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Conference Sessions
Keynote Speaker - Karen McCullough
In today's diverse workplace, multiple generations work side-by-side, each bringing its own set of values, work ethics, and communication styles. While rich in diversity, this generational mix often leads to misunderstandings, miscommunications, and missed opportunities. Imagine a workplace where Baby Boomers feel out of touch with the tech-savviness of Gen Z, where Millennials feel misunderstood by Gen X, and where collaboration becomes a challenge rather than a strength. Don't let generational differences hold your organization back. Embrace the power of unity and strength! For the past two decades, Generations Keynote Speaker Karen McCullough has worked with corporations, businesses, and universities, inspiring and equipping audiences with insights, tools, and case studies to bridge the generational divide and harness this diversity for collective growth. With Karen's guiding principle, "Stronger Together," teams will move beyond mere coexistence to true synergy, creating a workplace environment where every generation thrives. Vendor Speed Sessions TAM vendor partners will be presenting on a variety of industry topics in a series of fast-paced presentations that will keep our attendees up to speed on the latest industry trends and product offerings.
Transit Marketing Intensive - Part 1: Fundamentals Presented by Selena Barlow and Elea Carey of Transit Marketing Consistent branding and user-friendly passenger information are the fundamental communications strategies that should be implemented by every transit system. These strategies are essential for building awareness and ridership. Without effective branding and passenger information, transit remains a “best-kept secret” or “just too difficult to understand,” and fails to attract customers. This session will explore best practices for branding and passenger information, share dozens of examples from rural and small urban transit systems, and give participants a chance to ask questions of the trainers, who have developed marketing programs for more than 100 transit agencies throughout the nation. Making the Most of Community Engagement Presented by Jaime Mckay of Transit Services of Frederick County Robust engagement strategies aren't just a good idea - they're a requirement! In this session, attendees will learn more about low-cost strategies to make the most of community engagement, including easy and inexpensive to deploy outreach activities, engaging operators and dispatchers in outreach, and how to evaluate the effectiveness of this type of engagement in alignment with MPO public participation plans, local plans, and agency needs. Transitioning to Low-Emission Vehicles Presented by Sam Snead and Andrew Diehl of Anne Arundel County and Calvin Jones of Montgomery County Montgomery County released its zero emissions bus transition plan in April 2024. The County has12 electric buses in operation today and 73 more coming in 2025. The entire 385 bus fleet will be converted by 2035. The buses will be a combination of battery electric (BEBs) and fuel cell electric (FCEBs). One bus depot has already implemented microgrid infrastructure for recharging 140 buses and a second depot recently broke ground for another microgrid facility. The second depot will be the largest renewable energy-powered transit depot in the US with the largest transit depot microgrid in the US. This second depot, supporting up to 200 buses, will also have a green hydrogen project. A third depot new depot is in planning that will support BEBs and FCEBs. In March 2022, Anne Arundel County drafted the Zero Emissions Bus (ZEB) Transition Plan. The ZEB Plan consists of strategic goals to transition their fleet to Zero Emission Hybrid buses to achieve emissions reductions over the next decade and to increase the resiliency of Anne Arundel County's community to the effects of climate change. In Summer of 2024 AECOM in partnership with Anne Arundel County developed a tailored implementation plan. This session will feature presentations from both agencies, along with opportunity for Q&A and panel discussion. Increasing Access to Mobility and Operational Efficiency with Microtransit in Annapolis, MD Presented by Mathhew Mohebbi of ITCurves and Kwaku Agyemang-Duah of Annapolis Transit IT Curves and Annapolis Transit are excited to present a case study highlighting the transformative impact of microtransit on public transportation. This presentation will detail how IT Curves implemented its microtransit solution to address significant challenges faced by Annapolis Transit's Purple and Orange fixed route lines. These routes experienced low ridership and extended trip durations. Recognizing the need for improvement, Annapolis Transit sought a solution that could enhance service efficiency and rider satisfaction. The answer was microtransit software from IT Curves, with the service branded as “Go-Time!”. This on-demand service replaced the underperforming fixed routes, offering a more flexible and efficient alternative. Riders now enjoy the convenience of scheduling trips in real-time, reducing wait times and improving their experience. The presentation will feature Annapolis Transit outlining the initial challenges and rationale behind the shift to on-demand microtransit. IT Curves will explain the planning simulations. Following this, IT Curves will demonstrate how the on-demand software solution was implemented, leading to tangible improvements in ridership and customer satisfaction. The audience will be encouraged to try IT Curves' free Microtransit simulation link to model service zones, riders per hour, number of vehicles, and other parameters for their own cities. Join us to discover how “Go-Time!” has not only streamlined operations for Annapolis Transit but also set a new standard for urban mobility. Learn how this successful microtransit model can be replicated to solve similar issues in other transit systems, ultimately benefiting communities by offering a more adaptive and rider-friendly transportation solution. Transit Success Stories - Growing your Agency (Separate Sessions for Non-profits and Transit Agencies) One of the big news stories since the pandemic has been declining ridership in our industry. In these two sessions, you will hear from TAM member agencies that have proved that there's nothing that says transit ridership cannot and should not continue to grow in our new environment. Both sessions will feature presentations on how their agency managed to increased ridership while maintaining quality service, with opportunity for Q&A and panel discussion
Transit Marketing Intensive Part 2: Building Ridership Presented by Selena Barlow and Elea Carey of Transit Marketing Once the marketing fundamentals are in place (see Part 1), there are dozens of channels for communicating with and attracting potential riders – social media, advertising, public relations, outreach, gatekeeper marketing, and more. But transit agencies have limited marketing budgets and can’t do everything. This session will explore how to choose the marketing strategies most likely to work for your agency, how to craft messages that appeal to key target markets, and how to generate trial ridership. As in Part 1, the consultants will share real-life examples and case studies from decades of transit marketing experience. After Part 2 of the Marketing Intensive, the presenters will be available for an extended discussion period during which participants can get one-on-one advice on specific marketing challenges. Transit Network Design Course Presented by Scudder Wagg and Ricky Anguera of Jarret Walter and Associates The goal of the course is to build understanding of what a transit network is, and how networks work or don’t work, and how transit network design intersects with other transportation mode plans and how those issues intersect with larger community conversations around values, priorities, and goals for transit investment. This is an all day intensive course, with morning and afternoon sessions.
