Christiaan Blake, Managing Dir, Dept of Access Services, WMATA

Christiaan Blake is responsible for the business of offering paratransit services that balance accommodation and sustainability. Christiaan needs to serve the most people he can with paratransit, while also creating accessible fixed-route transit that is open to all. One of the tricks up Christiaan's sleeve is his innovative rider's choice program where, if paratransit riders opt into using a taxi or service like Uber for their ride, their ride could be randomly chosen to be free. Armed with an array of spreadsheets, Christiaan has gone to great pains to make sure the process is fair and random, This has proven to be very popular--so popular people clamor for more free rides--and lets Christiaan accommodate last-minute trips, staying longer, or leaving earlier than planned.

This is a big job and Christiaan takes his role and place in transit seriously. He sees paratransit as a crucial safety net for people who can't be served with even WMATA's accessible fixed-route and subway system.

Also on the show, we have the latest transit news, Elea Carey talks about sharing employee stories and Mike Bismeyer challenges us to do something good in the cities we visit while traveling for work.

All this on this week's Transit Unplugged News and Views. Sit back and listen in.