Delivering Essential Innovation
WORKSHOPS
Stay tuned! Our full schedule of workshops and speakers will be announced late-February 2023
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Monday, May 22
Block One 9:15 - 10:30 a.m.
Engaging and Serving Transit Customers with Limited English Proficiency
9:15 - 10:30 a.m.
Room 302C
Presentation: Brooke Ramsey
Presentation: Sarah Cook
Language translation services and software are helpful tools, but they’re only a small piece of the puzzle in making sure you’re reaching out to, and effectively serving, the people in your community who lack English language proficiency. See and hear how some of your peers are working and succeeding, in carrying out their LEP plans and strategies.
The Caregiver Connection: Are You Missing Potential Riders?
9:15 - 10:30 a.m.
Room 301AB
There are 53 million family caregivers in the United States and 80 percent of them provide transportation for their loved one. However, surveys show only 25 percent of caregivers have used a transportation service. Are you missing potential riders? If you don’t know the answer to this question, this workshop from the NADTC is for you. Your agency can expand your reach in the community, increase ridership, and provide much needed assistance to an often-overlooked group of individuals. Learn about the unique needs of caregivers and hear various ways transportation programs can respond to these needs. A case study will highlight how DRTC in Oklahoma City is implementing a travel training program that removed a transportation barrier for caregivers and increased independence for people with disabilities.
Rural and Tribal Transit Managers Forum
9:15 - 10:30 a.m.
Room 302B
An interactive discussion of key issues led by CTAA staff and Board. We'll share insights, trends and solutions among rural and tribal transit leaders, with a relatively open agenda led by participants. Come to this session ready to engage in a productive dialog and to network with your peers.
CTAA 101
9:15 - 10:30 a.m.
Room 302A
New to CTAA? New to EXPO? Then you don't want to miss this! CTAA members, both new and tenured, can all learn from a crash course of CTAA member benefits and our EXPO, including the different events, networking opportunities and where your best resources are located. Make the most of your time at this year's EXPO with these tips and tricks.
Coordinated Statewide Zero Emissions Initiatives
9:15 - 10:30 a.m.
Room 208A
SPONSORED by Hatch
Presentation (PDF)
Hatch has been working with the Department of Transportation to develop feasible plans for transitioning transit vehicles and infrastructure to zero emissions technologies. These plans have identified opportunities for the transit agencies to work together to potentially reduce implementation costs, share lessons learned, and reduce the level of effort required to transition to zero emissions technologies. This presentation will highlight the benefits of regional collaboration when transitioning to zero emissions technologies, and highlight lessons learned from the ongoing efforts. This presentation will also describe emerging industry trends – such as regional joint procurements, grant partnerships and infrastructure sharing – that can help improve zero emission technology adoption by the transit industry.
Block Two 10:45 a.m. - Noon
FTA Safety Updates: Bus Safety Data Trends, Transit Worker Assault Prevention and the Road Ahead
10:45 a.m. - Noon
Room 301AB
FTA’s Associate Administrator for Transit Safety and Oversight and Chief Safety Officer Joe DeLorenzo will discuss the most recent bus safety trends, and share FTA safety updates and priorities including addressing the incidence of transit worker assaults and new National Transit Database safety reporting changes.
Small Urban Transit Managers Forum
10:45 a.m. - Noon
Room 201CD
An interactive discussion of key issues led by CTAA staff and Board. We'll share insights, trends and solutions among small urban transit leaders, with a relatively open agenda led by participants. Come to this session ready to engage in a productive dialog and to network with your peers.
Public Transit, Driver Shortages and Returning Citizens
10:45 a.m. - Noon
Room 302B
Presentation (PDF)
Thousands of incarcerated individuals are released from prison each year, and many are eager to get a job so they able to establish a new life. Most public transit agencies are experiencing driver shortages which is often causing service reductions. Hiring Returning Citizens has the potential to solve transit’s recruitment challenges, as well as support people re-entering communities following a term of incarceration. If you are looking for strategies and best practices for hiring individuals released from prison, join this session and learn simple things any agency can do today, to bigger solutions happening at a State level.
