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Industry Leaders Gather for Annual Meeting
Los Angeles is the center of what public transportation is and where it’s going and so was the ideal location for APTA’s 2016 Annual Meeting, Sept. 11-14, as more than 2,500 attendees gathered to share best practices, discuss industry challenges and learn about new products and services.
In addition to dozens of concurrent sessions, technical forums, committee meetings, awards ceremonies and workshops on topics ranging from procurement to mobility and technology, the meeting featured a well-attended Products & Services Showcase and General Sessions.
The six General Sessions featured association news and priorities, a conversation with FTA Acting Administrator Carolyn Flowers and senior leaders, a discussion of diversity and inclusion, a political overview with pundits Paul Begala and Mike Murphy, a session on transformational leadership and a look at the career paths of some of the industry’s leading women.
APTA and agency general managers also held a press conference to discuss the impact of upcoming public transportation ballot initiatives, valued at approximately $200 billion.
Annual Meeting coverage starts below and continues throughout this issue.
Barnes Assumes APTA Chair; Lists Key Priorities, Initiatives for the Coming Year At the Opening General Session, Doran J. Barnes, newly-elected APTA chair and executive director of Foothill Transit, West Covina, CA, described his priorities for the coming year.
Barnes listed several areas of focus: safety and security, working with the new administration and Congress, APTA’s governance and bylaws review, the search for a permanent chief executive officer, strengthening diversity and inclusion and increasing the value of APTA to all of its members.
“We are more than an industry; we are a community and family,” he said. “And I’m excited and enthusiastic about the work ahead of us.”
To underscore this message, Barnes showed a video about the attack on the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) police officers last July and talked about how the public transportation community united around the tragedy. Attendees stood to recognize DART President & Executive Director Gary Thomas and Police Chief James Spiller for their service and to honor the memory of DART Officer Brent Thompson.
Reflecting on the association’s external challenges and internal changes during the past year, Barnes told attendees that APTA is stronger than ever.
“We are passionate about bettering the lives of people and communities we serve; building a united, inclusive APTA; overcoming challenges and creating opportunities; and continuing to grow and succeed as an industry and family,” he  said. (Find excerpts of his remarks in Commentary in this issue.)
Immediate Past Chair Valarie J. McCall recounted her focus on the theme of collaboration and added that she had no way of knowing the year would come to be characterized by important changes, spirited debate and a new blueprint for APTA’s future.
“Leaders don’t always choose their legacy,” she said. “Sometimes one’s legacy is defined by unanticipated needs. The true test becomes how one pivots to meet those needs.”
McCall cited numerous achievements over the past year, including passage of the FAST Act, the success of her Task Force on Member Collaboration and the creation of new task forces to examine revenue, governance and bylaws, and member consensus issues, as well as to begin the search for a permanent president and chief executive officer.
She reminded APTA members that everyone has a responsibility to be a leader, to solve problems, collaborate, consult and, when necessary, make difficult decisions.
“If we strive to do what’s right, not what’s easy … if we are guided by our love for this industry and our deep responsibility to our fellow members, our legacies will write themselves,” McCall said.
Acting President & CEO Richard A. White opened the session by thanking LA Metro Chair John Fasana, CEO Phillip Washington and all of their employees for hosting the meeting and going above and beyond to make everyone feel welcomed.
Both Fasana and Washington spoke about their agency’s commitment to meet the expanding demand for public transportation in Los Angeles County, the nation’s most populous county with more than 10 million residents.
Fasana welcomed attendees to LA, which he noted is the most populous county in the U.S. “Although we have the worst congestion in the nation, we still love LA,” he said.
“We have a modern transportation system that is serving more and more people every year. Today we have 105 miles of rail with more on the way,” he said noting that this spring “we opened two more lines—the Gold Line Foothill extension and the Expo Line that goes from Los Angeles to the Santa Monica pier. We bought 250 buses in the past year alone to modernize our fleet.” Fasana called for further funding to keep congestion from getting worse.
White highlighted LA Metro’s upcoming $120 billion ballot measure as one of more than 30 state and local funding proposals for public transportation—an historic record totaling nearly $200 billion—that will be decided by voters on Election Day.
“This November we’re not only selecting a president, we’re also voting on the future of our industry,” he said.
“Communities are being transformed because of investment in public transit, proving that APTA’s message has taken root: ‘Where Public Transportation Goes, Community Grows’,” White added.
White said APTA is “in the right place at the right time,” having listened to members’ needs. He also explained that APTA has begun to put in place a framework to address such priorities as safety and security, state of good repair and standards.
“I firmly believe we’re on the right road—and track—and that we have a bright future,” he said. White pledged “to expand APTA’s value proposition to ensure we are your most trusted resource and to foster a culture of collaboration, inclusion and connectedness.”
In addition to introducing Barnes as the new APTA chair, the session also announced other incoming officers: Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., chief executive officer, Jacksonville (FL) Transportation Authority, as vice chair; Kim R. Green, executive director of business development, Genfare, as secretary/treasurer (he was reappointed to this position); and McCall as immediate past chair.
Proterra sponsored the session. President & CEO Ryan Popple showed a video announcing the company’s new Proterra Catalyst FC, XR and E2 series, which can achieve a range of 350 miles on a single charge. (See related story in this issue.)
Watch a video of the Opening General Session here.
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| Opening General Session speakers, from left: Richard White, Valarie J. McCall, Doran J. Barnes, Phillip Washington, John Fasana, and Ryan Popple. |
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