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APTA NEWS

Bus Conference: Opportunity to Celebrate Diversity

Consistent with APTA’s values and as part of its ongoing work advocating for access to mobility and inclusiveness for all people, the association’s Executive Committee decided to proceed with the 2016 International Roadeo and Bus & Paratransit ­Conference.

The decision was made with an understanding of and concerns regarding the recent move by North Carolina’s state legislature to reverse a Charlotte ordinance that previously extended some rights to gay and transgender people and to nullify local ordinances around the state that would have expanded protections for the LGBT community.

“APTA believes that it’s in the long-term best interest of the industry, our friends at CATS and the people of Charlotte to hold our conference and make the most of the opportunity to lend our voice to the calls for inclusiveness. To win the fight for fairness, you have to be in the game,” said APTA Vice Chair Doran Barnes, chair of the Diversity Council and executive director, Foothill Transit, West Covina, CA.

He added that APTA greatly respects the decision some members made to cancel their conference registration. “We will use the conference to speak out—loudly and potently—about the power of diversity and inclusion in our industry,” Barnes said.

APTA and the Diversity Council are taking several actions before and during the conference to reaffirm their commitment to diversity, including holding a pre-conference meeting with leaders of the LGBT community and city officials; conducting the Diversity and Inclusion Roundtable Monday, May 16; reviewing APTA’s Diversity Plan; and using social media and onsite communications to highlight the strength diversity brings to public transportation. See APTA’s statement on the website.

There’s an App for That
Ever wondered how to apply new mobile applications or just set up your tablet or smartphone?

Some of us coax our children and grandchildren into lending a hand, but there’s also help available at the conference to navigate today’s most productive mobile applications. Just stop by the SMARTBAR, May 16 (8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) and May 17 (9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.), Room 214 in the Convention Center, the APTA Members Resource Room, and get the lowdown from some of the brightest students in the state.

The SMARTBAR, hosted by APTA’s Business Member Board of Governors Small Business Member Committee, chaired by Eve Williams, will pair business leaders with students from North Carolina A&T State University who will answer questions and demonstrate apps that organize ideas and help manage staff remotely, track travel expenses and sign documents on the go. The students will also have their resumes on hand and are interested in finding employment or internships.

Committee members will provide beverages and make available documents outlining procurement opportunities.

Three Tech Tours
The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), host system, has scheduled ­technical tours before the conference begins and after it concludes.

The LYNX Blue Line Light Rail System Alignment Tour provides an overview of the 9.5-mile LYNX Blue Line, CATS’ first light rail line, and will feature information about TOD along the route.

The Sprinter Enhanced Bus Alignment Tour will transport participants along CATS’ enhanced bus route in a dedicated, branded hybrid bus.

The LYNX Blue Line Extension Tour will visit construction on the $1.16 billion light rail extension scheduled to enter service in 2017, adding 9.3 more miles to the line and traveling from uptown Charlotte to the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.

Sign up for the tours on site and register for the conference here.

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