Therese McMillan, deputy administrator of the Federal Transit Administration, will present the keynote address Aug. 1 at APTA’s 2011 Sustainability & Public Transportation Workshop, July 31-Aug. 2 at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza. “The Value of Sustainability: Increasing Quality, Efficiency and Community Benefits in an Ever-Changing Environment” is the theme of the workshop.

Sustainability is an important topic right now, so public transportation professionals will want to participate in sessions addressing environmentally and energy efficient, economically sound, and socially responsible developments and practices to advance transit’s role in creating a sustainable community.

In addition, Los Angeles Metro, host system for the workshop, has scheduled four Sustainability in Action Tours the afternoon of July 31:

* Metro Support Services Center, an energy-efficient complex equipped with the largest solar installation in Los Angeles;

* El Monte Station, the first phase of a “transit village” development between Metro and El Monte, and neighboring Metro Division 9 Operations Building, the agency’s first LEED-certified facility;

* Metro Red Line Transit-Oriented Development at three station sites; and

* Metro Orange Line Busway Tour/Bike Tour, a multimodal journey incorporating Bus Rapid Transit and bike paths.

More information about the workshop is available online or from Rich Weaver.