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2022 Sustainability/Operations Planning and Scheduling Workshop - Program

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

Sunday, August 7

Registration

11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
17th Level Foyer

LRT Tour to South Hills Village Rail Center/Pennsylvania Trolley Museum

12 - 6 p.m.

Leave from Downtown Pittsburgh (Steel Plaza Station) and ride the LRT system through to South Hills Village.  At South Hills Village, tour participants will visit the LRV maintenance and storage facility and the Operations Control Center. Tour participants will have the option of boarding a bus to visit the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum www.pa-trolley.org or returning to Downtown on the LRT system (on a regularly scheduled train). The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum has an extensive collection of beautifully restored vintage trolleys, many of which operate on its four-mile line. After the Trolley Museum visit, participants would board a bus to return to Downtown.
 
Estimated time for LRT to South Hills Village, touring South Hills Village and return is 2.5 to 3 hours.  Estimated time for LRT to South Hills Village, touring South Hills Village, bus to Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, visiting the museum and return to Pittsburgh is 5.5 hours.
 
Advance registration is required due to capacity limits.
 
For onsite inquiries, see the PRT host table next to APTA's registration desk during the event registration hours.
 

Improving On-Time Performance in the Transit Industry Workshop by Arthur Gaudet

2 - 4 p.m.
Allegheny, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

A holistic approach to on-time performance starts with looking at data collection, moving toward meaningful analysis.  Systems may just report monthly totals and calculations without considering that they are not meaningful representations of quality (OTP) to the customer. Failure to discard anomalous data (days of blizzards, hurricanes, other Force Majeure events) can result in reporting OTP that is technically correct but not truly representative of reasonable expectations.   A formal policy that only looks at days where it is reasonably possible to operate, noting those anomalous days, presents a better picture of reasonable service to the public. An example of data not reflecting true customer experience can occur with frequent service.  On a ten-minute headway, if all buses are 10-minutes late, the statistics say that OTP is zero percent.  To the passenger, however, OTP is 100%, since there is a bus (even if not the bus) every 10-minutes.  Presentation focus is to consider all elements, including IT and Maintenance, to avoid systems shooting themselves in the foot by reporting statistics poorer than the actual customer experience.  

The workshop will cover five “Musts”: Sufficient and Accurate Running Time; Sufficient Recovery Time; Enough Operators; Enough Buses; and Enough Supervision (trained and empowered to adjust & restore service). Arthur will share various solutions and know-hows around these five “Musts” including creative blocking that can generate buses for maintenance; adding deadhead which increases the tangible runcut cost but also, generates net savings in fleet availability, spare ratio; and service restoration techniques etc.
 
 
Presenter
  • Arthur N. Gaudet, President, Arthur N. Gaudet & Associates, Inc., Carrollton, TX

Busway Tour - TOD Emphasis

2 - 5 p.m.

Ride the Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway to East Liberty’s state-of-the-art multimodal transit center and mixed-use transit-oriented development and existing and planned TOD at other stations as well as a new station currently under construction. See Pennsylvania’s first Transit Revitalization Investment District project.
 
Advance registration is required due to capacity limits.   (FULL)
 
For onsite inquiries, see the PRT host table next to APTA's registration desk during the event registration hours.
 
 

Monday, August 8

Networking Breakfast

7 - 8 a.m.
Grand Ballroom Foyer/Sky Foyer, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

Registration

7 a.m. - 5 p.m.
17th Level Foyer

Tabletop Displays

7 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
17th Level Foyer

Welcome and Opening Remarks

8 - 9:15 a.m.
Grand Ballroom, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

Join your industry peers as we kick-off the 2022 Sustainability/Operations Planning and Scheduling Workshop.
 
