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April 29, 2024 | An APTA Publication
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Browse selection of individual stories below:
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Welcome, Change-Makers, to the City of Roses!
 Portland is the “City of Roses,” and you’ll see why when you arrive in the Great Pacific Northwest for APTA’s 2024 Mobility Conference! Portland comes alive in spring. As our cool, wet winter weather begins to fade, the city bursts into bloom. Gray skies give way to brilliant hues that wash the region in beauty and a sense of renewal and hope for a fresh start. New beginnings start with TriMet, where our transit service is a change-maker. We have 75 bus lines, five MAX light rail lines, LIFT paratransit service, and WES commuter rail, but all our buses and trains have one destination: opportunity. We’re excited to welcome you and the Mobility Conference to our little corner of the public transit universe! Come ride with us! Come learn with us! Get ready to be inspired, energized, and empowered! And bring an umbrella: There’s a good chance you’ll see some of our “liquid sunshine” while you are here! CONTINUED...
BY SAM DESUE, JR.
General Manager
Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet)
Portland, OR
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Innovation and Collaboration Necessary for Transit Agencies to Surmount Challenges
As APTA vice chair, I have the opportunity to engage with transportation leaders throughout the country, and through these interactions, one thing has become clear: mobility is a challenging business and getting more complicated every day. It is a unique time for agencies as the industry recovers from the pandemic and shrinking ridership while also facing other hurdles in our collective mission of providing safe, efficient, and accessible mobility options. These challenges range from funding, inflation, and supply chain delays, to rising labor costs and safety and security concerns—impacting not only our passengers but our entire community. As agencies continue to provide much-needed service while struggling with current challenges, we can help each other by thinking innovatively, sharing best practices and lessons learned, and collaborating for the collective good of the public. We are fortunate that APTA provides a year-round forum to make this transformative collaboration possible. CONTINUED...
BY MJ MAYNARD
CEO
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Vice Chair
APTA
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Same-Day, Real-Time ADA Paratransit Service: Opportunities and Challenges Ahead
The public transportation landscape for people with disabilities has undergone significant transformation in recent years. We have improved fixed-route accessibility and incorporated open gangways into our next-generation railcars. Today, our customers may opt-in to programs such as Abilities Ride as an alternative to paratransit service, offering them same-day service. Now we are poised for another major leap, one that will be transformative to the industry: same-day, real-time ADA paratransit service. As many of you are aware, on Sept. 14, 2023, FTA issued a “Dear Colleague” letter emphasizing the local option for agencies to offer ADA paratransit trips on a real-time basis and/or allow intermediate stops, alongside traditional day-before scheduling. This will represent a significant advance in our industry’s commitment to providing accessible and equitable transportation for people with disabilities. However, it also presents challenges we all must navigate. CONTINUED...
BY BRIAN DWYER
Executive Vice President & Chief Operations Officer
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
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Ensuring Restroom Access Helps Recruit and Retain Drivers
Driver wellness—and its importance in attracting and retaining enough bus drivers to provide high quality, reliable service—is a hot topic in the public transit industry, and research within the last few years has emphasized the importance of agencies embracing driver wellness to aid in recruitment and retention. Research demonstrates that more than 30 percent of drivers report developing a new or worsened heath condition due to lack of restroom access. This has contributed to why these drivers switch to delivery and trucking industries, which often offer more flexibility. A widespread lack of driver-friendly restrooms can have a major ripple effect on transit service provision. This issue is particularly acute for agencies planning expanded services or conducting network redesigns, as those often include new layover locations for which restrooms need to be built or identified. CONTINUED...
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Special Printed Issue of Passenger Transport
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SPECIAL SPONSORED CONTENT
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At a time when everyone is talking about zero-emission technology, how does hybrid-electric stand out as an available and proven solution for reducing emissions? CONTINUED...
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In Sioux Falls, SD, the transit network looks similar to those of mid-sized cities across the U.S.: a dozen bus routes, paratransit service, weekend microtransit. But under the surface, something radical is happening... CONTINUED...
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Passenger Transport Wishes to Thank its Advertisers in the Mobility Conference Special Printed Issue:
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