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2018 Public Transportation & Universities Conference - Program

This page is an overview of the conference schedule and subject to change.

 

Saturday, June 23

Registration Desk

1 - 5 p.m.
Forest Ballroom Foyer, 2nd Floor, Hilton Santa Cruz

Conference Steering Committee Meeting

3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Sequoia, 2nd Floor, Hilton Santa Cruz

Welcome to Santa Cruz Reception!

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
StoneHouse Grill, 1st Floor, Hilton Santa Cruz

All conference registrants and their guests are invited to join us for an evening that is sure to set the tone for a conference of learning and networking.

 

Sunday, June 24

Registration Desk

8 - 11 a.m.
Forest Ballroom Foyer, 2nd Floor, Hilton Santa Cruz

Registration desk also open 2 - 3 p.m.

New Attendee Networking Sessions

8:30 - 9:30 a.m.

New and nearly new university and transportation officials and students are invited to attend a pre-conference meeting where the discussion will center on experiences and expectations for you as you participate in the only conference created to address needs of transportation within university communities. Join your peers in one of the three concurrent sessions.

• Transit Systems - Private Dining Room, 1st Floor, Hilton Santa Cruz
• Universities - Forest Ballroom III, 2nd Floor, Hilton Santa Cruz
• Students - Sequoia, 2nd Floor, Hilton Santa Cruz

Opening General Session: The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO) and University of California – Santa Cruz Transit Partnership

9:45 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Forest Ballroom I&II, 2nd Floor, Hilton Santa Cruz

Welcome to APTA’s 2018 Public Transportation & Universities Conference – designed to promote innovation in providing transportation services on college and university campuses. In addition to hearing an up-to-date conference overview, you will receive a hearty welcome from our conference hosts, Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO) and the University of California – Santa Cruz (UCSC). 

The opening session will give you an in-depth understanding of our hosts and their 46 year partnership with UCSC. METRO currently provides access for 15-20,000 students, staff and faculty, to and from the campus located 2-3 miles from commercial services in the City of Santa Cruz. UCSC provides over $4 million annually to METRO, primarily through student fees, accommodating 2.5 million annual trips to and from the campus – representing about 50% of METRO’s ridership. Learn more about this partnership. Looking forward, you will hear about key initiatives the partners are pursuing over the next few years: (1) meeting growing riding demand as enrollment grows: (2) a system-wide fare increase; and (3) issues related to fare payment technology opportunities.

Welcome
  • Donna Lind, Councilperson, City of Scotts Valley, and Board Member, Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District, Scotts Valley, CA
Presiding
  • Andrew Johnson, Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, Grand Rapids, MI
Remarks
  • Alexander D. Clifford, Chief Executive Officer, San Joaquin Regional Transit District, Stockton, CA
  • Alice Malberg, Representative, Student Government Association, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
The Santa Cruz METRO, UCSC, and Cabrillo Community College Partnership Story
  • William Barrow Emerson, Planning & Development Manager, Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District
  • Larry Pageler, Director, Transportation & Parking Services, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
  • Zach McDaniel, Student Activities Coordinator, Cabrillo Community College, Aptos, CA

Networking Luncheon

12 - 1:45 p.m.
Veranda, 2nd Floor, Hilton Santa Cruz

Join your colleagues for the first of many opportunities for peer-to-peer exchange during this conference.

 Lunch co-sponsored by Motor Coach Industries, New Flyer and APTA 

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Registration Desk

2 - 3 p.m.
Forest Ballroom Foyer, 2nd Floor, Hilton Santa Cruz

Planning, Sustainability & Parking

2 - 3:30 p.m.
Forest Ballroom III, 2nd Floor, Hilton Santa Cruz

This session offers an opportunity to address varying perspectives on advancing cutting-edge practices in sustainability, planning and parking. Learn from a panel of transit providers, university parking and transportation officials, and students who have first-hand experience preparing and implementing different aspects, including sustainability and planning affecting transportation on and around the campus within communities. Join the presenters as they showcase sustainable development, multi-modal approaches, clean bus technologies, and the role of parking facilities.