Demand-Responsive Transit in Rural and Tribal Systems: Transitioning to Smart Software
10:45 a.m. - Noon
Room 302A
SPONSORED by Blaise Transit
Recent advancements in artificial intelligence have created the opportunity for transit agencies to provide real time demand-responsive transit services using smart software. Whether it is called microtransit or on-demand transit, these services can create more reliability and transparency for riders and help improve operational efficiency. However, the technology, business models, pricing, and services offered by software companies can feel ambiguous and opaque, making procurement and transition plans from existing software challenging. In this workshop, Blaise Transit will provide insight into how one company implements its scheduling, routing, and dispatching software for rural and tribal systems. The goal of the workshop is to facilitate an interactive discussion through e-whiteboarding and polling. Participants are encouraged to come prepared with questions (which can be asked anonymously).
Block Three 2:00 - 2:45 p.m.
Microtransit From a Customer’s Perspective
2:00 - 2:45 p.m.
Room 201CD
Presentation (PDF)
Accessing services in rural areas can be difficult for residents, and it’s difficult to provide an efficient transit service to get people to those amenities. Microtransit serves as a potential solution to that challenge, and your community will likely be able to help you develop the right service model to accomplish that. In this session, Suzanne Kalmbacher of Cecil County Transit (MD), will discuss how CCT worked with the community to decide on and implement their microtransit service model, and how they rethought measuring success for a transit service. There will be opportunity for discussion, so we encourage other agencies to share their community engagement experiences, as well!
Rural Automated Vehicle Implementation: Are We There Yet?
2:00 - 2:45 p.m.
Room 302B
Widespread adoption of automated vehicles (AVs) has been a year away for about a decade, now. But they are finally gaining traction, including in rural America. Minnesota’s Autonomous Rural Transit Initiative (goMARTI) is testing AVs in a variety of rural conditions, including in harsh winter conditions. Tammy Meehan Russell, who directs goMARTI, and Claire Peterlin will discuss their findings so far and what needs to happen for us to actually be one year away from AV adoption.
New Resources for Human Trafficking Awareness Training
2:00 - 2:45 p.m.
Room 302C
CTAA/SWTA/TTI, under a grant from FTA, have developed new and exciting training and awareness resources to help the transit industry understand and respond to the human trafficking crisis. Free and easy-to-use! See demonstration on how to find and use: slide deck for group training videos and posters developed in English, Spanish and Simple Chinese, social media campaigns, and self-directed training. Created for transit agencies, DOT’s, state transit associations so YOU can join the fight to end human trafficking.
Making Transit Information Accessible to Blind and Low-Vision Riders
2:00 - 2:45 p.m.
Room 301AB
This session will discuss in-progress research for TCRP Project B-50: Accessible Public Bus and Rail Passenger Information for Riders with Vision Disabilities. Attendees will learn about the research, its timeline, and how to be involved. Attendees will also have an opportunity to view some of the research team’s initial products and work, including working with an Expert Group of individuals from the blind and low-vision community, developing a comprehensive inventory of the pieces of information riders need to successfully plan, take, and pay for a transit trip, and also the results of the team’s literature review and industry scan about available tools and strategies for making passenger information blind-and-low-vision accessible. Attendees will participate in small group discussions about what information accessibility means and what strategies can help improve the accessibility of transit information to blind and low-vision riders. Attendees will leave the session with a better understanding of potential strategies for improving the accessibility of transit information.
Voting for Transit: Keys for Success
2:00 - 2:45 p.m.
Room 302A
Presentation (PDF)
Many times, financial support for transit depends on what the voters do at the polls. A panel of your peers and advocates will share their tips on what it takes to succeed at the ballot box.
Block Four 3:00 - 3:45 p.m.
Driver Housing and Transit: An Edge in the Competitive Labor Market?
3:00 - 3:45 p.m.
Room 301AB
This session will explore creative ways to meet the housing needs of potential front-line employees as our industry addresses the crisis in hiring and retaining workers, including options of building housing directly and offering vouchers.
Equity-Based Decision Making in Rural and Small-Urban Transit
3:00 - 3:45 p.m.
Room 301CD
Presentation (PDF)
You know you have underserved, marginalized or excluded populations in your transit agency’s service area. You may not be able to resolve everyone’s mobility or inclusion issues, but there are things you can do to be even more equitable in how you’re approaching and carrying out your community’s transit program. Here’s where you can get some ideas from your peers and experts.
