New York's Public Transit Industry Shares "Great Ideas"

ALBANY, NY (09/19/2012)(readMedia)-- New York public transit managers and business leaders convene today for the New York Public Transit Great Ideas Conference + Expo, held in Saratoga Springs, New York. Running through Thursday, September 20, at the Saratoga Hilton and City Center, the program includes nationally recognized speakers, the state's only transit industry trade show, and a film festival.

"This event is consistent with our conference theme, – great ideas!" said Carm Basile, President of the New York Public Transit Association (NYPTA) and Chief Executive Officer of the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA). "Our speakers will share practical information and ideas on innovation, compliance, and best practices, in other words – great ideas!"

Hosted by NYPTA, the conference is a partnership with the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and the Federal Transit Administration Region II. These partnerships support the event's more than 20 high-quality, educational sessions. The educational sessions address leadership, state and federal policy, and livable communities. The program also offers safety sessions, which continue the Creating a Culture of Safety curriculum initiated by NYPTA's public transit training program, the Transit Training Institute.

Marilyn Shazor, Regional Administrator for FTA Region II, alongside Michael Melaniphy, Executive Director and CEO of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), opened the conference with discussions on innovation, future trends in the public transit industry happening around the country, and a brief overview of the new MAP-21 law. Joan McDonald, Commissioner of NYSDOT, will deliver a keynote presentation as the group breaks for a Transit Industry Luncheon.

Other conference presenters included Dale Yeager, a criminal behavior analyst and Chief Executive Officer of SERAPH; Don Kline, Multimedia Marketing Specialist, Community Relations, Ann Arbor Transportation Authority; and Carol Wright, Associate Director of Training & Outreach at the Small Urban & Rural Transit Center, Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, North Dakota State University. David Grotto, RD, LDN, founder of Nutrition Housecall LLC, will close the conference with a discussion on health and wellness and its impact on the effectiveness of transit managers.

Made possible by a New York City-based organization called Streetfilms, the conference's film festival features short, educational films showing how smart transportation design and policy can make for better places to live, work, and play. "These inspiring films have made our conference unique," said Scott Sopczyk, chairman of the conference planning task force. "I'm glad NYPTA members can be included among the more than 4 million viewers worldwide."

The Transit Industry Premiere Product & Service Expo Show takes place Wednesday from 4:00pm to 7:30pm in the City Center. Twelve buses and over 65 vendors will be featured. Vendors will showcase their latest products, services, and onsite bus displays.

More information on NYPTA and the conference can be found at nytransit.org.

About the New York Public Transit Association

NYPTA is a not-for-profit association representing transit agencies across the state, as well as over 100 private sector manufacturers, consultants, and state government agencies. Members provide nearly all of the public transportation services in New York State and nearly 40 percent of the public transportation services in the nation, employing more than 60,000 New Yorkers.