From Left: Mark Seaman, Senior Economist, Policy, NYC DOT; Nolan Levenson, Director, Bus Priority, Transit, NYC DOT; Phillip Betheil, Deputy Director, Bus Priority, Transit Development, NYC DOT; Amar Ali, Deputy Director, Systems Engineering, NYC DOT; Nicholas Ong, Executive Transport Planner, LTA Patrick Kennedy, Senior Project Manager, Bicycles & Pedestrian Program, NYC DOT; Matt Daus, President, IATR; Howard Pak, Transport Planner, LTA; Kim Ramkishun, Executive Director, IATR; Kelly McGuinness, Director, Sam Schwartz Transportation Research Program at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College

The International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR) was pleased to welcome a delegation of three senior representatives from the Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) to New York City for a series of meetings focused on urban mobility, regulation, and governance.

During their visit, IATR helped organize and facilitate meetings with leadership and subject-matter experts from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT). These discussions provided an opportunity for regulator-to-regulator exchanges on transit operations, street management, safety, and emerging technologies.

IATR also introduced the Singapore LTA delegation to members of its global regulatory network during the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting, connecting them with regulators, researchers, and policymakers from around the world. The meetings underscored the value of international knowledge-sharing and peer engagement in addressing shared transportation challenges across cities and regions.

From Left: Lisa Daglian, Executive Director, Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC); Kshitij Bansal, Senior Economist, Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA); Pat Russo, Treasurer, IATR; Janno Lieber, Chair & CEO, NYC MTA; Howard Pak, Transport Planner, LTA; Nicholas Ong, Executive Transport Planner, LTA; Ian Hartz, Deputy Director, Performance & Reporting, CBD Tolling Program, MTA Bridges and Tunnels; Kim Ramkishun, Executive Director, IATR; Kara Gurl, Planning and Advocacy Manager, PCAC

From Left: Grant Heather, Manager of Vehicles for Hire at the Winnipeg Parking Authority; Bharathi Kumaran, Deputy Director at the Singapore Land Transport Authority; Matt Daus, President, IATR

The visit built on the strong relationship between IATR and Singapore LTA, which was recognized in 2024 when Singapore LTA was honored as Regulator of the Year at the IATR Annual Conference. IATR remains committed to fostering these international exchanges and supporting collaboration among transportation regulators worldwide.

Image: Tovima

Taxi services across Greece remained disrupted on Thursday, January 15, as drivers entered the third consecutive day of strike action, escalating protests against new government policies affecting the sector. Taxi unions have announced rolling 48-hour strikes, with mandatory electrification of vehicles cited as a key point of contention.

As part of the latest mobilization, drivers [formed] a vehicle convoy aimed at the prime minister’s office in central Athens. Taxis [gathered] at 10 a.m. outside the offices of the Athens Taxi Drivers’ Union before setting off in an organized procession.

The strike follows a large demonstration on Wednesday, when taxis formed a convoy through major avenues of the capital before reaching the Ministry of Transport. Speaking at the protest, the union’s president said drivers are determined to continue their action and accused the government of attempting to divide the sector.

Taxi representatives argue that the new measures place an unfair financial burden on drivers and were introduced without adequate consultation. With no resolution announced so far, further disruptions are expected as talks between the government and taxi unions remain stalled.

Source: Tovima

Click Here to Read More

Transportation for America Report Highlights U.S. Transit’s Lag Behind Global Peers

Transportation for America has unveiled a new report, World-Class American Transit, which details the investment that would be required to create world-class transit service in each of the 452 U.S. urbanized areas with populations over 50,000 for the first time. These urbanized areas host more than 230 million people, representing nearly 65% of the U.S. population. The analysis found that an investment of $4.6 trillion across all levels of government over 20 years, breaking down to $230 billion per year, would be needed to build, operate and maintain a transit network that nears the level of service within a cohort of 17 global cities with world-class transit systems. While that represents what would be a significant increase in current spending, the organization says it still falls short of the $6.3 trillion the U.S. is expected to spend on highways over the same period.

Click Here to Read More

Another U.S. State Just Signed a Harsh New Law Requiring Licenses, Insurance for E-Bikes

New Jersey has just taken one of the most aggressive – and controversial – steps yet in regulating electric bikes, and it’s a move that’s already drawing sharp criticism from cycling advocates. Gov. Phil Murphy signed a new e-bike law this week that effectively lumps everything with a motor and two wheels into a single category, scrapping the widely accepted three-class system for regulating street-legal electric bicycles. That means pedal-assist e-bikes, throttle bikes, and high-powered e-moto-style machines are now treated the same under state law.

Click Here to Read More

Microtransit Service Updates from JTA, VoTran

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) and Volusia County, Fla.,’s VoTran have made updates to their microtransit services. JTA is creating a new fare structure for its premium Connexion Plus service due to the increase in operation costs. JTA notes the decision comes midway through two weeks of community meetings across the city on the agency’s Fare Modification Pilot Program that’s set to begin next month.

Click Here to Read More

Ford Bemoans Chinese EV Deal, Says He Still Hasn't Spoken to Carney

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he's "ticked off" at Prime Minister Mark Carney over his deal with China on electric vehicles, and the two have not spoken since. Ford said Monday he was disappointed that Carney did not give him a heads-up about the deal before the prime minister's trip to China last week. "The prime minister knows my number," Ford told reporters. "And I thought we had a good enough relationship that he'd give me a quick text or a little bit of communication. That never happened. That's fine. Like I said, I know where I stand with him."

