# Bernie Wagenblast

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**Bernadette Wagenblast** (born September 1, 1956) is an American transportation journalist, radio personality and voice-over artist. She is the founder and editor of the [Transportation Communications Newsletter](/source/Transportation_Communications_Newsletter). The newsletter originated as a discussion group in June 1998, evolving into its current format shortly thereafter. She also edits The AASHTO Daily Transportation Update,[1] published by the [American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials](/source/American_Association_of_State_Highway_and_Transportation_Officials), and hosts AASHTO's ETAP Podcast[2] and the ITE Talks Transportation podcast for the [Institute of Transportation Engineers](/source/Institute_of_Transportation_Engineers).[3] She is known as the voice of automated announcements on the [New York City Subway](/source/New_York_City_Subway).

## Early life

Wagenblast grew up and has spent most of her life in [Cranford, New Jersey](/source/Cranford,_New_Jersey) where she attended [Cranford High School](/source/Cranford_High_School).[4] She went on to graduate from [Seton Hall University](/source/Seton_Hall_University) where she was active in the college's radio station, [WSOU](/source/WSOU) (South Orange, NJ),[4][5] serving as the news director there in 1976–1977, and station manager in 1977–1978. In 2016 she was inducted into WSOU's Hall of Fame.

## Career

Wagenblast is the founder and editor of the Transportation Communications Newsletter.[3] She also has served as the voice for various transportation facilities including [AirTrain Newark](/source/AirTrain_Newark), [AirTrain JFK](/source/AirTrain_JFK), [New York City Subway](/source/New_York_City_Subway), and the [travelers' information station](/source/Travelers'_information_station) system at [Newark Liberty International Airport](/source/Newark_Liberty_International_Airport) and [John F. Kennedy International Airport](/source/John_F._Kennedy_International_Airport).[6] As of May 28, 2015, she can be heard as the voice on the refurbished cars running on the [PATCO Speedline](/source/PATCO_Speedline). She is the voice of the [PATH](/source/PATH_(rail_system)) customer information line as well as the main phone number for the [Port Authority of New York and New Jersey](/source/Port_Authority_of_New_York_and_New_Jersey). On July 4, 2004, she was the announcer during the laying of the cornerstone of [One World Trade Center](/source/One_World_Trade_Center) at the [World Trade Center site](/source/World_Trade_Center_site).[citation needed]

Wagenblast was a traffic reporter for the New York City office of [Shadow Traffic](/source/Shadow_Traffic)/[Metro Networks](/source/Metro_Networks) (a [Westwood One](/source/Westwood_One_(1976%E2%80%932011)) company), where she began her career in the transportation field in 1979 as one of that company's original on-air reporters.[5][7] Through her work for Shadow, she appeared on several [New York City](/source/New_York_City) radio stations over a five-year period, including [WINS](/source/WINS_(AM)) and [WABC](/source/WABC_(AM)). On WABC she used the name Jack Packard, which was given to her by the station's morning DJ [Dan Ingram](/source/Dan_Ingram) when Wagenblast began airing traffic reports on the station in December 1979. The name was based on a character from the old time radio program "[I Love a Mystery](/source/I_Love_a_Mystery)".[8] In addition to New York City, Wagenblast also appeared on [suburban](/source/New_York_metropolitan_area) stations [WBAB](/source/WBAB), WERA, [WMTR](/source/WMTR_(AM)), [WNAB](/source/WCUM), [WVIP](/source/WRVP), and [WWDJ](/source/WNYM).[citation needed]

Other broadcast experience included positions at [WHN](/source/WEPN_(AM)#WHN) ([New York City](/source/New_York_City)), [WJDM](/source/WJDM_(New_Jersey)) (Elizabeth, NJ), WDGS ([New Albany, IN](/source/New_Albany,_IN)) and [WRNJ](/source/WRNJ) ([Hackettstown, NJ](/source/Hackettstown,_NJ)).[citation needed]

After working for Shadow Traffic the first time, Wagenblast joined the [New York City Department of Transportation](/source/New_York_City_Department_of_Transportation), where she helped to establish the city's first transportation communications center. Afterward, she moved to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and was operations manager at TRANSCOM, a coalition of transportation agencies in [New York](/source/New_York_(state)), [New Jersey](/source/New_Jersey) and [Connecticut](/source/Connecticut), from 1986 until 1996.[5] She also was involved in the start of the [I-95 Corridor Coalition](/source/I-95_Corridor_Coalition), serving as co-chair of the Highway Operations Group.[citation needed]