Sponsored by:
company logo 
 
Speakers
  • Paul P. Skoutelas, President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC
  • Jeffrey A. Nelson, Past Chair, APTA; CEO/Managing Director, Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District (MetroLink), Moline, IL
  • Richard Fitzgerald, County Executive, Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Katharine Kelleman, Chief Executive Officer, Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT), Pittsburgh, PA
  • Amy Shatzkin, APTA Sustainability Committee Chair; Deputy Director, Environmental Affairs & Sustainability, Sound Transit, Seattle, WA
  • Lacy Bell, Principal - Seattle Office Lead, Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc., Seattle, WA
Sponsor Remarks
  • Mike Finnern, VP, Transit, Proterra Inc., Greenville, SC

Networking Break

9:15 - 9:45 a.m.

Operations Planning with Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT)

9:45 - 11:15 a.m.
Urban, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

Operations Planning deep-dive with our host agency. This session provides an opportunity to learn about the current projects and challenges facing the newly rebranded Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT). There will be an overview of PRT Operations showcasing Pittsburgh’s truly unique and multimodal system including bus, rail, and funiculars! The session will then focus on PRT’s service planning through the pandemic and showcase recent and upcoming projects for system expansion including BRT and a new transit center. 
 
1.5 CEUs Planners 
 
Moderator
  • Lacy Bell, Principal - Seattle Office Lead, Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc., Seattle, WA
Panelists
  • David B. Huffaker, Transport Strategy Centre, Imperial College London, London , London, United Kingdom
  • David E. Wohlwill, AICP, Program Manager, Long-Range Planning, Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT), Pittsburgh, PA
  • Ellie Newman, Section Manager of Service Development, Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT), Pittsburgh, PA
  • Michael Heidkamp, Chief Operating Officer - Transportation, Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT), Pittsburgh, PA

Resilience Planning and Implementation

9:45 - 11:15 a.m.
Monongahela, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

More and more agencies are working to develop resilient transit infrastructure against emergencies, natural disasters, climate change or significant changes in development patterns and demographic. This session will highlight an agency’s sustainability plan which focuses on emissions and resiliency with the goal of achieving net-zero operation by 2045 and net-zero bus fleet emissions by 2035. Plus, we will hear a case study in which rising sea levels and intense storms are threatening essential habitat and coastal flood protection for transit facilities. A creative story unfolds as an agency tackles climate challenges by partnering with unlikely allies and center their work around natural systems to benefit public transportation infrastructure. Lastly, we will explore a new disaster management cycle that is based on resilience thinking which assumes high uncertainty and low control over future conditions.

1.5 CEUs Planners 
 
Moderator
  • Lisa Kay Schweyer, MPM, TDM-CP, Project Manager, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Panelists
  • Andrew Biesterveld, Senior Director of Capital Projects, Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), Columbus, OH
  • Hannah Lyons-Galante, Climate Resiliency Specialist, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Boston, MA
  • Breanna Gribble, Senior Resilience Manager, STV Incorporated, New York, NY
  • Catherine Kummer, Sustainability Officer, Charlotte Area Transit System, Charlotte, NC

Lunch

11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Grand Ballroom Foyer/Sky Foyer, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

Grab a lunch and join us for our general session.
 

General Session - Pittsburgh Regional Transit

12 - 1 p.m.
Grand Ballroom, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

KATHARINE KELLEMAN ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE, AND TRANSPORTION CAREERS
 
Pittsburgh Regional Transit CEO will share experiences from a career in public transportation and leadership.  The perspectives gained as a transportation planner provided the foundation for career development in Tampa and in Pittsburgh.  The conversation will cover the recent transition from “Port Authority of Allegheny County” to “Pittsburgh Regional Transit”, and perspectives on how public transportation can make communities stronger and people’s lives better.   A theme throughout will be the richness that comes with lifelong careers in public transportation.
 
Speaker
  • Katharine Kelleman, Chief Executive Officer, Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT), Pittsburgh, PA

Joint Session on Zero Emission Bus

1:30 - 3 p.m.
Grand Ballroom, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

As the industry moves beyond the early adoption stage, many transit agencies are planning to fully convert their fleet to zero-emission buses. Presenters will share their successes and challenges addressing vehicle range, new vehicle costs, charging infrastructure and schedule issues, and the day-to-day operation of a garage with a mixed fleet. Additionally, they will explain the importance of telling a technical story in understandable terms, engaging with local utility provide, as well as discuss procurement challenges and supply chain issues. Transit agencies that are starting to develop their zero-emission bus transition strategies or looking to improve their strategies will find the session insightful.
 