Building an Electrification Plan
3:00 - 3:45 p.m.
Room 302C
Presentation (PDF)
It’s Electric! Boogie woogie, woogie! Are you thinking about making the change? Already decided? Or are you unsure what to consider when planning for bus electrification? In this workshop, representatives from JAUNT Inc. will discuss their methodology to determine how bus electrification will transition to their regional fixed route commuter service in Central Virginia.
Barriers to Effective Leadership
3:00 - 3:45 p.m.
Room 302A
Why do some people in leadership positions excel when others struggle? Do some leaders even fail to realize that they are struggling? What is missing from the leadership toolbox that causes a lack of success, even when the best effort is put forth? In this workshop, we will discuss some of the methods that can move an average leader to greatness simply by making small changes in the way they lead. Gain followers, improve morale, increase productivity, cut down on turnover, and create more leaders…that’s what great leaders do. Let's talk about it.
Small Bus Crisis
3:00 - 3:45 p.m.
Room 302B
With an estimated 20,000 body-on-chassis vehicles currently on back order and many on-demand transit operators (both rural and urban) being forced to further delay vital rolling stock replacements, this session will update participants on a variety of efforts underway to ease the small bus replacement crisis brought about by supply chain challenges, regulations, dramatic cost increases and more.
Tuesday, May 23
Block One 9:00 - 10:15 a.m.
ZEB: The California Experience
9:00 - 10:15 a.m.
Room 301CD
The California Air Resources Board approved a first-of-its-kind regulation in the United States for public transit agencies to transition to 100 percent zero-emission bus fleets by 2040. This mandate requires agencies of all sizes, resource levels, service types and geographies to transition to zero-emissions. This session will bring together three California agencies, two rural and one small urban, who are approaching this mandate in different ways yet are determined to meet the 2040 goal.
Innovation in Multimodal Technology
9:00 - 10:15 a.m.
Room 302C
SPONSORED by RideCo.
Presentation (PDF)
When considering implementing a microtransit program, agencies must look to examples of successful deployments from within the industry, with a focus on goals and objectives, considerations, and service levers. In this session, attendees will learn how to plan their own successful microtransit program, from the technical parameters of planning to the future of microtransit!
State Transit Association Meeting
9:00 - 10:15 a.m.
Room 301AB
DOT Collaboration with State Human Service Agencies: Lessons Learned from the Mobility Ohio Coordinated Transportation Initiative
9:00 - 10:15 a.m.
Room 302B
Mobility Ohio is a DOT-led collaboration between seven Ohio state agencies that fund community and human service transportation to pilot a Regional Transportation Resource Center (RTRC) in southeast Ohio, a one-stop hub where clients and customers can conveniently schedule trips by phone or online for multiple trip purposes. Following a successful pilot, ODOT and its partner agencies will apply lessons learned and roll out the new coordinated transportation model statewide. In this workshop presenters will discuss “How did ODOT get other state agencies to come to the table?” and “What kept them at the table, making real progress toward a shared vision for coordinated transportation?”
Block Two 10:30 - 11:45 a.m.
Public Transit and NEMT: Building Effective Partnerships with Managed Care
10:30 - 11:45 a.m.
Room 301CD
Presentation (PDF)
As the managed care model continues to expand and impact the provision of non-emergency medical transportation, this session will highlight how one rural public transit provider became the first-choice NEMT provider in its county by emphasizing customer service, safety and on-time performance.
PennDOT’s Cybersecurity Efforts: Lessons Learned
10:30 - 11:45 a.m.
Room 302B
Implementing cybersecurity strategies better enables providers to prevent and respond to cyber-attacks, and it facilitates their ability to secure cyber liability insurance. PennDOT has put in significant work to develop these strategies for the protection of transit assets in Pennsylvania, and hopes to share what they’ve learned along the way. In this workshop, PennDOT will have some of their task force representatives participate in a panel style session to (1) review the approach they have taken (2) discuss some of the challenges they have encountered and (3) promote an interactive dialog with workshop attendees to help them better understand steps and strategies they can take to protect their systems.
How I Learned to Stop Complaining and Love the NTD
10:30 - 11:45 a.m.