 Moderator
  • Allan Pollock, General Manager/CEO, Salem Area Mass Transit District, Salem, OR
Land-Use Planning – A Seat at the Table
  • Louwana S. Oliva, Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA), State College, PA
Emissions-free Campus
  • Marcus Jackson, Regional Sales Manager, BAE SYSTEMS, Endicott, NY
Assessing the Intangible: How Electric Buses Can Generate Unexpected Benefits
  • Jordan Hess, Director, University of Montana, Missoula, MT
Sustainable Milestones & Challenges at CU
  • Thomas M. Christian, Jr., Transit Manager, Transportation Services/University of Colorado, Boulder, CO

Structuring Financial Partnerships – Where’s the Money?

2 - 3:30 p.m.
Forest Ballroom I&II, 2nd Floor, Hilton Santa Cruz

There’s consensus within your college and university community on the need to provide campus transit services to address mobility issues. You’re implementing and/or establishing policies to manage parking, provide transit, and shift mode choice. You’re faced with the issue of financing new or enhanced services, including identifying a funding source. Where do you begin? This session will focus on a range of funding sources to pay for transit serving your university and community.

Moderator
  • Alexander D. Clifford, Chief Executive Officer, San Joaquin Regional Transit District, Stockton, CA
Contracting to Support Revenue Recovery in University Communities
  • Kimberly Fragola, MPA, Assistant Executive Director for Operations, Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA), State College, PA
  • Christopher F. Giglio, Managing Principal, Capital Edge, Washington, DC

Shared Mobility Partnerships: Working Together to Improve Community Mobility

3:45 - 5 p.m.
Forest Ballroom I&II, 2nd Floor, Hilton Santa Cruz

This session will focus on the integration of new mobility services into city and university transportation programs and what it means for the future of urban and suburban mobility. What impact can innovative public-private partnership programs have on improving access, mitigating congestion and pollution, as well as reducing parking demand in community downtowns, transit centers, and university campuses? The speakers will show how mobility and sustainability goals can be achieved using new technology and creative public-private partnerships structures.

Moderator
  • Alexander D. Clifford, Chief Executive Officer, San Joaquin Regional Transit District, Stockton, CA
Speakers
  • Paul Davis, Transportation Partnerships Manager, Lyft, Inc., San Francisco, CA
  • Oliver Chi, City Manager, City of Monrovia, Monrovia, CA
  • Erick Villalobos, University of California San Francisco

Host Event – “At the Beach” Reception

6 - 8 p.m.

Join conference attendees, local METRO staff, and elected officials for hors d'oeuvres and refreshments in the sand on Twin Lakes Beach, hosted by the adjacent Crow’s Restaurant. Following the afternoon sessions, METRO will provide transportation for conference registrants and guests to and from the Hilton Santa Cruz Hotel, with a post-reception option to visit downtown Santa Cruz.

Reception co-sponsored by Gillig and Meritor

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To RSVP for this event click here.
  
 

Monday, June 25

Continental Breakfast

7:15 - 8:15 a.m.
Veranda, 2nd Floor, Hilton Santa Cruz

Registration Desk

8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Forest Ballroom Foyer, 2nd Floor, Hilton Santa Cruz

Student Engagement, Communication, and Marketing

8:30 - 10 a.m.
Forest Ballroom I, 2nd Floor, Hilton Santa Cruz

What innovative approaches have you used to market your transportation services to students, faculty, and community? Have you developed successful campaigns targeting students? You’ll hear about new best practices on communication strategies for rebranding your parking and transit services. Learn about career pathways for student bus operators as a marketing strategy.

Moderator
  • Jacki Lenners, Marketing & Communications Director, Mountain Line, Flagstaff, AZ
I Get By with a Little Help from My Friends – Creating a Communication Posse to Leverage Your Message across Campus and the Community
  • Moira Ann Bindner, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
Involving University Students – Building Transit Leaders
  • Charles Grab, General Manager, UCONN Transportation Services, Storrs, CT
  • Ryan Visci, Assistant General Manager, UCONN Transportation Services, Storrs, CT

Next-Gen Technology

10:15 - 11:45 a.m.
Sequoia, 2nd Floor, Hilton Santa Cruz

New technology is always exciting for transit operators and customers - from web-based and mobile device transit trip planning to use of intelligent transportation systems technologies that might be applied to the operation and marketing of public transit systems. This session will focus on the future role of this technology, as well as the application of emerging technologies to campus transportation systems, including autonomous vehicles, wireless communications, and passenger information systems, among others.