1.5 CEUs Planners/Engineers 
 
Sponsored by:
company logo
Introduction
  • Michael D. Compel, Account Manager, North America, GIRO Inc., Montréal, QC
Moderator
  • Amy Shatzkin, APTA Sustainability Committee Chair; Deputy Director, Environmental Affairs & Sustainability, Sound Transit, Seattle, WA
Panelists
  • Adam Burger, Senior Planner, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, San Jose, CA
  • Alexandra Markiewicz, Manager of Bus Modernization, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Boston, MA
  • Holly Montalban, Marketing Director, BetterFleet, Ann Arbor, MI
  • Joseph Calhoun, Deputy Director, Office of Service Development, Maryland Transit Administration, Baltimore, MD
  • Zachary Falk, WSP USA, New York, NY

Networking Break

3 - 3:30 p.m.

Climate Mitigation

3:30 - 5 p.m.
Monongahela, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

Learn about agencies’ climate mitigation efforts. Speakers will talk about their greenhouse gas emissions inventory and forecasts, journey to developing climate action strategies that take into consideration managing future climate risks, and innovative decarbonization projects.

1.5 CEUs Planners 
 
Sponsored by:
 
company logo 
 
Introduction
  • Carly Macias, Zero Emission Fleet Strategic Planning Manager, King County Metro , Seattle, WA
Moderator
  • Lawrence J. Murphy, P.E., Senior Director | Buildings, Infrastructure & Advance Facilities, Jacobs, Wethersfield, CT
Panelists
  • Andrew Clay, Project Manager - Sustainability, System Development, Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Jacksonville
  • Ralf R Nielsen, Director, Enterprise Sustainability, South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority (TransLink), New Westminster, BC
  • Emma West, Capital Program Analyst, Office of Sustainability, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Washington, DC

Transit Planning Response to COVID

3:30 - 5 p.m.
Urban, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

COVID-related service reductions are often emergencies with less lead time. The nationwide labor shortage also makes service cancellations a much more common occurrence. Presenters will share how their agencies plan and prepare for, respond operationally, and alert customers to service disruptions. 
 
1.5 CEUs Planners 
 
Moderator
  • Peter G. Cafiero, Managing Director, Inter-Modal Planning, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Washington, DC
Panelists
  • Stephen Crosley, Transit Integration Program Manager, King County Metro , Seattle, WA
  • Linda Morris, Chief of Service Planning and Scheduling, Miami-Dade Transit, Miami, FL
  • Shain Eversley, Manager, Ridership Analysis, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (Houston Metro), Houston, TX
  • Ian Martin, Associate Staff Analyst, MTA New York City Transit, New York, NY

Sustainability Committee Meeting

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Bob & Delores Hope , Mezzanine Level, Omni William Penn Hotel
Chair, Lawrence J. Murphy, P.E.

Transit Operations Planning and Scheduling Subcommittee Meeting

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Allegheny, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel
Chair, Lacy Bell

Welcome Reception

6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Sternwheeler/Riverboat, William Penn Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

Join your peers as we catch up with old friends and meet new ones. This event is open to all conference registrants. 
 
Sponsored by: 
 
company logo 
 

Tuesday, August 9

Networking Breakfast

7 - 8 a.m.
Grand Ballroom Foyer/Sky Foyer, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

Tabletop Displays

7 a.m. - 5 p.m.
17th Level Foyer

Registration

7:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
17th Level Foyer

Integrating Equity into Decision Making

8 - 9:30 a.m.
Monongahela, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

Transit agencies have been evaluating service changes under FTA Title VI standards for decades. However, going beyond Title VI, many agencies have elevated the importance of integrating equity into projects, planning, reporting, and decision-making. What are agencies doing to measure equity in new ways? How can we use data to better understand the needs of the riders who depend on transit services the most? This session will delve into what some agencies have done in the past two years and share their insights and lessons learned.

