If you've taken public transit in New York City or Newark, you've definitely heard Bernie Wagenblast's voice before: she's the person reminding you to stand clear of the closing doors, please. Bernie's transportation career began in 1979 as a traffic reporter; since then, she has worked for the MTA, the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, and TRANSCOM (a coalition of transportation services in the NY-NJ-CT) area. She is also the founder and editor of the Transportation Communications newsletter, which has been published Monday-Friday since 1998. In June 2023, Bernie publicly came out as a trans woman, calling her transition "the culmination of a lifelong dream". She still goes by Bernie; however, it is now short for Bernadette.