If there’s one thing that really irks Tina Quigley, it’s a misplaced orange cone stunting the flow of traffic. 

“We get upset about so many things, but we should be really upset about those lane takings when the cones aren’t set up appropriately or they’re up there for weeks at a time with absolutely no activity going on,” said Quigley, chief executive officer of the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC). “It seems like we just kind of accept it.”

No more. In April, the RTC announced it had partnered with a software startup called Nexar to launch a pilot program that collects information about construction zones — and those pesky traffic cones — via dashcams. The goal: Track the movement of those cones and their effect on traffic to ease congestion and minimize accidents.

It’s one of the forward-thinking projects Quigley said she is proud of launching during her 14-year tenure at the Regional Transportation Commission. The longtime transit chief announced Thursday that she’s retiring from her post in November, ending her career in the public sector. She previously spent 15 years working at McCarran International Airport.

So what’s next? Quigley, who joined the Indy Matters podcast this week, was mum on the details, but sources say she is leaving to become an executive with a company hoping to build a high-speed train between Las Vegas and Southern California. Quigley wouldn’t confirm her next step but offered this hint: “chugga-chugga-choo-choo.”

In any case, her last day with the RTC will be Nov. 14. Quigley’s tenure at the transit agency has been marked by everything from a ballot question about a motor vehicle fuel tax, which passed, to conversations about building a light-rail system, which never came to fruition. But Quigley said it’s the innovative projects that can sometimes make the most difference for people living and commuting in Southern Nevada. 

As an example, she pointed to the RTC’s partnership with Waycare, an Israeli company that uses artificial intelligence to identify high-risk roadway areas and alert traffic agencies, which, in turn, can roll out accident prevention measures. Quigley said the program led to a 17 percent reduction in crashes along a busy corridor of Interstate 15 in Las Vegas.

“I always say that, you know, every minute that you’ve blocked off a lane of traffic, you’ve stolen from the taxpayers because that’s capacity that they’ve already paid for,” she said.  “Our obligation is to clear that up as safely and quickly as possible.”

But not every traffic headache is under the control of the RTC — for instance, the high-occupancy vehicle lanes on Interstate 15 that debuted as a part of Project Neon. 

“What I have to say, first of all, is I feel your pain,” she said. “I’ve certainly shared with NDOT my opinions on that as well. But that is a Nevada Department of Transportation project. And I understand their logic behind it. They’re trying to change human behavior and encourage people to share rides.”

Quigley also addressed criticism the RTC has faced regarding whether it should expand paratransit routes, which provide transportation for people with physical or cognitive disabilities. The service costs the agency about $38 per trip, she said, making it financially untenable to extend it beyond three-quarters of a mile from any fixed route. Plus, an expansion would have to occur system-wide, not just in a specific geographic area.

“That’s a slippery slope and the answer is no, you can’t,” she said. “You have to take a very methodical approach to expanding it and understanding those costs associated with (it).”

Quigley’s departure comes at a time when the RTC is grappling with how to secure financial footing for public transit in the age of ride-share. The agency’s bus route through the resort corridor, which used to subsidize the rest of the system, no longer turns a profit.

Still, Quigley said her daily interactions with community members and leaders leave her confident in the financial sustainability of public transit going forward.

“I’m not worried about it,” she said. “It is truly something we have to talk about, but our community seems to understand the value of transit and the fact that it does need a sustainable funding source.”

Hear more from Tina Quigley on the Indy Matters podcast here.