1.5 CEUs Planners
 
Moderator
  • Dr. Katherine Kortum, P.E., Senior Program Officer, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC
Panelists
  • Heather Sobush, Director of Planning, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, St. Petersburg, FL
  • Cyndi Harper, Senior Manager, Route Planning, Service Development, Metro Transit, Minneapolis, MN
  • Scott Traum, Senior Operations Research Analyst, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Washington, DC
  • Herbert C Higginbotham, III, Vice President, Transit & Shared Mobility, Cambridge Systematics, Inc., Los Angeles, CA

Scheduling

8 - 9:30 a.m.
Urban, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

When transit operates at high frequencies, riders plan their trips based on headways, not schedules. In theory, that offers an opportunity for transit agencies to operate service differently, adjusting bus departure times on the fly to even out headways and avoid bunching. Doing this, though, requires an entirely differently approach to operations. What have systems that tried to implement headway management found? Additionally, we will discuss how operator shortage affected services changes in recent years looking at how short-range plans have been changed and more.

1.5 CEUs Planners
 
Moderator
  • Leslie Bienenfeld, Manager of Special Events and Construction, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (Muni), San Francisco, CA
Panelists
  • Daniel K. Boyle, President, Dan Boyle & Associates LLC, Alexandria, VA
  • Hope Ann Maria Smith, Transdev, Garden City, NY
  • Mark L Patzloff, Business Systems Analyst, Metro Transit, Minneapolis, MN
  • Michael Lee Abegg, Director, Schedules & Service Development, Golden Gate Transit, San Rafael, CA

Networking Break

9:30 - 9:45 a.m.

Microtransit

9:45 - 11:15 a.m.
Urban, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

Over the last few years alternative approaches to conventional fixed route bus service have been created to provide first and last mile service to fixed guideway or fixed route transit services, to replace low performing fixed route bus service or to extend service to low density areas. The development of new apps and providers of services, such as transportation network companies and firms specializing in on demand microtransit have disrupted local mobility and provide new opportunities for providing accessibility. The session will address the following questions: What should be the goals of alternative mobility approaches? How is success measured and what role should microtransit play in the provision of local accessibility? Are issues of accessibility and equity being adequately met? 
 
1.5 CEUs Planners/Engineers 
 
Moderator
  • Cyndi Harper, Senior Manager, Route Planning, Service Development, Metro Transit, Minneapolis, MN
Panelists
  • Tiffany Tran Dubinsky, Director of Transit Planning, Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, Richmond, VA
  • James Drake, Principal Planner, Sacramento Regional Transit District, Sacramento, CA
  • Jerl "Levi" McCollum, Palm Tran, West Palm Beach, FL
  • Joshua Panter, Partnerships Associate Principal, Via Transportation, Inc., New York, NY

Zero Emission Bus Infrastructure

9:45 - 11:15 a.m.
Monongahela, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

There are many technology and business solutions on the market that help transit agencies decarbonize their fleet including software-as-a-service, microgrid projects, simulation models and more. This session will take a closer look how these solutions help determine potential charging strategies and load profiles to avoids utility tariffs and demand charges; enable uninterrupted service in the event of extreme weather events or power outages..

1.5 CEUs Planners/Engineers
 
Moderator
  • Dr. Emmanuel "Cris" Battad Liban, PE. ENV SP, Chief Sustainability Officer, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles, CA
Panelists
  • Michael Groh, AICP, Senior Transit Planner, Sam Schwartz Engineering, Chicago, IL
  • Nicole Geneau, Senior Vice President, Development, AlphaStruxure, A Carlyle Group & Schneider Electric Company, Boston, MA
  • Dayna Wasley, Transit Business Development Manger, The Mobility House, LLC, Belmont, CA
  • Chuck Ray, Business Development Director, Microgrid Labs Inc, Boulder, CO

Lunch

11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Grand Ballroom Foyer/Sky Foyer, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

Grab a lunch and join us for our general session.
 

