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OP-ED: Female Innovators in Transportation Pushing the Sector Forward

Mass Transit – August 25, 2022

Women have historically helped transform the way we think about and use transportation. While they remain underrepresented in the transportation industry, making up 15 percent of the transportation workforce, they have made a significant mark throughout history and continue to encourage innovation and bring change to an industry ripe for development. 

As Extreme Weather Worsens, Can Cities Protect Public Transit?

Yes! Magazine – August 31, 2022

Extreme weather events, which are increasing in severity and frequency because of climate change, pose a problem to the millions of Americans who rely on public transit to get to and from work, school, the grocery store, the hospital, and social events. According to Maria Sipin, a former Transportation Justice Fellow at the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), public transit is a “lifeline” for many groups of people that already face disproportionate challenges due to historic discrimination or marginalization. Disabled individuals, residents of low-income communities, and Black and Brown communities are less likely to have access to a car, more likely to live farther from their jobs, and tend to rely on public transit for their commutes (thanks in part to the legacy of redlining and ongoing disinvestment in minority neighborhoods). When extreme weather impacts public transit, it has the potential to deepen existing inequalities. 

SacRT Introduces New Rolling Library Train

Mass Transit – September 1, 2022

The Sacramento Public Library and the Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) launched the city’s first rolling library train during an event at the Cosumnes River College Station. The brightly decorated train promotes riding and reading and marks the first time the interior of a SacRT light-rail train has been completely reimagined.  “SacRT is delighted to be able to provide an innovative and engaging way to advertise free services provided by an important community partner,” said SacRT General Manager/CEO Henry Li. “The virtual program reflects our ongoing efforts to expand the role we play in the greater community.”   

'Ask CTA' Program to Foster Engagement with Customers

Metro Magazine – August 30, 2022

As part of its increased efforts to expand the dialogue with the communities it serves, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is launching a new program to connect riders with senior CTA leaders at in-person events. The “Ask CTA” events will bring CTA managers from various departments to rail stations and bus transfer hubs throughout the system, where customers can ask questions and provide feedback. A Human Resources representative will also be available to provide information on many jobs available at the CTA. The effort is the latest in a series of initiatives as part of the “Meeting the Moment: Transforming CTA’s Post-Pandemic Future” Action Plan, announced earlier this month. Among the plan’s five guiding pillars is improving the customer experience — and communicating with customers is key to that effort.

Bay Area Transit Agencies to Study Impacts of Free Student Passes

Government Technology – August 31, 2022

“This pilot program is an exciting step toward fare coordination among transit agencies and toward making it easy for organizations to prioritize and promote transit as the preferred mode of transportation in the Bay Area,” said BART Board President Rebecca Saltzman in a statement. “Studying a regional fare pass using students and residents of affordable housing communities makes clear our commitment to building a more equitable fare system.”

10 Years Later, San Francisco Remains the Only Agency to Allow Universal All-Door Boarding

Next City – August 30, 2022

In 2012, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency became the first — and to this day, remains the only — agency in the United States and Canada to implement all-door boarding systemwide. And although its buses spend less time waiting at bus stops, and the agency measured a slight decrease in fare evasion, it’s more difficult to determine that now because of the many ways people can pay — or not — for a ride.

There's Cause for Optimism on Labor Day

Newsweek – September 5, 2022

Growing numbers of people are discovering the union difference—the way it increases your paycheck, secures your retirement and strengthens your community. Public approval of labor unions is on the rise, reaching 71 percent according to a new Gallup poll—that's the highest level since 1965.

New Greater Cleveland RTA 'Transit Ambassadors' to Help Riders on the Road and Rails

Ideastream – September 6, 2022

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority is deploying red-vested transit ambassadors on Healthline buses and at RTA rail stations to help riders in situations that don’t call for armed police. The 10 unarmed workers will assist customers in navigating the transit system, RTA officials said at a news conference Tuesday. Ambassadors also will be called upon to defuse tense, but non-criminal, situations that arise on RTA vehicles.

Rebuilding Ridership and Enhancing the Customer Experience: An Australia/New Zealand/United States Exchange

APTA – September 8, 2022 – 7:00 pm ET

Join for this live webinar with key public transport leaders from Australia, New Zealand and the United States to discuss how they are transforming the customer experience to attract former and new riders. What have they learned in the past year about what is important to their customers and how are they operationalizing service enhancements and new features? Where have they met with success and what challenges are they still facing?

Fleet Electrification Webinar Series

METRO Magazine – September 8 and 29, 2:00 pm ET

From training & preventative maintenance to charging options and processes, learn what you need to know before adding electric to your fleet. Hear real-life experiences of peers who have successfully implemented electric bus programs.

Electrifying Transit Buses: Best Practices & Lessons Learned from America's Top Transit Agencies

Atlas Public Policy and Environmental Defense Fund – September 13, 1:00 pm ET

Electric buses are cleaner, quieter and increasingly more cost-effective than traditional diesel alternatives. But the complexities of charging are still a significant hurdle for many transit agencies converting their fleets to electric. Join for a one-hour webinar on the latest developments, challenges and solutions in electric bus charging. There will be a live Q&A with transit agencies who have deployed electric buses, as well as an overview of a recent report from Atlas Public Policy and EDF that incorporates findings from 28 industry interviews. Transit agencies, policy folks, utilities and electrification advocates are invited to come learn about specific examples, anecdotes and on-the-ground experiences from those at the forefront of transit electrification.

Opportunity by Design: A Discussion on Growing Worker Skills and Talent in the Workplace

Aspen Institute – September 14, 2:00 pm ET

When designed well, work-based learning (WBL) provides a number of benefits to workers and businesses. WBL approaches such as apprenticeship, on-the-job training, and other forms of employer-sponsored training can offer workers the opportunity for upward mobility and the chance to earn and learn at the same time while employers gain a more engaged and skilled workforce. Too often though the frontline workers who could benefit the most from work-based learning do not receive the opportunity. How can businesses design jobs that include quality work-based learning that improves opportunity for workers and business outcomes? What barriers and opportunities do employers face in creating apprenticeship and other work-based learning models, particularly for front-line workers? What can we do to equitably expand work-based learning to workers who need it the most?

How to Reconnect Communities

Transportation for America – September 14, 2:00 pm ET

Divisive infrastructure projects, like highways and overpasses built through neighborhoods, continue to restrict travel in cities across the country, creating congestion, hindering development, restricting access to economic opportunity, and worsening public health. Because many of these projects were built in close proximity to communities of color, these communities face disproportionate health, safety, and economic impacts. In the new infrastructure law, the federal government finally provided a direct funding stream to address this problem. The Reconnecting Communities Program is a valuable federal investment that can begin to move the needle, but the extent of the problem has many wondering if this program’s budget will be enough to make a difference. Join to find out how the Reconnecting Communities Program can be best leveraged to achieve an impact in your community.