Hi #SmartCommunity friends,

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live, work and record this podcast and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening.

In this episode of the Smart Community podcast I have a great conversation with Lauren Streifer, Chief Executive of the Public Transport Association for Australia and New Zealand.

Public transport is often seen as infrastructure. But what if it’s actually one of our most powerful tools for building connected, equitable and thriving communities?

In this episode, Lauren shares her unexpected journey into the transport sector, from a diplomatic background to leading one of the region’s most influential transport bodies.

We explore why public transport is about so much more than moving people from A to B, and how it shapes everything from health outcomes to social connection and climate action.

We also dive into what it really takes to make public transport the easy, desirable choice, from reliability and frequency through to branding, customer experience and the role of technology.

As always, we hope you enjoyed listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5pzNE8Ujz3xRezCLdaK8RF?si=1aA8CjrZRnqJlYEu2W6RDQ

What we cover in this episode:

Lauren’s journey from diplomacy into public transport leadership.

The shift from private vehicle dominance to growing demand for mass transit

Making public transport desirable through experience, branding and trust

The importance of reliability, frequency, safety and seamless journeys

The role of technology and data in improving customer experience

First and last mile challenges and multimodal integration

Public transport as a driver of health, social connection and equity

Designing cities around people, not just cars

Balancing cost, accessibility and system sustainability

Challenges across funding, governance and decision making

The future of public transport in growing cities and regions

Quotes:

“If it’s fast, frequent, reliable, safe, people will use it.”

“Mass transit is the answer to a lot of our problems, and particularly a lot of our climate problems, and I think the conversation has really changed.”

“Almost as a human right, everyone should have the option to have a walkable city, you know, everyone should have the option to have really good public transport.”

“People who have access to public transport have better health outcomes, they have better loneliness and connectivity outcomes, and so it’s really like a public health question as well.”

“You just feel so much better when you go to sleep at night, when you know that you’re building things that your grandchildren will be able to use.”

Links:

Public Transport Association for Australia and New Zealand (PTAANZ)

Connect:

Connect with Lauren Streifer on LinkedIn

Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.community

Connect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn and watch on YouTube

Podcast Production by Perk Digital