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The Source for Public Transportation News and Analysis October 10, 2011
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IN THIS ISSUE: Coverage of the 2011 APTA Annual Meeting & EXPO in New Orleans!

NEWS FROM THE 2011 APTA ANNUAL MEETING & EXPO
APTA Honors ‘Best of the Best’ at Awards Luncheon

The public transportation industry honored its top leaders and agencies in North America at the Oct. 4 APTA Awards Breakfast, held during the 2011 APTA Annual Meeting and EXPO in New Orleans. The ceremony's sponsor was GFI GENFARE, an SPX Division.

Organizational Awards
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in Boston received the Innovation Award for its Open Data Initiative. MBTA launched this program in 2009, when the agency decided to provide information to software developers and media companies rather than developing its own smartphone apps. Since then, many third parties have used MBTA data to create numerous ways to spread system information at no cost to the agency.

APTA presented the Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award to systems in three different ridership categories.

Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) in Ithaca, NY, received the honor among public transportation agencies that provide four million or fewer annual passenger trips. TCAT began through a consolidation of three public transit systems operated by the city of Ithaca, Tompkins County, and Cornell University, and became a private not-for-profit corporation in 2005. Its efforts include opening the flagship Green Street Station and implementing an updated fare collection system.

Among transit agencies providing more than four million and fewer than 20 million annual passenger trips, APTA recognized Sun Metro in El Paso, TX. During the past three years, the agency reported a 21 percent ridership increase, despite the nationwide economic downturn; completed four new transfer centers; installed about 200 new shelters; and implemented a precursor to Bus Rapid Transit service on two routes. Sun Metro also received safety awards in 2009 and 2010 for the lowest collision rate per 100,000 miles.

The Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award for agencies providing more than 20 million annual passenger trips went to Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus. The agency in Santa Monica, CA, recently opened a state-of-the-art maintenance facility—honored by the Southern California Chapter of the American Public Works Association as  2010 Project of the Year—and a bus stop redevelopment program recognized by the American Institute of Architects. Big Blue Bus also implemented a revised accident policy that led to a 41 percent drop in injuries.

APTA also presented a new award, Special Recognition for Extraordinary Recovery, to the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) in New Orleans for its return to service following Hurricane Katrina. Despite losing most of its bus fleet and sustaining damage to many streetcars and facilities in the catastrophic 2005 storm, the RTA resumed partial bus service and  streetcar operation within months. In addition, two streetcar expansions are underway and the RTA is operating with completely new bus and paratransit fleets.

Individual Awards
The Outstanding Public Transportation Manager honor went to Stephanie G. Negriff, retiring director of transit services for Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus. During her tenure, the agency became a leader in environmental sustainability, systems innovation, and alternative fuel technology. She has overseen significant expansions of both the fleet and transit facilities and implemented public outreach programs and green technologies and operations policies.

APTA recognized Sharon Greene, president of Sharon Greene & Associates in Laguna Beach, CA, with the Outstanding Public Transportation Business Member Award. Greene is an expert in financial analysis and evaluation of major transportation system investments who has developed and implemented programs to help public transit agencies find new funding sources. She also has chaired the APTA Business Member Board of Governors.

Crystal Fortune Lyons, chairman of the Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority (CCRTA) Board of Directors, received the Outstanding Public Transportation Board Member Award. Lyons joined the board in 2004 and has served as its chairman since 2007. She oversaw the return of waterborne transportation to the Coastal Bend community and promoted installation of bike racks on all CCRTA buses. Current projects include introducing alternative fuels and fully implementing new fare collection technology.

The Local Distinguished Service Award went to the late Cameron Beach, a member of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors from 2007 until his death earlier this year. Beach’s 44-year career in public transportation included 25 years with the Sacramento Regional Transit District. After he retired from the agency as its chief operating officer in 2006, he became principal of Beach Consulting. He also worked to preserve San Francisco’s fleet of historic streetcars.
 
Roger Snoble became the newest member of the APTA Hall of Fame, which recognizes public transportation professionals with long, distinguished careers and who have made extraordinary contributions to the field. Snoble began his service to public transit in 1965 as a planner for METRO Regional Transit Authority in Akron, OH, and retired in 2009 as chief executive officer of Los Angeles Metro. He also served in the top post at Dallas Area Rapid Transit and the San Diego Transit Corporation.

 

 

All award photos by Kathy Anderson

Richard Davey, Massachusetts DOT secretary and chief executive officer, receives the 2011 Innovation Award on behalf of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority from Angela Iannuzziello of GENIVAR.

 

Joseph A. Calabrese of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, left, presents the Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award for agencies providing four million or fewer annual passenger trips to representatives of Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit Inc. in Ithaca, NY: from second from left, General Manager Joe Turcotte; Alice Eccleston, assistant general manager and human resources manager; and Dr. Hank Dullea, chairman of the board of directors.

 

 

From left, presenter Larry King of Muncie Public Transportation Corporation and representatives of Sun Metro in El Paso, TX, recipient of the Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award among agencies providing more than four million and fewer than 20 million trips annually: El Paso Mayor John Cook; Jane Shang, deputy city manager for mobility services; Sun Metro Director Jay Banasiak; Laura Cruz-Acosta, public affairs coordinator; and Kevin Bunce, assistant director for maintenance.

Representatives of Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus accept the Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award among systems providing more than 20 million annual passenger trips from John B. Catoe Jr. of The Catoe Group, left. From second from left are Pam O'Connor, Big Blue Bus board member and Santa Monica City Council member; Assistant Director Joe Stitcher; and Tina Wimberly, transit operations superintendent.

 

 

A new award, Special Recognition for Extraordinary Recovery, went to the Regional Transit Authority in New Orleans. From left are presenter Michael P. Melaniphy, APTA president and CEO-elect and outgoing chair of the APTA Awards Committee; RTA Commissioners Flozell Daniels Jr., Vice Chairwoman Earlene Roth (in wheelchair), Connie Goodly, Chairwoman Barbara Major, and Sharon Wegner; and General Manager Justin T. Augustine III.

Karen Antion of Karen Antion Consulting LLC, left, presents the Outstanding Public Transportation Manager Award to Pam O'Connor, who accepted the honor on behalf of Stephanie G. Negriff.

 

 

Michael Townes of Wilbur Smith Associates presents Sharon Greene with the Outstanding Public Transportation Business Member Award.

The winner of the Outstanding Public Transportation Board Member Award--Crystal Fortune Lyons, left--receives the honor from Rosa Navejar of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority board.

 

 

Family members of the late Cameron Beach—wife Carmen Clark and son Timothy Beach, right—accept the Local Distinguished Service Award in his memory from Kim Green of GFI GENFARE.

Roger Snoble, the newest member of the APTA Hall of Fame, is recognized by Shirley A. DeLibero of DeLibero Transportation Strategies LLC.

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