Moderator
  • Isaac Holly, IT and ITS Director, Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District, Santa Cruz, CA
Texas A&M University Mobility Plan: Connected, Automated, and Autonomous Vehicles
  • Dr. Katherine F. Turnbull, Executive Associate Director, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, College Station, TX
Creating Accessible Communications Technology for the Visually Impaired – Case Study of UC Boulder
  • Peter J. SerVaas, DoubleMap, Inc., Indianapolis, IN
  • Eric A. Peterson, Senior Product Manager/Senior GIS Analyst, MV Transportation, Inc.

UPASS Programs – New Trends

10:15 - 11:45 a.m.
Forest Ballroom I, 2nd Floor, Hilton Santa Cruz

College, university, and community college students, faculty, and staff have always represented major ridership in urban and small urban communities. For decades, several universities and their local transit agencies have developed close partnerships that have resulted in unlimited access. This session highlights examples of new developments regarding college student transit pass programs, including information about a recently released Transit Cooperative Research (TCRP) synthesis report that documents five (5) current state of the practice to better develop and evaluate college student pass programs.

Moderator
  • Andrew Johnson, Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, Grand Rapids, MI
College Student Transit Pass Program – Current Practice and Case Examples
  • Mariela Garcia-Colberg, Senior Program Officer, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC
U-Pass: Contactless. Ridership, Revenue and Costs: UNC Charlotte
  • Olaf Kinard, Charlotte Area Transit System
The Incremental Approach – How Flagstaff’s Mountain Line Took Small Steps toward Reaching the Ultimate UPASS Goal
  • Jacki Lenners, Marketing & Communications Director, Mountain Line, Flagstaff, AZ

Products & Services Showcase/Bus Display Networking Lunch

12 - 2 p.m.
Forest Ballroom II&III, 2nd Floor, Hilton Santa Cruz

The Products and Services Showcase and Bus Display remain highlights of this conference. They feature the latest and greatest in products, services, and vehicles from APTA’s business members, as well as a chance to visit with friends and colleagues.

Lunch co-sponsored by BYD Motors, Inc. and APTA

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METRO Technical Tours

2:15 - 4:30 p.m.

Our conference hosts are offering the choice of two (2) technical tours highlighting UCSC’s and METRO's operations and facilities:

Tour 1: UCSC Campus
A visit to the UCSC campus highlighting the proximity of the campus to the commercial services of the City of Santa Cruz, and the unique campus layout that presents interesting opportunities to meet transportation needs. Attendees will also visit UCSC’s Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) operations.

Tour 2: METRO 
Visit METRO’s facilities, including Pacific Station, the agency’s primary terminal in the heart of downtown Santa Cruz; and the new $25 million Judy K. Souza Operations Facility and adjacent Maintenance Facility.
 

Tuesday, June 26

Continental Breakfast

7:15 - 8:15 a.m.
Veranda, 2nd Floor, Hilton Santa Cruz

Zero Emission Buses Are Here…Are You Ready?

8:30 - 10 a.m.
Forest Ballroom I&II, 2nd Floor, Hilton Santa Cruz

Agencies of all sizes and geographic locations and university systems are operating zero emission buses in their fleets. This session will explore lessons learned and what you need to consider if a zero emission bus is in your future.

Moderator
  • Jeff Hiott, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Washington, DC
Panelists
  • Dale R. Hill, Founder, Proterra Inc., New Braunfels, TX
  • Robert Hill, Ride
  • David Warren, Director -Sustainable Transportation, NFI Group, St. Cloud, MN

Closing General Session: A Student Perspective

10 - 11 a.m.
Forest Ballroom I&II, 2nd Floor, Hilton Santa Cruz

To close the conference, a panel of students representing a diverse segment of key stakeholders will share their experiences with transit and engage in Q&A. Attendees will be asked to comment on the future of campus transportation systems.

Facilitator
  • Jeffrey Flynn, General Manager, Unitrans, Davis, CA
Panelists
  • Cassity Mega, Cabrillo Community College, Aptos, CA
  • Jacob Rajlich, Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District
  • Barrett Ochoa, Associate Planner, Traffic Engineers, College Station, TX