Following over a decade of work in government, Wagenblast rejoined the private sector serving as the NYC Director of Operations for [SmartRoute Systems](/source/SmartRoute_Systems), a Senior Associate for [TransCore](/source/Roper_Technologies#TransCore_and_DAT_Solutions) and working with SmartRoute Systems to help grow their public sector [Intelligent Transportation Systems](/source/Intelligent_Transportation_System) business.[citation needed]

Wagenblast returned to WINS in April 2008, doing traffic reports in the early afternoon hours. She called her 23-year absence from the station a "lunch break" and one of the longest absences in the history of the New York media market.[9] In addition, she was heard on [WKXW](/source/WKXW) and [WRCN-FM](/source/WRCN-FM). She worked for Total Traffic in [Rutherford, New Jersey](/source/Rutherford,_New_Jersey).[citation needed]

In 2024 she appeared as the voice of the subway conductor on the album [*Warriors*](/source/Warriors_(Lin-Manuel_Miranda_and_Eisa_Davis_album)) by [Lin-Manuel Miranda](/source/Lin-Manuel_Miranda) and [Eisa Davis](/source/Eisa_Davis).[10] In 2025 she made her [off-Broadway](/source/Off-Broadway) debut voicing the train conductor in [Dylan Mulvaney](/source/Dylan_Mulvaney)'s *The Least Problematic Woman in the World*.[11] On January 1st, 2026, she served as the announcer for the public inauguration of [Zohran Mamdani](/source/Zohran_Mamdani).[12]

## Personal life

Wagenblast [came out](/source/Came_out) publicly as a [trans woman](/source/Trans_woman) in January 2023; although still going by Bernie, she said her full name would now be Bernadette.[6][13][14] In an interview from June 2023, she said that although she had felt like a girl since age 4, she had been dissuaded against feminine dress or behavior at a young age.[15][16] As a teenager she called [Paula Grossman](/source/Paula_Grossman), the only openly trans woman she knew, from a [payphone](/source/Payphone) to try and find support.[17] Wagenblast later confided in her wife, and in 2017 she told her adult daughters about her identity.[16] She began privately coming out to friends and family in 2022.[16]

Wagenblast and her wife separated after Wagenblast's transition.[14]

## References

1. ["Daily Transportation Update"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210223144354/https://dailyupdate.transportation.org/Pages/DailyUpdate.aspx). [American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials](/source/American_Association_of_State_Highway_and_Transportation_Officials). Archived from [the original](https://dailyupdate.transportation.org/Pages/DailyUpdate.aspx) on February 23, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2021.

1. [AASHTO](/source/AASHTO) (May 4, 2020). ["AASHTO's ETAP Podcast"](https://aashtos-etap-podcast.simplecast.com/). *Simplecast.com*. Retrieved February 8, 2021.

1. ["ITE Talks Transportation Podcast Series"](https://www.ite.org/professional-and-career-development/learning-hub/podcasts/). *Professional and Career Development*. [Institute of Transportation Engineers](/source/Institute_of_Transportation_Engineers). Retrieved February 8, 2021. ITE Talks Transportation is a collaboration between ITE and Bernie Wagenblast, founder and editor of the Transportation Communication Newsletter and host of Transportation Radio.

1. ["Cranford Resident, Radio Announcer, AirTrain Voiceover — Bernie Wagenblast's Boyhood Dream a Fruitful Career"](https://www.tapinto.net/towns/cranford/articles/cranford-resident-radio-announcer-airtrain-voic). *TAPinto Cranford*. April 8, 2015. Retrieved February 8, 2021.

1. Dunlap, David W. & Kolomatsky, Michael (2012-02-23). ["Heard Underground, in Your Dreams"](https://archive.nytimes.com/cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/your-fantasy-subway-announcements/). *City Room*. Retrieved 2023-06-27.

1. Caina Calavan, Bobby (June 22, 2023). ["As a transgender woman, a New York City subway icon finds her own voice"](https://apnews.com/article/transgender-pride-wagenblast-subways-genderaffirming-f3f185e9a606e2340905e3d7f765e8b7). *[Associated Press News](/source/Associated_Press_News)*. Retrieved June 22, 2023.

