By Vicki Learn

When I became the director of maintenance for with IndyGo, the transit agency for Indianapolis, IN, I first began diffusing what I called my “demographic time bomb.” IndyGo’s maintenance team is getting older with most of our mechanics age 50 or older. I knew I had to keep my seasoned workers happy, while I sought new talent to avoid a high rate of attrition when they retire.
I began by paying attention to what would minimize physical discomfort and maximize employee efficiency. Several ergonomic changes inside the garage included purchasing thick rubber mats to help with tired feet, new computer screens with bigger type, bar-type stools to help relieve spine pressure while doing data entry and portable PC diagnostic units that wheel right up to buses.
Additionally, we have reduced fatigue by redesigning how we park our buses so employees don’t have to take as many steps to get to the service tracks. This is also a change that allows maintenance to spend more time working on the buses, and less time trying to find them.
To keep the company from being stuck between a rock and a hard place when these valued employees retire, we have started to cross-train our maintenance staff. We are allowing our general laborers to take technician courses to become certified and properly trained as attrition starts to set in. It’s a great investment that allows us to do maintenance on our maintenance team.
We also acquire future talent through internships and partnerships with high school diesel technology programs. Over the summers we work with phenomenal young men. We hired one such student from Arsenal Tech High School as a part-time laborer during his senior year and will continue to train him so he will want to continue his career with us as an expert mechanic.
These changes and proactive measures have been small investments that have yielded large dividends. Productivity has gone up and absenteeism has gone down. Listening to and caring about employees is a big part of my job.

Vicki Learn is the Director of Maintenance for IndyGo in Indianapolis, IN. IndyGo is the Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation, which provides public bus transit services throughout Marion Count, IN.

Last November the agency unveiled its seventh generation hydrogen fueled vehicle, the first of its kind “Buy America Compliant” American Fuel Cell Bus.

This year marks a milestone for SunLine Transit Agency, as we celebrate our 35th anniversary. Over the years, the agency has been at the forefront of providing the safe, reliable transit service using cutting edge technologically advanced vehicles, for residents and visitors in the Coachella Valley, California. Our plan is to continue down that road into our next 35 years.
When I arrived at SunLine in 2004, I quickly recognized the need to evaluate the entire transit system. A Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA) was conducted, which included more than 20 public meetings held throughout the community to solicit input from those who use the service. From these sessions, our board of directors approved a plan that provided a strategic road map for how best to move public transportation forward.
Despite the state of the economy, SunLine has completed a number of the COA recommendations, including the realignment of routes to serve retail and commercial centers, frequency improvements and expansion of service. At a time when agencies around the country were cutting service, SunLine purchased 150 stand-alone bus benches and trash receptacles, as well as solar powered i-Stops (bus stop lighting) to service our 536 bus stops throughout the Coachella Valley. This provided comfort and safety for our riders.
I also realized the need of a bus replacement and expansion program, as the SunLine buses were fast approaching the end of their useful life. A program was put in place and the entire aging fleet was replaced with new technologically-advanced CNG powered buses, along with the agency’s new paratransit vehicles. It was the fleet’s first major makeover in 14 years.
SunLine has been the leader of alternative fueled vehicles in the transit industry beginning in August of 1994 when the agency converted its fleet of diesel-fueled vehicles to compressed natural gas vehicles. Our focus soon turned to further advancement of an environmentally-friendly fuel: hydrogen. In 2000 SunLine partnered with the California Fuel Cell Partnership in conducting a 13-month demonstration of the Zebus, a 40-foot New Flyer equipped with a Ballard fuel cell. The journey to providing public transit using hydrogen vehicles began.
Last November the agency unveiled its seventh generation hydrogen fueled vehicle, the first of its kind, “Buy America Compliant” American Fuel Cell Bus. Through the determination and support of the SunLine board and staff, partners and funders of the American Fuel Cell program, we once again demonstrated the commitment of the agency to the commercialization of hydrogen vehicles.
SunLine is uniquely positioned in the transit industry to assist the Federal Transportation Association in developing new commercial models for fuel cell technology and remains the best proving ground for advances in fuel cell technology. The FTA has further validated the success of the American Fuel Cell Bus Program and its support of SunLine by awarding the agency funding for two additional American Fuel Cell buses through the TIGGER Program, which works directly with public transportation agencies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower energy use within transit operations. The agency also owns and operates SunFuels, its state-of-the-art public fueling station that produces hydrogen on property.
My goal, and the goal of the agency, is to continue the advancement of innovative transportation and alternative fuel technologies, while providing safe, high quality public transit services to the Coachella Valley. BR

C. Mikel Oglesby was introduced to public transit at a very young age by his father, who was a bus operator for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) for more than 34 years. Oglesby has served as SunLine’s General Manager for eight years. He can be reached at moglesby@sunline.org.