Room 302C
Presentation: John Giorgis
Presentation: Heather Dalmolin
No matter what category of reporter you are, the data you provide to the National Transit Database have a direct influence on the funding you and your peers receive, and are put to many other important uses. Now that the 2020 census has shifted the status for a bunch of rural and urban transit providers, this is a good time to pay fresh attention to your relationship with the NTD.
Building an Environment for Transit
10:30 - 11:45 a.m.
Room 301AB
How do the ways we build our towns, cities, and regions affect transit service and ridership? Seemingly mundane facets of community planning like zoning laws, comprehensive plans, and other development decisions can be the critical determinant for many attempting to access the goods or services we need for daily life. With these potential impacts on services, costs, and independent life in mind, learn what can be done to work with private developers and communities to create a built environment that is responsive to transit’s needs.
Achieving Financial Sustainability and Meeting Low-No Grant Expectations with Propane Autogas
10:30 - 11:45 a.m.
Room 208A
Presentation (PDF)
SPONSORED by The Propane Education and Research Council
The future of transportation is one that not only prioritizes efficiency and safety, but also sustainability through low-emissions energy solutions. As a multimodal energy source, propane is a clean and affordable option for business leaders and government agencies to adopt today to achieve environmental sustainability without compromising financial sustainability. This session will provide insight into how fleet managers can easily transition to propane in a variety of applications that impact the transit industry, including light- and medium-duty vehicles.
Block Three 2:00 - 2:45 p.m.
Fireside Chat: Conversations with Women about Women In The Industry
2:00 - 2:45 p.m.
Room 208A
Join in the conversation with a diverse panel of women in a safe space to discuss navigating the transportation industry. The discussion will include a multitude of topics, including: • Being a Champion for other Women• Navigating the workforce – opportunity, inequities, knowing your worth, and imposter syndrome • The Impact of COVID – mental health, caregiving, work/life balance, and social interactions • How to move forward – career moves and maintaining partnerships
Top Tips: Motivating and Retaining a Sustainable Workforce in a Tight Labor Market
2:00 - 2:45 p.m.
Room 301AB
How do you engage your employees, reinforce your mission and reduce your employee turnover? You understand the best morale comes from a combination of effective recognition/reward and professional development training programs which leads to job satisfaction and reduced employee turnover.
Recession-Proofing Your System’s Finances
2:00 - 2:45 p.m.
Room 301CD
Presentation (PDF)
The economy has been super challenging for many transit systems this year, whether due to the impacts of inflation and soaring costs, or challenges in securing the local funds needed for matching your FTA dollars. There are no magic solutions, but we’ll explore some helpful tactics and strategies in this session.
Traveler-Centric Performance Metrics
2:00 - 2:45 p.m.
Room 302C
This session will present a set of traveler-centric mobility performance metrics for multimodal public transit journeys to facilitate discussion of data requirements, improved clarity, and agency needs in performance measurement. Participants will explore metrics specific to transit service types, geographies, population densities and other community characteristics.
One Screen to Rule Them All: Maximizing Efficiency for Internal Collaboration
2:00 - 2:45 p.m.
Room 302B
SPONSORED by Optibus
Join us to learn about modern methods to improve workflows between your planning and scheduling staff. Discover how to view and evaluate ridership data, compare historic runtimes against timetables, analyze U.S. Census data for Title VI considerations, apply GIS layers to your route maps, and have all this information synchronized into a scheduling optimization tool without having to replicate anything. While many of these features are available through a combination of software platforms, come see how a single solution on a single screen can perform all the tasks related to strategic and operation planning, optimized blocks and run cuts, and go all the way to rosters.
Wednesday, May 24
Featured Workshop
Understanding ADA
1-5 p.m.
Room 202
Presented by the National Transit Institute
The goal of this course is to provide transit professionals with a basic understanding of the fundamentals of accessible public transportation under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) in a civil rights context. No additional registration required for this featured workshop. Full Description.
Block One 9:45 - 10:30 a.m.
Practical, Tested Workforce Development Solutions
9:45 - 10:30 a.m.
