Philip Mark Plotch, PhD

PBS News interviewed Dr. Plotch about how a shortfall in federal funding is threatening public transportation systems across the country. As pandemic-era government support runs out and with inflation added to the mix, local governments are saddled with deficits, leading to reduced services and increased fares. (The transit segment starts at 10:15 and lasts for about six minutes)

The Joint Transit Assocation produced a video about "one of the biggest engineering marvels on the planet."

Talented and experienced managers are essential for keeping large transportation projects on schedule, minimizing costs, and meeting stakeholder expectations. Philip Plotch moderates this webinar to explores the challenges these managers face and highlight the skills, experience, and support they need to succeed.

Dr. Plotch moderates a webinar about the ways that artificial intelligence can transform transportation. They discuss the opportunities that AI unlocks and critical issues of technology infrastructure, data quality, security, and data privacy.

Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) are at the forefront of digital transformation in transportation. From deploying smart infrastructure to strengthening cybersecurity, they are shaping the future of mobility with emerging technologies. Dr. Plotch talks with three of the nation’s most innovative transportation CTOs and CIOs, who share insights on how they leverage technology to ensure reliable operations and shape the future of transportation.

Philip Plotch moderates a webinar regarding the private contracting of transit services. In the U.S., nearly two-thirds of transit agencies now hire private firms to provide all or part of their operations -- because contracting has the potential to improve services and/or lower costs.

Policy makers rely upon estimates of capital and operating costs to prioritize and select transportation projects. Accurate estimates are critical, so that transportation agencies and their stakeholders are not blindsided by cost increases and forced to jettison important initiatives. Philip Plotch talks with four public and private experts about strategies that transportation officials are using to improve their cost estimates.

In this Eno Center for Transportation webinar, Philip Plotch and Anna Zivarts talk about centering transportation design around nondrivers to create healthier, more equitable, and climate-friendly communities for everyone. Ms. Zivarts is the author of the book, “When Driving Is Not an Option.”

No city is too big or too small for a bike share system. Valentine in Nebraska has only one bike station while Citi Bike in New York is used more than the light rail systems in Denver, Seattle, and Dallas. Philip Plotch sheds light on the evolving landscape of bikeshare programs, particularly in light of the growing prominence of e-bikes.

From the early days of the streetcar to the multi modal systems of today, transit history provides a window into housing, economic, racial, and planning policies that have created and divided communities. This webinar explores transit policy from the lens of three works on transit histories across the country. The panelists offer their insights into how our transit history can help explain the present and inform transit policy for the future.

Moderating a March 2024 webinar with transportation agency "chief innovation officers" -- agency officials who are at the heart of efforts to foster collaboration, initiate pilot programs, utilize data, revisit plans, and monitor performance. Hear about their experiences, the obstacles they face, the strategies they have deployed, and the successes they have achieved.

Government agencies and their private partners borrow money for all types of transportation projects, from fixing up subway stations and modernizing seaports to building new bridges and expanding airports. In the face of shifting travel patterns, rising costs, and higher interest rates, transportation agencies and local governments are grappling with a crucial question: Can they continue to borrow billions of dollars for airport, transit, highway, and port improvements? Watch this February 2024 panel moderated by Dr. Plotch.

Interviewed in 2023 by the Gotham Center for New York City History discussing "How the Port Authority Built Metropolitan New York."

Moderating a webinar in 2023 with transit advocates from Chicago, Los Angeles, Minnesota, and New York on overcoming the challenges of depleting COVID funds, rising operating costs, and reduced fare revenues.

Moderating a webinar in 2023 with the former head of the Federal Transit Administration, the transportation secretary for the State of Washington, and Jen Nelles (co-author of Mobilizing the Metropolis). They discuss how transportation leaders can mobilize and maintain support from a wide range of individuals and groups to achieve their organization’s goals.