By Oliver Hill

Crow Nation Transit brings needed service to the Reservation and surrounding communities in south central Montana.

Considering the high unemployment and poverty levels in the very rural Crow Nation, we badly needed a transit system. The subject had been under discussion for more than four years. The first two Crow Nation Transit minibuses began transporting passengers throughout the Crow County Reservation and Big Horn County in Montana in April 2011.
We got the wheels turning with the tribe by first asking the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) to contract LSC Transportation Consultants, Denver, CO, to conduct a formal study of the need for public transit in this region of Montana. They came back with a report that only confirmed community consensus that a very significant need existed and improved transit services could only help.
We created Crow Nation Transit, and with the help of the legal counsel for the Crow Tribe, submitted a grant application for startup funding with the Montana Department of Transportation, which award us $75,000.
The agreement stipulated that the new Crow Nation Transit would not just serve tribal members on the reservation, but also provide public transportation for all of Big Horn County and for students from outlying communities and Billings who attend Big Horn College. The operation transports passengers within approximately a 75-mile radius of Crow Agency, connecting the towns and communities that include Hardin, Lodge Grass, Pryor and Wyola. To reflect this, the board of directors includes a county commissioner, a representative from Big Horn College as well as the Crow Legislature and the Tribe’s director of tourism. We operate and maintain a small fleet of seven Ford and Chevy minibuses and conversion vans on our three initial routes.
With the organizational structure in place our new system received a $500,000 grant from the Federal Transit Administration toward hiring agency personnel and covering our operational costs. Our future grant funding from the Federal Transit Authority over the next two years will ensure us a bus barn and bus stops along the routes.
In the short time we have been up and running, Crow Nation Transit has been operating temporarily from the Tribal fenced security yard. Because of the demand for service and the increasing ridership numbers we could show in each quarter of our first year, we will receive more 18-passenger minibuses in 2012 from the state and another through the Federal Transit Administration.
Ridership grew from 735 in the second quarter to 1,300 in the third quarter, and we were expecting to reach around 2,000 by the end of the year. When we began transit service in April, people were reluctant to take the bus, but they have been quick to catch on, especially when they consider the price of fuel for their own vehicles and that our bus routes take them to and from to where they need to go.
In fact, we are now at the point where some passengers get left behind on some trips as there is simply no more room on the bus. However, we do make the necessary arrangements for another driver to include an extra stop to return and pick them up. We currently have four drivers on staff and will add five substitute drivers in the near future to ensure continued service and to handle any overflow or emergency situation.
Because of public demand for new routes, we are presently considering service to and from Sheridan, WY, which would start next year. The folks in Sheridan are telling us they would like to see regular runs to the Apsáalooke Nights Casino in Crow Agency.  BR

Oliver Hill serves as transit director for the Crow Nation Reservation and Big Horn County, MT

Los Angeles residents can now begin picturing a new urban design transit facility going up on 7.1 acres of land near the historic downtown Union Station. The three-level facility called Metro Division 13 will feature underground parking for employees, a main level for maintenance facilities, service, fueling and bus wash lanes, and an upper level for bus parking. The structure will also incorporate a number of ‘green’ technologies, including solar panels, high efficiency mechanical electrical systems and a water retention system that recycles and reuses rain water.

Design on the Metro Division 13 project began in January 2009 by Denver-based Maintenance Design Group.

Here are some Metro Division 13 project facts:

• More than 442,000 square feet of space
• Maintenance area is 71,000 square feet and room for 13 bays
• Space for more than 200 45-foot buses
• Nearly 400 employee parking spaces
• Construction cost is an estimated $80 million

Metro Division  13 is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council. Designers are hoping to obtain a LEED NC Gold rating.