Click Here to Read More

Real-World EV Study Shows How Long Electric Car Batteries Can Actually Last

We're still in the throes of transitioning away from a majority of combustion engine-powered vehicles globally, which means questions continue to abound about switching to electric vehicles (EV), and what sort of longevity we can expect from them. Canada-based Geotab, which makes fleet management software for logistics companies, government agencies, and smart cities, has been analyzing battery degradation in light-duty EVs since 2020. In its latest study, it looked at aggregated real-world battery health data from more than 22,700 electric cars across 21 makes and models.

Click Here to Read More

Ontario Line Subway System Will Get Protective Platform Doors as TTC Continues Mulling Move

The new Ontario Line will include protective barriers at all stations to separate platforms from the tracks, something the Toronto Transit Commission has been considering adding to its subway system for years. "Platform edge doors" will be a part of all 15 stations on the 15.6-kilometre downtown subway line, slated to open in 2031, city staff said at a budget meeting Wednesday. The doors are transparent barriers that open to allow riders inside when trains roll in, but otherwise keep people, animals and debris off the tracks.

Click Here to Read More

EU’s TEN-T Core Network Completion by 2030 ‘Entirely Out of Reach’

The EU’s Court of Auditors concludes that it is completely out of reach to finish upgrading the core TEN-T network within the set deadline of 2030. The core network includes the most important connections between major cities and nodes in Europe, but the works underway to make sure the corridors consist of coherent and multimodal infrastructure are lagging behind.

Click Here to Read More

Uber Abandons Pledge to Hit Labour’s Electric Car Target

Uber has abandoned its 2030 net zero pledge as its chief executive signalled that drivers and governments were turning their backs on electric cars. Dara Khosrowshahi warned on Tuesday that its goal to switch to an all-electric fleet in major UK, US and other European cities by 2030 was “just not going to happen.” It is the first time the Uber boss has admitted it will miss the target, which was set at the start of the decade.

Click Here to Read More

Transport Minister Tells Inquiry Existing Taxi Laws Are “Archaic and Fragmented” as MPs Probe Licensing Reforms

The Government has set out plans for the most significant overhaul of taxi and private hire vehicle licensing in decades, with ministers acknowledging that the current legal framework is outdated and struggling to cope with modern app-based operating models. Giving oral evidence to the Transport Committee, Lilian Greenwood said the legislation governing taxis and private hire vehicles is “archaic and fragmented” and no longer fit for purpose, despite the sector continuing to function. She told MPs that the industry has survived “despite the legislation rather than because of it” and confirmed that comprehensive reform remains a clear ambition of the Department for Transport.

Click Here to Read More

Big in Japan: Fedex Adds Electric Box Vans to Last-Mile Delivery Fleet 

Logistics and delivery giant FedEx is deploying 17 new electric box trucks in a move that advanced the company’s global electrification plans and Japan’s national climate targets, which focus on densely populated urban areas. FedEx’ new electric delivery fleet features a mix of Mitsubishi Fuso eCanter and Isuzu ELF medium duty trucks, each with a payload capacity of about 1.5 metric tonnes (~3300 lbs.). More than enough, in other words, to handle the package pickup and last-mile delivery needs of the company’s Japanese customers.

Click Here to Read More

Auto Drivers’ Strike Triggers Skirmishes with Passengers

HYDERABAD, INDIA - The auto bandh call given by the Informal Labourers and Workers Federation (ILWF) Drivers Bandh Association created chaos across several areas in the city. Groups of auto rickshaw drivers were seen moving around in their vehicles, carrying sticks and stopping the autos plying on the road. The strike was not supported by several auto unions.

Click Here to Read More

How BYD Beat Tesla

The Model S. The Mach-E. The Ioniq. The… Dolphin Surf? That’s right, friends: There’s a new biggest name in EVs, and it means you might soon be cruising down the highway in the Dolphin Surf. And you might love it. After years of Tesla dominance, a Chinese company called BYD has become the world’s biggest seller of electric vehicles.

Click Here to Read More

From Left: Victoria Sheehan, Executive Director of TRB; Matt Daus, President, IATR; Seval Oz, USDOT Office of the Secretary Research and Technology, Senior Advisor, Assistant Secretary Nominee; Michael Rutherford, Assistant Secretary of the Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy at U.S. DOT at the Hungarian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

During the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Week in Washington, D.C., Matt Daus, President of the International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR), was invited by H.E. Szabolcs Takács, Ambassador of Hungary to the United States, and his spouse Ms. Emese Gaál, for an exclusive breakfast at the Embassy of Hungary, along with leadership from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and TRB. The purpose of this small gathering of key international leaders was to discuss the upcoming Transport Research Arena (TRA) set to take place in Budapest from May 18–21, 2026.

This world-class event will feature participation from over 70 countries, attract thousands of attendees, and has already received more than 1,500 abstracts for consideration. Key themes for the conference include designing transportation systems that promote safe, accessible, and shared mobility; identifying pathways toward zero-emission, climate-neutral modes of transport; enhancing advanced networks through artificial intelligence, automation, and emerging technologies; and leveraging data to better understand and improve the functioning and adaptability of transportation systems.

As Europe's largest transport research and innovation conference, TRA will transform Budapest into a forum where academics, government representatives, regulators and policymakers, industry leaders, and stakeholders from every mode of transport—road, rail, water, air, and even space—can come together to strengthen their connections.

IATR is dedicated to supporting the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Hungarian Ministry of Construction and Transport, ECTRI, and other partners in ensuring TRA 2026 is a success. During the TRB Conference and at the Embassy event, TRB leadership acknowledged IATR and its new partnership with TRB to work together on key initiatives – like the TRA. 

To learn more about TRA 2026, visit https://traconference.eu/.

RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP FOR 2026:

Weekly news snippets

Access to the membership database

Videos and files from recent conferences

Discounted rates for future conferences, and more!

Renew your membership at http://www.iatr.global or email info@iatr.global for any questions!