Room 301AB
One essential requirements to find the right people with the right attitude is to focus on finding the qualified workers you need. Workforce development careening and development tools are available to help you will find and be seen as a valued employer. Depending on the capabilities and priorities of the local area, the services may include electronic job orders and job fairs, use of private interview space, customized screening and regular referrals of qualified candidates. Hear from your peers who have successfully worked in cooperation with workforce development agencies.
Everyone at the Table- Inclusion of Older Adults and Persons with Disabilities in Mobility Planning and Service Deliver
9:45 - 10:30 a.m.
Room 301CD
An Insiders Look at FTA Oversight Reviews
9:45 - 10:30 a.m.
Room 302B
Presentation (PDF)
FTA oversight and Triennial reviews are tools to enhance, support compliance, service effectiveness and safety of transit programs, and this workshop will
help transit managers understand how the oversight and reviews can help improve the overall quality of their service.
Fueling Net Zero: a Discussion on All Things Hydrogen With Industry Leaders
9:45 - 10:30 a.m.
Room 302C
SPONSORED by TC Energy
Large and small transit agencies alike face great opportunities and challenges in the energy transition. Hydrogen Fuel buses are no longer science fiction, but rather becoming increasingly intertwined in current policies, proposals, equipment, and future fleets. At the intersection of public policy and the availability of physical supply lies a unique set of challenges to successful execution of a hydrogen future. Join this panel of diverse industry leaders as they discuss how various parts of the industry – from suppliers to OEMs – will play a role in meeting the needs of our future fleets.
Beyond Universal Mobility
9:45 - 10:30 a.m.
Room 302A
Sponsored by Qryde
Dr. Himanshu Bhatnagar described Universal Mobility at CTAA in Louisville last year. This year the QRyde team will provide an in depth discussion on future trends, such as AI, designed to meet your agency needs.
ITS for Underserved Communities: An Overview of the U.S. DOT’s ITS4US Deployment Program
9:45 - 10:30 a.m.
Room 208A
Presentation
The USDOT’s ITS4US Deployment Program enables communities to demonstrate integrated technology deployments supporting independent and seamless travel for all users across all modes. This program embodies USDOT’s priorities of transportation equity, economic growth, sustainability, and most importantly, compassion and inclusivity. ITS4US expands access to transportation for all travelers with a specific focus on underserved communities, including people with disabilities, older adults, and individuals of low income, and people in rural communities, veterans, and those with limited English proficiency. This session will provide an overview of the deployment program and discuss the four sites that are designing and testing innovative technologies to provide more efficient, affordable, and accessible mobility options for all travelers in their communities.
Block Two 2:00 - 2:45 p.m.
Communicating with your Riders
2:00 - 2:45 p.m.
Room 301AB
How do you communicate with your riders? Can your riders communicate with you? This workshop will address relationship-building with transit users and communication strategies that reach your audience effectively. The people making decisions about transit and the people regularly using transit are often not the same people, and often are from very different backgrounds. Learn about bridging that gap and building effective two-way communication at this workshop. Laura Kenyon, Director of Communications and Customer Experience at Regional Transit Service in Rochester, N.Y., will lead this workshop.
Managing Urban/Rural Transit Transitions
2:00 - 2:45 p.m.
Room 302C
Presentation: John Giorgis
Presentation: Lisa Koch
Presentation: Hezequias Rocha
The Census Bureau’s latest urban area designations led to a number of brand-new urban areas, most of which had heretofore “rural” transit systems in place, and broke off many communities around the edges of urban America, whose transit systems no longer are urban. In addition, a number of urban areas across the country jumped over the 200,000 population line, which triggers new roles and new relationships in both their Section 5307 and 5310 programs. Let’s find out what your peers are doing when responding to these challenges!
Dialysis Trips: Safety, Training and Working Effectively with Private Sector Clinics
2:00 - 2:45 p.m.
Room 302B
Presentation (PDF)
Presentation (PDF)
Over two million people worldwide currently receive treatment with dialysis or have a kidney transplant to stay alive, yet this number may only represent 10 percent of people who actually need treatment to live and the need is growing. Lack of transportation is the single greatest barrier provided for missed appointments or not getting treatment. Listen as representatives from a national Kidney Care Center and transportation providers share information on how providers can better meet and address the health needs of patients undergoing dialysis. Explore the tools clinics are using to identify and screen for transportation insecurity and the challenges of collaborating between transportation and dialysis centers.
