Nominating Committee Announces 2011-2012 Slate; Thomas, Castillo, Ford Selected

At its July 15 meeting in Chicago, APTA’s 2011 Nominating Committee nominated the current vice chair—Gary C. Thomas, president/executive director of Dallas Area Rapid Transit—as APTA chair for 2011-2012, and Flora Castillo, a board member for New Jersey Transit Corporation, as vice chair. Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., principal of the Ford Management Group, remains secretary-treasurer for another year. APTA Immediate Past Chair M.P. Carter, commissioner with the Memphis Area Transit Authority, chaired the nominating committee. [More]

ASCE: Deteriorating Transportation Infrastructure Could Cost U.S. $3.1 Trillion

The deteriorating state of U.S. surface transportation infrastructure was responsible for $130 billion in household and business losses in 2010 and—if the decline continues through a lack of investment—will cost the nation more than 870,000 jobs and suppress growth of the Gross Domestic Product by $3.1 billion by 2020. [More]

Cincinnati Metro Breaks Ground for Transit Center

Metro in Cincinnati broke ground July 18 for its new Glenway Crossing Transit Center and Park-and-Ride in Western Hills. When the transit center is completed this fall, it will serve as the major connection and transfer point for several west side bus routes. [More]

Survey: Transportation Alternatives Important

Three quarters of respondents to a federal survey cited the importance of reliable local bus, rail, or ferry transportation accessible without driving, according to a study released by DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration. [More]

Walder Departs NYMTA; Joins Hong Kong’s MTR

Jay H. Walder, chairman and chief executive officer of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) since 2009, announced his plans to resign effective Oct. 21. On Jan. 1, 2012, he will become chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors of the MTR Corporation in Hong Kong. [More]

SFMTA Names Reiskin Director of Transportation

The Board of Directors of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which oversees all surface transportation in the city including the Municipal Railway (Muni), has selected Edward D. Reiskin as its new director of transportation, effective Aug. 15. He succeeds Nathaniel P. Ford Sr. [More]

King Appointed Director of Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus

Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus has announced the appointment of Edward F. King as its new director. He will succeed Stephanie Negriff, who is retiring in October. [More]

Report: Transportation Access Is a Civil Right

Access to public transportation is a civil rights issue, according to Where We Need to Go: A Civil Rights Roadmap for Transportation Equity, a new report from the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights—a coalition of more than 200 national organizations that works to promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in the U.S. [More]

DOT Offers $15 Million in Tribal Transit Grants

DOT announced the availability of $15 million in federal funding that will enable rural American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments to invest in public transportation options to provide convenient access to employment centers and promote new economic development on tribal lands. [More]

Western High Speed Rail Alliance to Meet in Las Vegas

Public transportation and municipal leaders from across the nation and the world will gather Nov. 2-4 at Bellagio in Las Vegas for the second annual conference of the Western High Speed Rail Alliance (WHSRA), the only U.S. group working to establish an integrated network of high-speed passenger and freight rail in the Intermountain West. [More]

BRAC Developing Public Transportation Options; DOD, VA, DC, and MD—Focused and Working Together
BY SUSAN R. PAISNER, Senior Managing Editor

Earlier this year, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) released a study that examined BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) decisions made in 2005 to move personnel from bases slated for closure to new ones, and found that public transportation should be given much more serious consideration. [More]

COUNTING DOWN TO THE 2011 APTA ANNUAL MEETING AND EXPO

APTA’s 2011 Annual Meeting: Too Good to Miss

The 2011 APTA Annual Meeting and EXPO in New Orleans—the largest public transportation-related event in the world—will unite the public transit community and give industry professionals an unparalleled opportunity to enhance their knowledge and exchange information on best practices, research, and new trends in the field. [More]

Preliminary Program At-a-Glance

Here's a preliminary list of events at the 2011 APTA Annual Meeting and EXPO, updated as of July 19, 2011. APTA reserves the exclusive right to make program changes at any time. [More]

Concurrent Educational Sessions on Annual Meeting Schedule

APTA will offer a wide variety of concurrent educational sessions during the 2011 Annual Meeting and EXPO in New Orleans. What follows is a preliminary overview of the learning opportunities being provided for public transportation professionals. [More]

Educational Opportunities Available on the EXPO Floor; Exhibitors to Present on Topics of Technical and Operations Interest

All EXPO 2011 attendees can experience quality educational sessions without leaving the show floor! These educational sessions, presented by exhibitors, will cover topics related to public transportation technical, management, and operations issues. [More]

Showcases Bring the World to EXPO Floor

When you come to New Orleans to attend the 2011 APTA EXPO, you can “travel” beyond that destination by attending International Showcases on the EXPO floor. You can learn about the latest public transportation developments and business opportunities outside the U.S. [More]

