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August 1, 2025
Charlie Busse is Director of Maintenance at @connecttransit (Connect Transit), the public transportation provider for Bloomington-Normal, Ill. Charlie is the driving force behind Connect Transit’s fleet operations. He ensures that every bus on the road is safe, reliable, and running at peak performance.
But, his role goes far beyond just keeping wheels turning — Charlie is a key player in the agency’s forward-thinking initiatives, including integrating electric buses and developing cutting-edge charging infrastructure.
Through his leadership, Connect Transit is not only maintaining service standards but also paving the way toward a more sustainable and efficient future in public transportation. Find out more in this first edition of Bus Tech Talk.
Topics include:
How Charlie got his start in the public transit industry.
The challenges of being part of a small agency from a maintenance perspective.
Recruiting, retaining, and training today’s technicians.
Embracing new tech in the shop.
December 4, 2025
METRO’s Executive Editor Alex Roman sits down with Colin Parent, Executive Director and General Counsel at Circulate San Diego, to discuss his recent report, “The Powerless Brokers,” and what it reveals about how decisions get made — and too often stalled — in public transit in California, as well as the rest of the US.
November 20, 2025
In this conversation, METRO Executive Editor Alex Roman talks with Wright about Forest River’s journey so far, what’s driving its success today, and his vision for the future.
October 29, 2025
Recently, Executive Editor Alex Roman had a chance to talk to Chalmers, GM at Hotard Coaches Inc. in New Orleans, about being a leader in a historically male-dominated industry, providing mentorship to other women, career milestones, and much more.
October 22, 2025
Scott Michael, President and CEO of the UMA, joins METRO’s Executive Editor Alex Roman to discuss what the association is doing to increase the number of operators, the state of the UMA in general, and much more.
October 22, 2025
Josh Stoddard is the Director of Vehicle Maintenance at Spokane Transit Authority (STA), a role he has held since at least April 2025. In this capacity, he oversees the maintenance operations for STA's fleet, ensuring the reliability and safety of the vehicles that serve the Spokane community.
August 29, 2025
Michelle Petelicki, president of New Jersey’s Panorama Tours, joins METRO’s Executive Editor Alex Roman to discuss how the motorcoach industry is in fact sustainable, the impact of the ABA’s report, and much more.
August 1, 2025
On this initial episode of Bus Tech Talk, METRO's Alex Roman and CCW's Mark Hollenbeck talk to some of the top maintenance leaders in the industry.
July 8, 2025
METRO’s Executive Editor Alex Roman spoke to Boysan, about how the FlixBus model works, the company’s worldwide success, and much more.
June 10, 2025
METRO’s Executive Editor Alex Roman to David Grannis, Executive Director of Zero Emissions Transit, about the project and its current timeline, its sustainability benefits, the impact it could have on the community, and more.
May 16, 2025
METRO’s Executive Editor Alex Roman had a chance to talk to MV’s Chief Customer Success Officer Gary Coles about the company’s milestone and much more.
April 25, 2025
In our latest edition of METROspectives, WeDriveU’s President/CEO Erick Van Wagenen joins METRO’s Executive Editor Alex Roman to discuss the reasons for the rebrand, the company’s recently launched engagement initiative and much more.
April 18, 2025
On Your Mark Transportation’s President/CEO Mark Szyperski consults for the public transit, motorcoach, and luxury transportation, so he has definitely seen a bus operation or two.
