Michia Casebier, M.G. Tech-Writing, LLC

As the blessing continues of millions of federal infrastructure dollars seemingly raining down from the sky, communities, transit program managers and personnel find themselves challenged to competitively pursue, then efficiently administer the volume of grants currently available.  This interactive presentation will detail techniques for writing competitive transit program grants for capital project development despite limited staff time and availability and/or access to FTA support staff.  Workshop participants will receive information about vital Federal and PennDOT grant development and grant administration resources, essential FTA transit grant regulation circulars, and develop an understanding of the most important elements to address in their transit capital grant applications. 

Attrition of OEMs, customization scrutiny, and new payment structures amidst unparalleled federal funding, what is happening in the zero-emission transit bus industry? This is your chance to hear from industry experts and the FTA on where the industry is and where it is going. Jared Schnader, host of the Transition to Zero podcast and bus team lead at CALSTART, will be moderating the discussion with Patricia Happ (FTA), Mike Hynes (CALSTART), and Steve Clermont (CTE). This will be a panel discussion with a Q&A from the audience, so don’t miss the opportunity to engage with some of the leaders in the zero-emission sector.

Curtis Sims, S & Associates Consulting, LLC

This interactive session is designed for attendees to learn about some of the best associations and technical resource partners in the industry. Hear from the Transit Workforce Center (TWC), the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC), the National Rural Transit Assistance Program (NRTAP) CALSTART, The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) and more. These partners exist to support transit and mobility providers throughout the country.  Learn, ask questions, and hear about exciting projects, initiatives, grant opportunities and more. 

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This session will officially welcome all attendees to the Retreat. After some opening remarks and housekeeping from our hosts, we will move onto the Rapid-Fire Intros. All vendors will submit 1 single PowerPoint slide in advance that will be used as an introduction to the audience. Every 60 seconds a new slide will be displayed, and that vendor will have 60 seconds to introduce themselves and provide quick highlights on their company/product/service or other relevant information. This session is intended to provide all attendees an opportunity to see who is here at the Retreat so you can maximize your time with vendors and partners you need to meet with. This is going to be fun! 

Explore with us the dynamic realm of fare collection, where innovation meets flexibility to redefine the passenger experience. We are excited to showcase our strengths in addressing key challenges faced by transit agencies in the U.S. 

The Modeshift platform offers unparalleled flexibility in the administration of transit services, empowering agencies with tools for seamless fare configurations and enhanced reporting. This adaptability boosts operational efficiency and responsiveness to evolving transit demands. Discover how we can help you configure and launch your new fare collection system that will transform the world for both your operations and customers! 

O. Hook – Mobility Manager OKDOT, Jeremy Johnson Miller – NADTC, T. Palmer- New Hampshire State Mobility Manager 

Mobility Management is a topic that takes many forms.  Mobility Management can be localized in a community, regional or statewide.  The value gained by transit agencies and mobility partners is immense, but where do you get started? How do you justify staffing a Mobility Manager, how do you make that connection with existing Mobility Managers and how do you make this work for the long term? Hear from Mobility Managers from across the nation in this session and come ready to challenge them with your questions. 

Karitsa Holdzkom and Maurice Beard, Transit Workforce Center 

A strong, skilled, and supported workforce is key to enabling public transit agencies to provide quality services to our communities.  In this interactive session, presenters will discuss a variety of initiatives-such as well-structured mentoring programs, leadership development, and continuing training--that help support your workers in their current positions, as well as providing opportunities for them to advance.  

Mike Bismeyer, BetterFleet 

Join this session to hear the story and the impact of kindness in the workplace, and its relationship to the service we provide. A discussion on workplace culture and empowering our workforce and everyday heroes.  

Ecolane provides intelligent web-based transit scheduling software. With Powerful and intuitive demand-response platform, the software enables transit, allows for more productivity and efficiency, and outstanding customer satisfaction. 

Kristen Ribaudo and Grant Young, Transit Workforce Center  

This interactive and engaging workshop will provide participants with the basic building blocks needed to create a strong transit training program, focusing on three critical design components: Needs Assessments, Learning Objectives, and Effective Training Methods. Participants will walk away with usable resources to hit the ground running in developing or strengthening training programs at their agencies. 

Pennsylvania has a robust network of public transportation in all 67 counties.  Scheduled to speak include the Honorable PA Secretary of Transportation Mike Carroll, PA Multimodal Deputy Secretary Meridith Biggica and PA Senator Dan Laughlin.  This lunch will also feature the Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority recognition of recipients of the 20-year service award.

Michia Casebier, M.G. Tech-Writing, LLC

  This session gives an introduction to the Capital Improvement Program planning process; including, but not limited to, defining what a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is; why plan updates occur annually; the four primary components of a CIP; how ranking criteria for project prioritization should be formalized, as well as how one's transit program CIP process can improve annually, win more funding, and gain higher prioritization by local government administration.  Discussion will review some sample CIPs, and a small group exercise will take participants through a practice CIP development process. 

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