Last Chance to Register!

IATR Technology & Innovation Committee Meeting

Tuesday, February 24, 2026, 02:00 PM ET / 11:00 am PT

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After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. If you are interested in attending and/or joining the Technology & Innovation Committee, please email Kim at info@iatr.global by EOD Monday, February 23, 2026. Please note this meeting is open to all REGULATOR & ASSOCIATE MEMBERS.

Matt Daus, President of the IATR, will introduce our guest speaker, Seth Wainer, Director of Planning and Innovation at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, who leads the agency’s efforts to pilot and plan for transformative technologies such as autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, and electric flight, bringing a distinguished background in public-sector digital innovation and a deep passion for infrastructure’s past and future.

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Doug Bermudez, Chief of EASY Card and Customer Experience at the Miami-Dade County Department of Transit and Public Works (DTPW)

Doug Bermudez recently celebrated 21 years of being with the Miami-Dade County’s Department of Transportation and Public Works including the last 15 as the Chief of EASY Card and Customer Experience within the Office of Innovation and Mobility Services. Through his work Doug has been on the forefront of using technology to better the experience for the riding public including implementing a customer-first strategy for EASY Card, Online Transit store, Go Miami App, Open payments, and digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and Fitbit Pay) and managing the various touchpoints such as sales centers, e-commerce, and offices of Lost and Found and Golden Passport Services.

Doug is actively engaged in transportation research and policy development. He serves on multiple Transportation Research Board (TRB) research panels and is Chair of the TCRP A-55 Panel on the Travel Behavior and Financial Impacts of Fare Capping, contributing to national research on fare policy, equity, and financial sustainability. He also serves as Second Vice-Chair of APTA’s Fare Collection Systems Committee and is the Lead Liaison for Miami-Dade County for CoMotion Miami, coordinating cross-agency participation and helping shape program content related to technology, innovation, and mobility.

He is on the forefront of advanced transportation services and is a leading voice on urban mobility and emerging technologies, and has spoken at Designing Cities, CoMotion, and various IATR conferences, including leading last year’s first-ever Mobility Movement Innovation Challenge.

Matt Daus, President of the IATR, said, “I am pleased to appoint Doug Bermudez as co-chair of the IATR’s Innovation & Technology Committee. Doug and the Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation & Public Works (DTPW) have been active members of the IATR for several years now and have been great supporters of multi-modal innovation and technology. We are thankful to Miami-Dade for hosting our 2024 annual conference, and congratulate Doug in particular for the many positive changes he has made in the Miami-Dade/Ft. Lauderdale area, especially the EASY card Fare Collection Initiative. He has not only been a true friend and partner, but an active volunteer who has helped the IATR organize innovation challenges and other projects, while building IATR partnerships and relationships with other regulators and mobility organizations. Frankly, given his role as Chief of Innovation & Mobility Services for Miami-Dade DTPW, it is a perfect fit to work side-by-side with our former IATR Regulator of the Year and current IATR Innovation Committee Chair, Jarvis Murray. I want to thank Jarvis for his prior service, and for his continued commitment as the now co-chair of this committee, where both Doug and Jarvis will work closely to get involved in even more meetings and projects. Over the years, our experiment in having IATR committee co-chairs has worked out perfectly, allowing for collaborative leadership and continuity of services to our members, given the busy schedules IATR regulators have with their day jobs. Congrats, Doug and Jarvis, and thank you on behalf of all IATR members for your continued commitment to the IATR.”

Jarvis Murray, Commercial Rideshare and Mobility Administrator at the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) & Co-Chair of the IATR Technology and Innovation Committee, said, "The IATR Technology and Innovation Committee is pleased to announce Doug Bermudez as the new Co-Chair of the Committee. Doug has worked tirelessly to advance and implement new technology for Miami Dade County, always with an eye towards improving the rider experience. We look forward to having his expertise and insights on our committee."

Image: Visit London

The Transport Minister has given the clearest indication yet that England’s taxi and private hire regulatory framework is heading for significant structural change, telling MPs that the current system is “archaic and fragmented” and no longer fit for purpose. Giving evidence to the Transport Select Committee in January, Lilian Greenwood set out a reform agenda centred on national minimum standards, curbing cross-border licensing and addressing persistent failures in accessibility, particularly for wheelchair users.

The session, which marked the final oral evidence hearing in the Committee’s inquiry into taxi and private hire licensing, offered the most detailed insight so far into the Department for Transport’s thinking ahead of legislative change. Greenwood made clear that incremental fixes were no longer sufficient, stating that the sector functions “despite the legislation rather than because of it”.

Three themes dominated the Minister’s evidence: the introduction of enforceable national minimum standards, structural reform to address out-of-area working, and a more interventionist approach to accessibility where market forces have failed.

At the core of the Government’s plans is the introduction of national minimum standards for taxi and private hire licensing, enabled through powers in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. Greenwood described this as the necessary first step towards restoring consistency and public confidence across England’s 263 licensing authorities.

Source: TaxiPoint

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U.K.’s Vertical Unveils 2nd U.S. Air Taxi Network in Florida

The U.K.’s leading developer of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft—which earlier this year unveiled a planned New York City air taxi network—this week revealed it is targeting a second U.S. network on the west coast of South Florida. 

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Uber Technologies Introduces Uber Autonomous Solutions to Expand Self-Driving Strategy

Uber Technologies has announced the launch of Uber Autonomous Solutions. The move marks a major step into the autonomous vehicle space. The company aims to strengthen its position in future mobility. Uber Autonomous Solutions will focus on integrating self-driving technology into the Uber platform. The initiative is designed to support partnerships with autonomous vehicle developers. It will also help scale commercial deployment across key markets.

