Translating Transit Funding Into Real Service with Amanda Vandegrift
From Transit Unplugged by Paul Comfort, SVP Modaxo
March 25, 2026 · 26 min · Season 8 · Episode 73
About this episode
Amanda Vandegrift discusses the transition from transit funding to real-world service implementation in Nashville.
In this episode of Transit Unplugged, host Paul Comfort sits down with Amanda Vandegrift, Deputy CEO of Finance & Administration and Chief Financial Officer at WeGo Public Transit in Nashville. This conversation is part of our “The Doers” series—highlighting transit leaders who are not just setting vision, but actively delivering results on the ground. Amanda shares her unique journey from private-sector consultant—where she helped design Nashville’s “Choose How You Move” ballot initiative—to becoming the executive responsible for implementing it inside the agency. With a newly approved funding stream, a growing system, and rising ridership, Nashville offers a real-world case study in how agencies can move from planning to execution—and actually deliver on what voters approved. What You’ll Learn: How to move from a transit referendum to real-world implementation What it takes to shift an agency from maintenance mode to growth How WeGo is achieving double-digit ridership gains Why staffing and recruitment must come before expansion How a low-income fare program can drive access and usage The role of microtransit partnerships like WeGo Link with Uber How to build financial…
People in this episode
Host: Paul Comfort
Guest: Amanda Vandegrift
Topics covered
- transit funding
- implementation
- ridership growth
- agency management
- public transit initiatives
Keywords
- transit funding
- Nashville
- WeGo Public Transit
- ridership gains
- Choose How You Move
- microtransit
- financial stability
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: WeGo Public Transit
Places: Nashville
More episodes of Transit Unplugged
- Former FTA Chief Marc Molinaro on the Future of Federal Transit Funding · June 10, 2026 · 42 min
- What People Get Wrong About Rural Transit · June 3, 2026 · 28 min
- Reliability over Ridership: Stop Measuring Your System Against 2019 · May 27, 2026 · 30 min
- What Happens When You Inherit a Transit Crisis? · May 20, 2026 · 25 min
- World Cup Transit: How Cities Are Preparing for 2026 · May 13, 2026 · 25 min
- Reinventing Commuter Rail for a Post-9-to-5 World · May 6, 2026 · 24 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Transit Unplugged podcast page.