Implementing Inclusivity in Public Transit Presented by Imani Edwards of Prince George's County DPW&T Research on inclusive public transit has recently gained momentum due to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and grant imperatives. As a result, public transit agencies are training their staff on all levels about effective strategies to prepare and support inclusive transportation for our riders. According to C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, one strategy for implementing effective inclusive public transit is to incorporate informal transit into formal transport networks to improve accessibility, affordability, and safety for all users. Within our presentation, we will showcase Prince George’s County Transit Customer Experience and Call-A-Bus inclusive customer engagement with industry-approved inclusive strategies under consideration Developing Leadership Skills Presented by Lynn Berger of Strategic Evolution, LLC This workshop is intended for those already in management and for those newly promoted to management positions to assit them in developing their own leadership skills. Topics covered will include
Passengers with Hidden Disabilities Presented by Kelly Shawn of RLS and Associates This session will focus on understanding how to transport individuals with physical or cognitive disabilities that may not be obvious to frontline employees. Operators interact with passengers in various ways based on physical disabilities or mobility aides, but how do they interact with passengers who have a hidden disability? In an effort to provide quality customer service using professional judgement, frontline employees and supervisors must be educated in the less obvious disabilities that may or may not impact the trip. Organizations must be able to differentiate disruptions caused by a disability versus a direct threat to safety. This session will provide information on common invisible disabilities and best practices in providing professional service while also managing risk.
LOTS – Asset and Safety Management Workshop. September 19, 8:30 – 12 PM Presented by MDOT MTA In this next iteration of our annual performance and target setting workshop, we will review all LOTS summary asset inventory and condition data submitted in August and discuss Tier II LOTS’ asset management targets for FY 25. This safety training course for LOTS accountable executives and safety officers will update agencies on new procedures and deadlines for their 2022 Agency Safety Plan review and update, which must be submitted to OLTS by December 1, 2024. 5310 Grant Workshop Presented by MDOT MTA This workshop will cover in detail all aspects and the most frequently asked questions about the 5310 Grant process. Managing Frontline Employees and New Hires Presented by Kelly Shawn of RLS and Associates With the hiring challenges transit systems face in today’s world, more systems are developing their existing staff to take on additional or new responsibilities. This session will cover methods of cultivating new and existing frontline employees for additional roles within the system. It will cover some of the challenges employees face when transitioning to supervisory roles, challenges management face in identifying talent and facilitating development programs while also meeting the demand for transit services in the community. The session will include information on motivating employees through understanding and recognizing their value in ways other than compensation . Drug Free Workplace with Reasonable Suspicion Presented by Lynn Berger of Strategic Evolution, LLC Participants in this workshop will have fulfilled FTA regulations that require training on the signs and symptoms of alcohol and prohibited drug use. In this workshop, attendees will:
Workforce Development Programs that Strengthen Recruitment, Retention, and Career Advancement Presented by the Transit Workforce Center
The Transit Workforce Center (TWC), FTA's technical assistance center for workforce development, provides a range of support to transit agencies and their partners across the country to support the frontline workforce. Two of TWC's services most frequently-requested by agencies are Mentorship Training and Train-the-Trainer. This engaging and interactive session will open with an introduction to how these programs work and their documented positive impact on mentors, trainers, frontline workers, and on the organization as whole. To see how these programs can impact employees and align with workforce development goals, presenters will then demonstrate a portion of each of these trainings with participants, followed by an opportunity for feedback and discussion. And because good training and mentorship program are also critical building blocks for apprenticeship, the workshop will wrap up with a brief overview of apprenticeship programs in transit and related funding opportunities for agencies.
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