General Session - FTA’s Climate Challenge and Planning for Sustainable Transit

12 - 1:15 p.m.
Grand Ballroom, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

Staff from the Federal Transit Administration engage workshop attendees in a discussion of key FTA initiatives, including the Low-No and Bus / Bus Facilities programs, Sustainable Transit for a Healthy Planet, TOD planning, and Complete Streets. Time will be allotted for audience participation and questions.

Presenters
  • Megan Blum, Director, Environmental Programs, Federal Transit Administration, Washington, DC
  • Rachel Healy, Director, Sustainability, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Washington, DC
  • Fleming A. El-Amin, II, Planning Director, Federal Transit Administration, Washington, DC

EMS to Support Sustainable Planning and Operations

1:30 - 3 p.m.
Monongahela, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

What aspect of implementing sustainable operations has been the most achievable or challenging during the past few years? What are some of the lessons learned for: implementing and maintaining environmental management systems; reporting on progress towards sustainability goals; deploying water, waste, and energy efficiency or zero emissions vehicle projects; implementing sustainable construction practices? This session’s focus is on applicability, metrics and outcomes. The session will focus on developing plans to rapidly deploy a best-value strategy that will save time and money while producing recognized and valuable sustainable development results.
 
1.5 CEUs Planners
 
Moderator
  • Antoinette Quagliata, ENV SP, LEED AP, Sustainability Consulting Lead, Dewberry, Parsippany, NJ
Panelists
  • Kerin Lester, PMP, ENV SP, Environmental Management System Program Manager, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Atlanta, GA
  • Alexandra Brun, Environmental Protection Specialist, Federal Transit Administration, Washington, DC
  • Lonnie Coplen, ISI ENV SP, President, ARC - Alternative Renewable Construction, Cragsmoor, NY
  • Dan Sirotzki, ESMS Coordinator, Kitsap Transit, Bremerton, WA
  • Sean Donaghy, Manager of Energy Programs, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Boston, MA

Investing in Transit

1:30 - 3 p.m.
Urban, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

The start of the COVID pandemic led to an immediate drop in traffic. Some transit agencies and cities saw this as an opportunity to trial and implement bus priority measures, especially bus lanes, in a time when there would be far less short-term disruption and when traffic could adjust more easily.  While discussing opportunities for priority transit investments, presenters will also talk about ideas around funding transit for the long-term. As we all know, no major transit agency in the U.S. and Canada is funded solely out of the farebox.  Some utilize sales taxes, others utilize property taxes, and others are eligible to receive state funding. The session will explore potential funding sources for traditional transit in the future.

Moderator
  • Ronald Downing, Director of Planning, Golden Gate Bridge, Highway & Transportation District, San Rafael, CA
Panelists
  • Denis Agar, Senior Transportation Planner, South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority (TransLink), New Westminster, BC
  • Annette Darrow, Director of Service Planning, Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo), Indianapolis, IN
  • Laura Azze-Singh, Principal Transportation Planner, MTA New York City Transit, New York, NY
  • Senna Phillips, Transportation Planner, MTA New York City Transit, New York, NY
  • Benjamin A. Smith, Senior Transportation Planner, City of Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle, WA

Networking Break

3 - 3:15 p.m.

