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With energy costs rising and U.S. public transportation ridership at record levels—10.3 billion rides in 2007—transit agencies are faced with growing challenges. They must meet the needs of a changing ridership, including infrastructure; funding; increasing energy demands; emerging technologies; and safety and security.

Where can systems go for help? The APTA 2008 Annual Meeting and EXPO, Oct. 5 to 8 in San Diego.

Covering every mode of transportation and every aspect of transit systems, EXPO 2008 is the place to discover new technologies, gain knowledge, network with colleagues, and interface with respected industry experts and peers. The EXPO exhibitors will provide an opportunity to see, demo, and buy virtually any product to make transit operations more efficient, more economical, and more effective. EXPO brings together all the solutions for public transit in a single event!

What makes EXPO 2008 unique?

Expanded show floor. EXPO 2008 is bigger and better than ever, featuring two floors of the complete range of public transit-related products, services, and technologies.

Transit Technology and International Showcases offering free educational opportunities for all attendees, right on the show floor. The program includes technical, management, and operational sessions and sessions focused on international advancements and solutions.

The Natural Gas Vehicle Zone is new for 2008—a section of the show floor dedicated to the latest natural gas technology and products that are revolutionizing the public transportation industry.

Registration to APTA’s EXPO 2008 is free. Held every three years in conjunction with APTA’s Annual Meeting, the EXPO is public transportation’s premier showcase of technology, products, and services. EXPO is the platform from where the public transit industry moves forward.

Speakers at Annual Meeting
APTA has announced several speakers during the 2008 Annual Meeting, which begins with committee meetings Oct. 4 and the Annual Business Meeting and Election of Officers on Oct. 5.

Environmentalist and actor Ed Begley Jr. is scheduled to speak at an afternoon session on Sunday, Oct. 5. The day’s activities will also include the Host Forum, “Partnerships for the Future,” sponsored by the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System.

Federal Transit Administrator James S. Simpson will be among the speakers at the Opening General Session on Monday, Oct. 6, while U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, will address the conference on Tuesday, Oct. 7.

The Oct. 8 Speaker Breakfast sponsored by the Washington Division of URS, APTA’s business members, and the Women’s Transportation Seminar will feature Darcy Stallings Winslow, a longtime executive with Nike and senior advisor with the Nike Foundation, which seeks to empower disadvantaged girls ages 10 to 19 through poverty alleviation and creating economic livelihood opportunities.

Jim Donald, former chief executive officer of Starbucks, will give a presentation at the Wednesday Closing General Session, “Leadership: Act Like You Own It.” This session also includes the recognition of the American Public Transportation Foundation’s 22 scholarship recipients.

The Federal Transit Administration is sponsoring a session titled “State of Good Repair—A CEO Perspective” on Oct. 8. FTA analyses show that roughly one third of the nation’s “legacy” heavy rail agencies’ rail and bus assets are in substandard or poor condition, and that bringing heavy rail infrastructure to a “state of good repair” may cost as much as $7 billion annually over the next 20 years. FTA Administrator Simpson will report on FTA’s recent State of Good Repair Roundtable, and several transit general managers will share their perspectives.

More information about the APTA Annual Meeting and EXPO is available online.  

MTS: A Vehicle for Art
For the tenth year, San Diego MTS is partnering with Jean Isaacs San Diego Dance Theatre to present “Trolley Dances” Oct. 4 and 5. Patrons ride the San Diego Trolley to various locations for site-specific dance performances.

This year’s program begins at Hazard Center; continues on the Green Line along the San Diego River; and switches to the Blue Line in Old Town, ending at the Santa Fe Depot downtown.

 

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