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This week on Transit Unplugged, Paul Comfort hosts a special episode recorded live at the 2025 Texas Transit Association Conference in McAllen, Texas.

In this roundtable, Paul speaks with five accomplished Texas transit leaders about the realities of running transit systems across Texas—from expansive rural regions to fast-growing cities. They share how they’re serving students, seniors, tourists, and workers alike—while facing challenges like extreme heat, limited funding, and changing rider expectations.

Featured Panelists:

• Serena Stevenson – General Manager, Waco Transit System; Chair, Texas Transit Association
• Mario Delgado – Transit and Downtown Services Director, Metro McAllen
• Derrick Majchszak – CEO, Corpus Christi RTA
• Vince Huerta – Director of Transportation, ETCOG GoBus
• Allen Hunter – Executive Director, Texas Transit Association

Highlights from the discussion:

• “10,000 square miles of service” – Vince Huerta shares how GoBus operates across 14 rural counties and how they’re building in-house maintenance capacity to improve service reliability.
• “From the islands to the military base” – Derrick Majchszak explains how Corpus Christi RTA connects barrier island workers, students, and military personnel across a sprawling service area.
• “We’re the bridge between urban and rural” – Serena Stevenson talks about integrating Waco’s fixed routes, microtransit, and university service to close first/last mile gaps.
• “We don’t feel like a small town” – Mariel Delgado details how Metro McAllen serves a growing cross-border population, offers university service to UTRGV (University of Texas Rio Grande Valley), and is planning for BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) and TOD (Transit-Oriented Development).
• “Invest in transit today for the system you want tomorrow” – The panel emphasizes the need for proactive funding, community partnerships, and creative solutions to meet Texas’ evolving mobility needs.

From bus stop design to funding advocacy, and from CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) fueling strategies to regional job access, this episode dives into what it takes to deliver safe, reliable, and rider-focused transit—Texas style.

Transit Unplugged is brought to you by Modaxo https://www.modaxo.com

Host: Paul Comfort

Producer: Paul Comfort

Editor: Chris O'Keeffe

Executive Producer: Julie Gates

Special thanks to:

Brand design: Tina Olagundoye

Social Media: Tatyana Mechkarova

Marketing content, Transit Unplugged Newsletter, & transit puns: Cyndi Raskin

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

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