A Socioeconomic Study on NEMT Riders
2:00 - 2:45 p.m.
Room 302A
Presentation (PDF)
Exactly who is riding non-emergency medical transportation? This study, developed by the Medical Transportation Access Coalition (MTAC), offers a definitive examination of NEMT ridership. Participants will gain a better understanding of current and future growth in NEMT demand as well as important ways to evaluate the outcomes NEMT generates.
Top 10 Considerations of Customer Driven Service
2:00 - 2:45 p.m.
Room 301CD
A transit agency needs to understand the essentials of exceptional customer service and ensure these standards are understood by internal and external customers. This discussion of the ten considerations provides insight into the half-day intensive course- Customer Driven Service.
BIL Funding for Transit, Beyond FTA Funding: The Potential for Flexible and Discretionary Funds
2:00 - 2:45 p.m.
Room 208A
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes many opportunities for funding to support public transportation not only through FTA programs, but also through other discretionary and flexible funding opportunities. During this workshop, a panel of FTA representatives will share the latest opportunities for potential transit funding for your projects beyond FTA funding.
Block Three 3:00 - 3:45 p.m.
Starting a Mobility Leadership Circle: Organizing Community Stakeholders to Build a Stronger Mobility Management Environment
3:00 - 3:45 p.m.
Room 302A
Sponsored by Feonix
Transportation access, just like food insecurity, homelessness, and many other social issues are often each communities’ problem to solve. Many of these communities have created cross-sector partnerships, coalitions, and opportunities to address the aforementioned problems, but, what about transportation? To end this siloed approach to addressing transportation barriers, Feonix created the Mobility Leadership Circle, a convening of transportation authorities, private sector transit providers, non-profit organizations, government entities, and other passionate community stakeholders to address transportation in the communities they serve. This 45-minute workshop will take you through the roadmap of building a Mobility Leadership Circle, influencing the right people, creating stronger cross-sector partnerships, and becoming the community’s leading content expert in Mobility Management.
Utilities and Fleet Electrification
3:00 - 3:45 p.m.
Room 301CD
The decision to electrify your fleet has wide-ranging implications, and they extend beyond your depot. Having a strong relationship with your electric utility is a critical component to converting your fleet, from infrastructure to rate agreements. In this session, we discuss what a successful relationship between transit agencies and their utilities can look like, and how you can get to that point.
A Modern Look at Effectively Serving Older Adults
3:00 - 3:45 p.m.
Room 302B
Transit is a critical tool to enables older adults to access the programs, services and destinations that are determinants of their wellbeing, health and self sufficiency. Learn how mobility programs for older adults are recognizing, embracing and serving the wider range of older adults’ transportation needs.
New Funding Opportunities from USDOT
3:00 - 3:45 p.m.
Room 301AB
Presentation: Mike Close
Presentation: Susan Wilson
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in addition to other legislation and appropriations, created new Technical Assistance programs that will be administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Build America Bureau. During this workshop, a panel of DOT representatives and technical assistance providers will enlighten audience members on these new opportunities, including who is eligible and how to apply! Programs discussed will include the Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program, the Innovative Finance Program, Thriving Communities, Regional Infrastructure Accelerators, and more!
U.S. Transit Trends
3:00 - 3:45 p.m.
Room 208A
Presentation (PDF)
Paul Comfort will present top trends in public transportation focusing in on how agencies are improving customer experience, merging traditional paratransit and on demand microtransit, promoting equity and inclusion, improving passenger safety and its perception and enabling integrated networks through improved technology. Don't miss this fascinating opportunity to learn how other agencies are coming out of the pandemic stronger and better positioned to meet the needs of their communities today and into the future.
Leveraged-Layered Mobility: Interwoven Partnerships Paired with Adaptable Infrastructure
3:00 - 3:45 p.m.
Room 302C
Join us for a look into how Virginia’s first One-Call/One-Click Center evolved from a simple community service into a comprehensive mobility management program. Explore how data and adaptable technology paved the way for complex community collaboration and integrated partnerships.
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The Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) and its members believe that mobility is a basic human right. From work and education to life-sustaining health care and human services programs to shopping and visiting with family and friends, mobility directly impacts quality of life.