Two Technical Tours Follow the Annual Meeting

The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (NORTA)/Veolia, host system for the 2011 APTA Annual Meeting and EXPO, invites all registrants to participate in two technical tours Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 5, following the completion of the meeting. [More]

AdWheel Celebrates 32nd Year

APTA will honor the best and most imaginative in public transportation marketing and promotional campaigns during the 2011 APTA Annual Meeting and EXPO at the 32nd annual AdWheel ceremony on Monday afternoon, Oct. 3. [More]

Travel Discounts Available

Attending the 2011 APTA Annual Meeting and EXPO in New Orleans? APTA has partnered with American Airlines and Delta Air Lines to provide special fares for meeting attendees. [More]

APTF to Honor Scholarship Recipients Oct. 3

Every year, the American Public Transportation Foundation (APTF), APTA’s charitable affiliate, awards scholarships and fellowships to students and young professionals who have chosen the public transportation field as a career.

The 2011 scholarship recipients will be recognized at an Oct. 3 afternoon session during the APTA Annual Meeting and EXPO in New Orleans. [More]

Calling All Public Transit-Related Companies! APTA Invites You to Become an Exhibitor at EXPO 2011

APTA invites companies to be part of public transportation’s premier showcase and exceed all sales goals for the year in just three days by exhibiting at EXPO 2011, Oct. 3-5 in New Orleans. [More]

Giving Back and Helping Rebuild New Orleans: Join In—and Make a Difference to the People of St. Bernard Parish

 When you come to New Orleans for EXPO and the APTA Annual Meeting, you can network. You can learn about the new political realities for transit. You can check out the newest public transit products and services.

However, there’s something else you can do that is equally if not more valuable: You can help rebuild homes that were destroyed in Hurricane Katrina. [More]

Going Behind the Scenes at EXPO in New Orleans: What You See, What You Get—and What You Don’t See!
BY SUSAN R. PAISNER, Senior Managing Editor

Did you ever stop to think what goes into creating EXPO? The number of people involved? The amount of materials required? The number of gallons of coffee consumed?

Maybe after you’ve read what follows, you’ll have a better sense of why this extraordinary products and services showcase—the largest one in the public transportation industry in the world—is held only every three years! [More]

Directory of Advertisers at EXPO 2011

To see who's already signed up to exhibit at the 2011 International Public Transportation EXPO, click here! [More]

New Orleans History: Mixing Old, New Worlds
By the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau

New Orleans lingers on the threshold between the Old World and the New, between history and legend: the City that Care Forgot. [More]

Dining in New Orleans: A Consuming Passion
By the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau

George Bernard Shaw once said, “There is no love sincerer than the love of food.”

Whether or not you agree with Mr. Shaw, it is an indisputable fact that no place loves its food as sincerely—or as indulgently—as New Orleans. [More]

New Orleans: A City with Its Own Language

New Orleans has its own language for many things. Here are some definitions that will help visitors feel at home. [More]

The Unique Culture of Louisiana’s ‘Noo Aw-lins’

New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean Baptiste La Moyne, Sieur de Bienville. At first, it was nothing more than a trading camp on a curve in the east bank of the Mississippi River. Later, the city was organized into a rectangular, fortified community, which still exists today as the French Quarter. The resulting streets were named for French royalty and nobility. [More]

COMMENTARY

Public transportation agencies across North America are seeing continued growth and record ridership. [More]

APTA NEWS

Transit Board Members, Support Staff Participate in Annual Seminar
BY LYNNE MORSEN, APTA Senior Program Manager-Member Support

New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) hosted 90 policy makers and staff at APTA’s annual Transit Board Members Seminar and Board Support Employee Development Workshop, July 23-26 at the Hyatt Regency Jersey City. [More]

‘Jump on Board’ with Online Transit Video

Two APTA committees—Human Resources and Marketing and Communications—are joining forces to create a YouTube video to speak to the next generation of the public transportation workforce, and the committees are asking for members’ help—by Aug. 15—in putting it together. [More]

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

MTS: Celebrating 125 Years of Transit Operation in San Diego

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) is celebrating its 125th anniversary of operation—and the 30th anniversary of the rebirth of trolley service—with activities including a contest for transit-related photos and giveaways at selected stations. [More]

Capital Metro in Austin Introduces the ‘Mock Bus’ for Mobility Training

The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Capital Metro) in Austin, TX, has introduced a new tool for mobility training: the “mock bus,” a section from a real bus—including a working wheelchair lift—inside the agency’s downtown customer facility. Agency personnel will use the bus in the MetroAccess eligibility process for persons with disabilities and as part of Capital Metro’s transit training program. [More]

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

Passenger Transport announces the following hirings and promotions in public transportation agencies and business members. Items appear in People on the Move in the order in which they are received.  [More]