Roundtable Idea Exchanges

3:15 - 5 p.m.
Grand Ballroom, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

Engage in two rounds of interactive and informal discussions which will be led by facilitators who will give brief presentations at the beginning. This is your chance to share your thoughts, pose questions freely and network with industry peers. There will be tables set up by topics listed below.
  • Host Tour: Operational Problem Field Tour/Round Table Discussion – Ellie Newman, Section Manager of Service Development, Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) 
  • Adapting Bus Service to Open Streets and Outdoor Dining Programs – Senna Phillips, Transportation Planner, MTA New York City Transit
  • Adapting Demand Response Transportation for a New Generation – Andrew Batson, Chief, Planning and Project Delivery, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Public Transportation
  • Big Data Tells All—An Innovative Approach to Planning VRE’s Future – Federico Tallis, Transportation Planner, VHB
  • Envision – Highlighting Transit Success and Helping Agencies Push Their Boundaries – Jennifer Ninete, Senior Sustainability Consultant, HDR
  • Keep Your Buses Close and Your Shuttles Closer: Seattle’s Employer Shared Transit Stop Program – Benjamin Smith, Senior Transportation Planner, City of Seattle
  • Transit Network Redesign – Daniel Costantino, Principal Associate, Jarrett Walker + Associates
  • Zero-Emissions Bus Transition Plans…The Why and How of Developing the Plan and Implementing the Infrastructure – Analy Castillo, Zero Emissions Technical Lead, Stantec
  • City of Boston Fare-Free Bus Program – Steven Povich, Director of Fare Policy & Analytics, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Moderator
  • Daniel K. Boyle, President, Dan Boyle & Associates LLC, Alexandria, VA

Environmental Management Systems (EMS) Subcommittee Meeting

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Allegheny, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel
Co-Chairs, Kerin Lester, PMP, ENV SP & Antoinette Quagliata, ENV SP, LEED AP

Sustainability Commitment Signatories Subcommittee

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Vandergrift, Conference Level, Omni William Penn Hotel
Co-Chairs, Dr. Emmanuel "Cris" Battad Liban, PE. ENV SP & Rachel Healy
 

Wednesday, August 10

Networking Breakfast

7 - 8 a.m.
Grand Ballroom Foyer/Sky Foyer, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

Registration

7 - 9 a.m.
17th Level Foyer

Tabletop Displays

7 - 10 a.m.
17th Level Foyer

Climate Policy - Regional Collaboration

8 - 9:30 a.m.
Monongahela, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

The new federal administration has renewed a focus on climate change mitigation and emphasized the role of public infrastructure as a key delivery mechanism for local to global solutions. How are agencies planning for greenhouse gas mitigation from planning and design to construction and operations? How do agency climate mitigation efforts connect to the broader climate action planning that’s happening at the city, regional and state level?

Moderator
  • Pamela Yonkin, ENV SP, Sustainability & Resiliency Director of Transportation, HDR, Boston, MA
Panelists
  • Robert H. Borowski, ENV SP, Sustainability Officer, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Austin, TX
  • Rachel Healy, Director, Sustainability, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Washington, DC
  • Rebecca Kiernan, Principal Resilience Planner, City of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Network Design / Layover

8 - 9:30 a.m.
Urban, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

The pandemic has changed many assumptions about the way that networks function to maintain and grow ridership. Some agencies that went through network redesigns may find that both their goals and measures of success have changed. Presenters will share their redesign process involving integrated planning platform, more precise scheduling data, as well as a trip assignment simulation tool to evaluate passenger impacts. Additionally, the creation and adjustment of bus layover locations affect both Planners and Schedulers.  Planners investigate and create the routes, and coordinate with Schedulers on beginning, end, and short-turn layover points.  Schedulers develop service based on the routing, demographics, and expectations of the Planners. Presenters will share what their agencies have done to identify and resolve potential issues.
 
1.5 CEUs Planners/Engineers 
 
Moderator
  • Annette Darrow, Director of Service Planning, Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo), Indianapolis, IN
Panelists
  • Christof Spieler, PE, AICP, LEED AP, Director of Planning, Huitt-Zollars, Inc., Houston, TX
  • Claudia Aliff, Planning Analyst, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Philadelphia, PA
  • Steve Mahowald, Senior Transit Planner, Metro Transit, Minneapolis, MN
  • Douglas Monroe, Manager, Corridor Planning (Operations), Regional Transportation District, Denver, CO
  • Flavie Gagnon-Pontbriand, Product Manager, GIRO Inc., Montreal, QC

Networking Break

9:30 - 9:45 a.m.

