The Extra Mile podcast. You can find episodes online. GoMDOT.com/TheExtraMile. You can listen and also watch on YouTube which is great. Remember to follow us on social media @MississippiDOT Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. We have everything. I would also like to thank our producer today Katey Hornsby and our editor Roy Adkins is stepping in. And without further ado leave everyone with a tagline. Remember to drive smart out there on Mississippi highways.