Episode 38: Latina Leaders in Transit

On the podcast, Angie Rivera-Malpiede and Cindy Chavez each describe how they came to be on transit agency boards. Rivera-Malpiede, the only Latinx on the RTD board or senior leadership, learned community issues first hand as a volunteer and bus rider. She sees herself as a voice for the disenfranchised, listening and conferring with her constituents about policy issues. Chavez, active in labor and elections, was motivated by safety issues to put herself forward as the one who tries to solve problems.

Both women speak passionately about the role transit plays in making communities stronger. They see the issues from the perspective of regular riders – who “just want the bus to be there” – and in the context of regional innovation and vitality, particularly “how we share the opportunities that come with transit investment, from economic access and moving goods and services to climate change.” They discuss a host of issues that their agencies are facing –  first-last mile, fleet electrification, affordable housing initiatives and workforce development. And they talk about getting younger women involved – “call us!”