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TSA Precheck Remains Operational after Department of Homeland Security Reverses Suspension Decision

The Department of Homeland Security reversed its decision to suspend TSA PreCheck and Global Entry programs on Sunday, just hours after announcing the closures due to staffing shortages from a partial government shutdown, according to The New York Times. The Transportation Security Administration announced that “TSA PreCheck remains operational with no change for the traveling public,” though Global Entry remained suspended at some airports across the country and in Canada by Sunday night, according to ABC News.

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COUDICAR Formalizes Structured Service Procedures across Montreal Citycar Rental Operations

COUDICAR has issued an operational announcement confirming the formal structuring of its internal service procedures across its Montréal Citycar rental operations. The update documents standardized administrative workflows, service handling protocols, and recordkeeping practices designed to ensure consistency, clarity, and traceability across all rental activities.

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End of the Road for Airways Transit

Airways Transit says it has made the difficult decision to shut down. The shuttle service offered direct rides to and from airports in Waterloo Region, Toronto and Hamilton, with pick-ups and drop-offs in the Greater Hamilton-Wentworth area, Burlington, Oakville and across Waterloo Region.

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Medicine Hat to Gather More Feedback on Contentious Transportation Master Plan

Debates over bike lanes, larger sidewalks and traffic-calming measures have sparked headlines in Canada’s biggest cities — from Calgary to Toronto and many places in between. Even provincial governments in Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia have entered the fray. But it’s also an ongoing debate in smaller centres like Medicine Hat, Alta., where personal vehicles are considered the default mode of transportation.

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Airport Transfers vs Traditional Taxi Services in Spain: What’s Changing?

Spain stands as one of Europe’s top tourist spots, drawing millions of global visitors via airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, and more. With growing passenger numbers and changing travel demands, options for ground travel are seeing clear changes. Deciding between a booked-in-advance airport shuttle and a classic taxi in spain isn’t just about what’s available anymore. It shows wider changes in tech, rules, and how people travel.

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Bolt CEO Outlines Long-Term Autonomy Focus and European Tech Ambitions

According to a recent LinkedIn post from Bolt, founder and CEO Markus Villig appeared on The Generalist podcast to discuss the company’s mindset and long-term vision. The post highlights his view that smaller, emerging-market companies can outperform larger rivals through harder work and smarter decision-making.

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Zero-Emission Buses Reach 60% of EU City Bus Market in 2025

Six out of ten new city buses registered in the European Union in 2025 were zero-emission vehicles, with battery-electric buses representing 56% and fuel cell buses 4% of the market, according to data released by Transport & Environment. In 2019, when the Clean Vehicles Directive (CVD) was adopted, electric buses held a 12% share of the market. According to the organization, 100 % zero emission city bus market is achievable by 2028.

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BYD Presents Images of the New Linghui M9 with a Design Adapted for Taxi Services and Applications

BYD has announced the release of official images of the Linghui M9, a seven-seater MPV designed specifically for the taxi and ride-sharing services market. The vehicle, which is part of the Linghui sub-brand, adopts a plug-in hybrid engine and expanded dimensions to meet commercial demands in China. Essa revelation took place in February 2026, highlighting the automaker’s focus on efficient transportation niches.

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Flying Cars Will Dock at Vertiports Instead of Airports or Parking Garages, and This Is What Japan's Coolest One Could Look Like

Flying cars could soon dock at vertiports, rather than airports or parking garages, and Japan has come up with some that are incredibly cool. After seemingly being a dream for decades, flying cars do appear to be more common and becoming a reality – and if they become more popular, they will need somewhere to land.

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Rising Costs and App-Based Mobility Reshape Korea’s Car-Buying Demographics

South Koreans in their 20s and 30s are retreating from car ownership, with new vehicle purchases by younger consumers falling to their lowest levels in a decade, underscoring how rising costs and shifting attitudes toward mobility are reshaping the country’s auto market.

Click Here to Read More

Washington State now boasts something unprecedented: a comprehensive, statewide, navigable map of sidewalks, street crossings, and curb ramps. Known as OS-CONNECT, this system covers regions where 90% of the state's population lives, making it the most thorough pedestrian inventory at a statewide level in the nation.

This marks a significant change in Washington’s approach to improving access for nondrivers. The use of a unified map shifts the discussion from estimating where enhancements are needed to establishing clear priorities and facilitating effective project planning. Moving forward, the next steps will involve defining responsibilities and advancing improvements in an efficient and measurable manner. OpenThePaths will focus on maintaining comprehensive data, setting priorities, ensuring accountability, and tracking measurable progress.

The dataset, designated as OS-CONNECT, was developed by the Taskar Center for Accessible Technology (TCAT) at the University of Washington with the assistance of Gaussian Solutions and funding allocated by the Washington State Legislature. It serves as the first shared framework for evaluating how nondrivers access employment, education, healthcare, transit, and other essential destinations statewide. By enabling a collective view of the system, the platform fosters collaboration among agencies and communities throughout Washington.

“At its heart, this is about designing transportation around the fullness of human experience,” said Anat Caspi, Director of the Taskar Center for Accessible Technology. “When we can see where access works and where it fails, collaboration becomes possible, and so does accountability.”

On February 26–27, community stakeholders, advocates, planners, technologists, transit officials, and elected representatives will convene at the University of Washington for OpenThePaths 2026, an event organized by TCAT.

Representatives from local, regional, state, and federal agencies will participate in discussions focused on how shared information can support Washington’s efforts to evaluate accessibility consistently, transparently identify gaps, guide more strategic investments, and enhance mobility options for individuals who walk or use mobility devices.

Full schedule and registration can be found here.

You can view the data map of the state of Washington’s connected sidewalk and crossing data here. 

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