The Paducah Area Transit equipped this elaborate semi rig as a rolling classroom to deliver driving instruction directly to rural transit properties and school districts.

FAAC entered the transit industry the day MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) recruited the company to adapt its simulator training concepts to train urban bus operators. The high degree of interactivity of the computer-generated imagery (CGI) intrigued the Department of Buses Safety and Training Division at a time the agency was under heavy public scrutiny for a recent spike in accidents. The chief training officer saw the simulator supplementing tradition training with additional seat time in a risk-free virtual environment focused on high-risk events.

NYCT and FAAC formed a public/private partnership to develop the first full-mission MB-2000-V8 Municipal Bus Simulator. The company went one step further equipping the simulator with physical mirrors to incorporate critical training tasks associated with setup, leaning technique, scanning frequency and managing the pivot point during turns or when overtaking fixed and moving objects. FAAC unveiled this simulator at the 1999 APTA Expo in Orlando, FL.

NYCT then conducted a pilot program to evaluate the effectiveness of the simulator. Prior to the simulator training, NYCT says the most prevalent type of collision was contact along the right side of the bus with a moving vehicle.

NYCT randomly selected one out of four students to receive two 30-minute sessions on the simulator with an emphasis on mirror usage, protecting the right side of the bus, and forward planning. FAAC says the simulator-based group of new hires performed better than expected. The participants experienced an incident rate 43 percent better than those trained without the simulator. Their washout rate also showed a 35 percent improvement.

The set up for the FAAC driving simulator and replicated driving compartment can be customized for any vehicle in any environment.

“Most importantly of the 177 graduates trained on the simulator not one experienced a right side accident during their 90-day probationary period,” says Steve Mentzer, FAAC manager, transit simulations. “We hit the mark.”

NYCT purchased three additional units to ensure new hire candidates would all receive the benefits of simulator-based driving lessons.

The NYCT pilot program convinced FAAC its new product supported the training initiatives of this agency. But according to Mentzer the company couldn’t be sure if this simulator would serve the rest of the industry in a similar manner.

“We decided the best way assess its potential would be to enlist the services of training professionals from other organizations,” says Mentzer. “As luck would have it the Transportation Research Board was about to release a study on simulation before the MB-2000 had been unveiled. The author of the TCRP study happened to see our simulator and asked us to arrange a demonstration.”

Mentzer enlisted APTA members to help FAAC organize its initial Industry Advisory Group (IAG), which effectively became a steering committee to help guide and direct the on-going improvement of the MB-2000. Based on its recommendations FAAC made ensuing changes to combat the most prevalent safety concerns and promote the best training practices. It added such items as Ped Pilot, a joystick function that enables an instructor to control the initial placement and subsequent movement and behaviors of a virtual pedestrian; the DT-1000 Multi-Purpose Desktop, which allows the instructor to manipulate an observation deck to show any desired orientation of the trainee vehicle and also operate another vehicle to interact directly with students; and convex mirrors. From its further involvement with the IAG and the transit industry it added a host of instructor-initiated events, equipment malfunctions and other transit-specific features.

FAAC has since replaced the IAG with input from the growing customer base and on-line presence, its in-house subject matter and training specialists, as well as its annual user conference.

Mentzer says today the MB-2000 simulator is in service at respected bus properties across North America as well as London Bus in the UK.
Rochester-Genesee RTA trains remedially
Rochester-Genesee RTA, Rochester, NY, implemented the FAAC simulator to address post-incident training, an area of emphasis in the agency.

Veteran drivers charged with an incident received remedial training for one year in two groups: one on the simulator, the other by traditional classroom-based methods. The results showed a 5 percent accident rate from post-incident training for the simulator–trained operators compared to the 39 percent accident rate of non-simulator trained operators.

Paducah Area Transit System hits the road
The Paducah Area Transit System (PATS) operates a mobile training classroom outfitted in an elaborate semi rig to deliver instruction directly to the doorsteps of rural transit properties and school districts throughout the state.
The mobile classroom is equipped with six kiosks, a cutaway van simulator, a municipal bus simulator and a transit police simulator.

Since simulator training began in 2006 the total number of accidents dropped 44 percent from FY 2006 to 2007. PATS reported the training reduced preventable accidents by 64 percent.