Joint Session on Equity

9:45 - 11:15 a.m.
Grand Ballroom, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

During the pandemic, many agencies evaluated their role in the community, not only as a vital transportation service for essential workers, but also to look closer at how transit is equitable for all people across races and incomes.  Ranging from conducting access analysis, implementing system redesign, exploring fare collection options, to developing tools to integrate equity as a standard component of ongoing service planning, presenters will share various approaches to improving transit’s ability to link people to opportunities equitably.

1.5 CEUs Planners/Engineers 
 
Moderator
  • Lacy Bell, Principal - Seattle Office Lead, Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc., Seattle, WA
Panelists
  • Sandy Brennan, Foursquare Integrated Transportation Planning Inc., Washington, DC
  • Joseph Calhoun, Deputy Director, Office of Service Development, Maryland Transit Administration, Baltimore, MD
  • Nicole Dufva, Senior Planner, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, St. Petersburg, FL
  • Jeffrey Macko, Service Planning Team Leader, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, Cleveland, OH
  • Evan Landman, Senior Associate, Jarrett Walker + Associates, Portland, OR
  • Alissa Zimmer, Spatial Analyst Assistant, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Boston, MA

Closing Session

11:15 - 11:45 a.m.
Grand Ballroom, 17th Level, Omni William Penn Hotel

Attendees will have a chance to share their feedback on this 4-day workshop. The Sustainability Committee and Transit Operations Planning and Scheduling subcommittee chairs will share their perspectives and take-aways from the Workshop, invite feedback from attendees, provide closing remarks, and announce next year’s workshop dates and location!

Presidings
  • Amy Shatzkin, APTA Sustainability Committee Chair; Deputy Director, Environmental Affairs & Sustainability, Sound Transit, Seattle, WA
  • Lacy Bell, Principal - Seattle Office Lead, Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc., Seattle, WA

Eco-Innovation District/Downtown & Uptown BRT Corridor Tour

1 - 3:30 p.m.

Walking tour of corridor being planned for Pittsburgh’s first on-street BRT and the Eco-Innovation District through Downtown and Uptown.
 
Advance registration is required due to capacity limits. (FULL)
 
For onsite inquiries, see the PRT host table next to APTA's registration desk during the event registration hours.  

Busway Tour - Infrastructure, Operations & Service Emphasis

1 - 4 p.m.

Ride the Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway and West Busways to view their guideways, stations and other facilities.  Stops would be made at Penn Station, Wilkinsburg and Swissvale on the East Busway and Carnegie on the West Busway to view stations and observe operations. 
 
 
For onsite inquiries, see the PRT host table next to APTA's registration desk during the event registration hours.
 

LRT /TOD Planning Tour

1 - 4 p.m.

Board LRV in Downtown Pittsburgh and ride PRT’s LRT system to Castle Shannon. Alight Castle Shannon, Mt. Lebanon, and South Hills Junction to view existing communities developed along the rail line and plans for Transit Oriented Development. Tour participants will learn about challenges posted by recent and future development. The return trip to Downtown would utilize the currently out-of-service Allentown Line.
 
 
For onsite inquiries, see the PRT host table next to APTA's registration desk during the event registration hours.
 

Multimodal LRT, Duquesne Incline, and Bus to Station Square and Mount Washington with Pittsburgh History Tour

1 - 4 p.m.

Ride an LRV to Station Square and Duquesne Incline up Mt. Washington for a great view of Downtown Pittsburgh. Return to Downtown on a bus. PRT and Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation representatives will provide existing and historical narrative on public transit, other transportation systems, TOD and Pittsburgh. This trip will need to be limited to 14 participants due to the limited capacity of the incline.
 
(FULL) 
 
For onsite inquiries, see the PRT host table next to APTA's registration desk during the event registration hours.  

SUDS Working Group Meeting: Transit Resilience Guidelines

1 - 4 p.m.
Frick, Conference Level, Omni William Penn Hotel