WMATA General Manager Randy Clarke joined Dream City for a wide-ranging conversation about how he helped turn D.C.'s Metro system around, what America gets wrong about transit, and why the future of Washington depends on getting transportation right.

Randy talked with Cuneyt and Tom about everything from fare evasion, permitting, and union tensions to the politics of building faster, the challenge of funding transit in a fragmented region, and what D.C. can learn from other cities around the world.

They also get into RFK Stadium, the Gold Line, federal layoffs, and whether Clarke has any interest in a future Secretary of Transportation job.

00:00 Introduction

01:00 Randy Clarke's LA Visit

04:39 The Man Behind the Local Celebrity

12:56 Fixing Metro

16:27 What America Gets Wrong About Transit

20:30 Why Big Transit Projects Take So Long in America

22:13 Automation, Unions, and the Fight Over Metro Staffing

28:18 Randy Clarke vs. the Washington Post Editorial Board

30:52 Fare Evasion, Free Buses, and Who Should Pay for Transit

33:19 Why Metro Funding Is So Fragmented

36:08 The Bus Network Redesign and the Push for Dedicated Bus Lanes

41:19 RFK Stadium, the Gold Line, and Metro’s Future in D.C.

47:53 “You Either Hate the Way Things Are, or You Hate Change”

48:14 Does He Want To Be Secretary of Transportation?

53:40 Trump, Federal Layoffs, and Metro’s Future Under the New Administration

56:08 Randy Clarke’s Message to Trump

The Dream City Podcast is supported by launch partner https://spotlightdc.org/.

The Dream City Podcast will hold the powerful accountable and take you inside D.C.’s business and political worlds. Along the way: Revelatory conversations with city officials, business leaders, and the best-sourced journalists in town.

The Dream City Podcast is a product of COSMOS Media LLC.

On this week’s Dream City roundup, Cuneyt is joined by Mark Segraves to break down the fallout from MPD’s crime stats scandal, what it means for Mayor Bowser’s legacy, and how it could affect trust in the police department.

They also talk about growing White House pressure on D.C. ahead of this summer’s America 250 celebrations, new courtroom drama tied to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner suspect, and the latest on Trump’s plans for East Potomac Golf.

And yes, they close on a lighter note: Gary Goodweather’s campaign dance moves.

00:00 Introduction + Mark Segraves Joins the Show
02:14 MPD Crime Stats Scandal and Bowser’s Legacy
21:25 America 250, White House Pressure, and D.C. Security Planning
26:12 Speed Round: White House Correspondents’ Dinner Suspect Back in Court
28:40 Speed Round: Trump’s East Potomac Golf Takeover Moves Ahead

30:46 Speed Round: DC Water Sewage Spill Cleanup and Cost Fight
33:04 Speed Round: Gary Goodweather’s Viral Dance Campaign

The Dream City Podcast is supported by launch partner https://spotlightdc.org/.

The Dream City Podcast will hold the powerful accountable and take you inside D.C.’s business and political worlds. Along the way: Revelatory conversations with city officials, business leaders, and the best-sourced journalists in town.

The Dream City Podcast is a product of COSMOS Media LLC.

On this week’s Dream City Podcast, Cuneyt and Tom break down a packed stretch in D.C. politics: the mayor’s race entering a sharper new phase, new questions around labor and Janeese Lewis George’s campaign, and who Kenyan McDuffie hopes turns out to vote this year.

They also dig into President Trump’s move to take over East Potomac Golf, plus a speed round on Metro’s funding problem, D.C.’s online casino push, a chilly spring forecast, and Ben’s Chili Bowl reopening.

00:00 Intro + Labor’s Power Dinner

03:26 Inside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Scare

09:28 D.C.’s Mayor Race Hits Crunch Time

10:20 Union Power and Janeese Lewis George's Campaign Questions

19:00 Trump Moves to Take Over East Potomac Golf

23:37 Cuneyt’s Golf Swing

24:36 Commanders x Langston Golf Course?

26:02 Speed Round: Metro’s Budget Debate

27:32 Speed Round: A New Online Casino Fight in D.C.

29:10 Speed Round: Why May Might Feel Like April

29:52 Speed Round: Ben’s Chili Bowl Is Back

The Dream City Podcast is supported by launch partner https://spotlightdc.org/.

The Dream City Podcast will hold the powerful accountable and take you inside D.C.’s business and political worlds. Along the way: Revelatory conversations with city officials, business leaders, and the best-sourced journalists in town.

The Dream City Podcast is a product of COSMOS Media LLC.