“Our transit customers use our simulators to promote basic skill development and teach the driving formulas that are core to a safe and efficient bus operation,” says Mentzer. “They also use our simulators to conduct return to work refreshers, annual certification training, CDL exam training and effective corrective action lessons to operators involved in collisions with fixed objects, pedestrians or other vehicles.”

Flexible enough for all
As a flexible training solution for multi-modal agencies, FAAC can customize its products for a variety of transit vehicles with various power sources —standard diesel, hybrid, electric, CNG and propane. The simulator can accommodate training on cutaway body on chassis paratransit vehicles with functional wheel chair lifts, as well as shuttles and electric trolleys that draw power from overhead wires.

FAAC users report reductions of preventable accidents by as much as 64 percent.  In addition, the training has significantly reduced critical risk exposures that often result in personal injury claims, such as accidents involving bicyclists.

The Scenario ToolBoxTM Script Authoring Software can be used to develop custom, repeatable training lessons with specific maneuvers instructors can define to accomplish specific learning objectives.

“We believe a focused approach toward application of the simulator is the best return on investment for prospective agencies,” says Mentzer. “We maintain a staff of in-house experts and support personnel an agency can rely as members of their training and risk management teams.” BR

Simulator preliminaries to consider

Simulators should be used as a supplemental tool to reinforce an existing operator training curriculum.
Simulators enable trainees to practice difficult maneuvers in the safety of the classroom.
Simulators are not meant to replace seat time on an actual bus or coach, but their proper use can reduce fuel and related training costs.
Simulators offer the opportunity to reinforce specific learning objectives with practical lessons that mimic actual driving maneuvers.
Student drivers are allowed to make mistakes in the virtual environment as part of the learning process.
Simulators can present scripted or randomly occurring traffic conditions.

Operated under contract by First Transit, NJ Transit’s Access Link program offers transportation options for customers who need specialized assistance under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), with 375 vehicles providing curb-to-curb service within three-fourths of a mile of NJ Transit fixed-route service.

First Transit began its partnership with NJ Transit in 1996 and currently provides transportation across five operating regions, utilizing seven facilities — spanning 18 of 21 counties in the state of New Jersey. Access Link allows passengers to transfer within the system to continue their journey. In fact, an Access Link Paratransit customer is able to travel across the state — and even into Philadelphia — without changing systems.

With nearly one million trips annually, spanning approximately 10.7 million miles, accurate service control and precision coordination of each schedule are essential to providing safe, reliable transportation. Each of the five regions provides paratransit service nearly around-the-clock. In fact, Region 3 — Atlantic City — operates its service 24 hours a day.

When a customer calls to schedule a trip, the Access Link’s operations center makes the initial reservation. From there, the First Transit scheduling staff will coordinate resources and employees to ensure the trip is on-time and properly routed.

Access Link’s operations center employs service monitors who are specifically trained to meet customer needs by asking the right questions and ensuring they receive the best service possible. First Transit service controllers are responsible for constant communication with the service monitor staff throughout the day, updating them on schedule changes, traffic delays, safety concerns and on-the-road incidents. Together, we work to provide seamless, consistent, worry-free service for customers. Our motto, One Team, One Service, is a mantra we live by everyday.

It is critical that all departments work together to ensure continuity of service. However, our drivers and dispatchers are the faces and voices of our business every day and their consistency of service is essential.

Proper training is key at First Transit. In fact, all drivers undergo nearly 120 hours of classroom and behind-the-wheel training prior to transporting any passengers.

Safety and maintenance teams work hard to support our frontline staff. The

NJ Transit staff performs random vehicle inspections twice per year. To supplement these inspections, First Transit employs a district maintenance manager to conduct monthly vehicle and facility inspections. This two-tiered system creates not only accountability but allows our maintenance staff to learn from best practices.

In keeping with our commitment to service productivity, we recently developed InfoManager software, which provides a robust platform of reports and information, increasing efficiency and productivity for the location. In-house software engineers developed this new technology initially rolled out at a sister First Transit facility. We look forward to evaluating the information generated and working to roll it out to all of our Access Link regions.