1. ["Telematics Detroit 2006"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090726042636/http://www.telematicsupdate.com/detroit2006/awards/judges.shtml). Archived from [the original](http://www.telematicsupdate.com/detroit2006/awards/judges.shtml) on July 26, 2009. Retrieved October 22, 2006.

1. ["WABC Musicradio Letters"](http://www.musicradio77.com/letters.html)

1. Hinckley, David (April 2, 2008). ["WWRL still has plenty left to offer"](http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2008/04/02/2008-04-02_wwrl_still_has_plenty_left_to_offer.html). *Daily News*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20080404075235/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2008/04/02/2008-04-02_wwrl_still_has_plenty_left_to_offer.html) April 4, 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 3, 2023.

1. Paulson, Michael (18 October 2024). "'The Warriors' Hooked Lin-Manuel Miranda at 4. Now Comes the Album". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 October 2024.

1. ["LPWIW - Digital Program"](https://www.canva.com/design/DAGt_23-z4Y/IWcHSOLke_ZJqAa5iIuTTw/view#3). *Canva*. p. 3. Retrieved 23 November 2025.

1. Minsberg, Talya (January 1, 2026). ["A DJ, a Poet and Politicians Make Up Mamdani's Inaugural Lineup"](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/01/nyregion/mamdani-inauguration-dj-moma.html). *The New York Times*. Retrieved January 1, 2026.

1. ["In Her Own Words: Cranford's Bernie Wagenblast Comes Out as Transgender"](https://www.tapinto.net/towns/cranford/sections/health-and-wellness/articles/in-her-own-words-cranford-s-bernie-wagenblast-comes-out-as-transgender). *tapinto.net*. January 6, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2023.

1. Rivoli, Dan (June 21, 2023). ["Voice of the subway finds her new voice as out trans woman"](https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2023/06/21/voice-of-the-subway-finds-her-new-voice-as-out-trans-woman). *www.ny1.com*. Retrieved 2023-06-27.

1. Gainer, Alice (2023-06-21). ["Bernie Wagenblast, the voice of the NYC subway, finding her true voice after sharing her transition - CBS New York"](https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/bernie-wagenblast-the-voice-of-the-nyc-subway-announces-she-has-transitioned-to-a-woman/). *www.cbsnews.com*. Retrieved 2023-06-27.

1. Cranmore, Crystal (2023-04-28). ["Familiar voice across NYC subway, Newark AirTrain comes out as transgender"](https://abc7ny.com/transgender-subway-voice-bernie-wagenblast/13193214/). *ABC7 New York*. Retrieved 2023-06-27.

1. Riedel, Samantha (2023-06-23). ["The Voice of the NYC Subway Is a Trans Woman With an Inspiring Story"](https://www.them.us/story/nyc-subway-voice-mta-announcements-trans-woman-bernie-wagenblast). *Them*. Retrieved 2023-06-27.

## External links

- [Bernie Wagenblast](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2306627/) at IMDb
- [Video of cornerstone laying ceremony for the Freedom Tower on July 4, 2004](http://www.nyc.gov/html/om/html/2004b/pc070404-freedomtower300k.asx)
- [Shadow Traffic Turns 25](https://web.archive.org/web/20120331183542/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/shadow-traffic-turns-25-delays-en-route-article-1.599732) - Article from the *[New York Daily News](/source/New_York_Daily_News)*, from December 7, 2004
- [City traffic reports are cutting through the gridlock](https://web.archive.org/web/20091212105001/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/12/03/2009-12-03_a_bumper_time_for_traffic_news.html) - Article from the *Daily News*, from December 3, 2009
- [Out Of The Sounds Of Jersey, A Familiar Voice Makes A Mosaic](https://www.npr.org/2014/07/04/328515586/out-of-the-sounds-of-jersey-a-familiar-voice-makes-a-mosaic) - Profile on [NPR](/source/NPR)'s *[All Things Considered](/source/All_Things_Considered)*, from July 4, 2014
- [The Voice of NYC's Subways Comes Out as Trans](https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/deathsexmoney/episodes/bernie-wagenblast-nyc-subway-death-sex-money) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230505163808/https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/deathsexmoney/episodes/bernie-wagenblast-nyc-subway-death-sex-money) May 5, 2023 at the Wayback Machine Profile on [Death, Sex and Money](/source/Death,_Sex_and_Money) podcast from [WNYC Studios](/source/WNYC_Studios), from April 26, 2023

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bernie Wagenblast](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Wagenblast) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Wagenblast?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.