The rollout of InfoManager is to complement and support Access Link’s successful productivity incentive program. The goal of this program is to increase productivity and ensure on-time performance. The result has been significant savings to NJ Transit while maintaining 95 percent to 97 percent on-time performance statewide.

We take great pride in having a solid working relationship with our client, which is essential to ensuring high satisfaction for our customers. By working together to achieve our goal of One Team, One Service, we have saved the client money while maintaining a high quality of service for more than 15 years.

From his base in Sayreville, NJ, Paul O’Brien serves as First Transit District Manager for seven paratransit and fixed-route contracts comprising nine facilities in New Jersey. His region serves as the sole provider of ADA paratransit to NJ Transit.

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Pace Suburban Bus operates fixed route, dial-a-ride, paratransit, vanpool and rideshare services across a six-county region in and around Chicago, IL.

The challenge for any transit system is how to deal with rising costs and shrinking fare revenue and funding, especially for paratransit operations. Federal mandates limit what we can do to cut costs. When an agency has done everything feasible to improve efficiency and is trying to keep fares reasonable for it customers, what’s left?

The fixed costs of transporting customers as opposed to fixed route service mitigate the unpredictable nature of costs to operate paratransit caused by its demand-based structure. Increased ridership on paratransit requires additional drivers and vehicles to keep up with demand, which in turn increases the cost.

Pace Suburban Bus operates fixed route, dial-a-ride, paratransit, vanpool and rideshare services across a six-county region in and around Chicago. Our challenge is to change ridership habits and patterns by making fixed route service more attractive to paratransit customers.

In 2006, when Pace also began operating paratransit within the City of Chicago, taking over for the CTA, the number of registered riders nearly quadrupled 40,000 overnight. The Illinois General Assembly wanted to streamline costs and operations throughout the region using our model of efficiency and customer service.

Through overhauling and modernizing the trip reservation and dispatch processes, we increased capacity, accountability, and efficiency. As a result, demand increased as people enjoyed their improved mobility. Despite increasing trip productivity by nearly doubling the average number of passengers per trip, costs increased because of the influx of passengers.

Sales tax revenues, our source of public funding for transit in our region, fell during 2008 because of the decline of the economy at the same time that costs were increasing because of spikes in ridership. Fixed route service presents the option to reduce service levels to help balance the budget. However, the ADA mandates prevent us from doing the same for paratransit. The last action our Board wants to take is to implement is a sharp fare increase. So, the only other option was to reduce demand on the system by encouraging the use of fixed route service among paratransit customers.

This initiative began with market research to better understand riders’ attitudes toward the use of fixed route service. Focus groups and rider surveys helped us identify the barriers we needed to address. These ran from the convenience of home pick-ups to the uncertainty of knowing whether or not fixed route vehicles would be accessible.

We worked closely with our ADA advisory committees comprised of paratransit riders, independent living workshop facilitators, and other disabled community advocates for feedback on our services.

We started by identifying heavy users of the system; looking at their travel patterns to see if there were straightforward fixed route options available to them, and also to ensure they were aware that the State of Illinois has a program offering free fixed route transit for low-income people with disabilities.

We provided a system map and the fixed route schedules necessary to make their trip, along with a list of potential advantages of using fixed route service. These include the freedom to travel when they’re ready to go — particularly advantageous when leaving medical appointments, which can be highly unpredictable and difficult for us to serve through paratransit. Riders reported often missing trips when their appointments ran longer than expected.

Through overhauling and modernizing the trip reservation and dispatch processes, demand increased as people enjoyed their improved mobility on fixed route service.

The next hurdle, we learned from our advisory committees, was many riders feared they would lose their paratransit certification if they used fixed route for more of their trips. We had not foreseen this concern and riders met our initial efforts with skepticism when we tried to reassure them.  However, we are now seeing this cynicism beginning to subside as time goes on and more paratransit riders are using fixed route and finding their certification is not at risk.

We have been fortunate to have interagency support in the effort, as the Regional Transportation Authority, which provides planning and financial oversight for Pace, Metra and the CTA, has offered its assistance with guiding messaging and finding additional channels to publicize our effort. As we roll out an expanded program to reach a larger number of riders, our partnership with RTA will be critical.

Based on current ridership figures and costs, shifting just 1 percent of our paratransit trips to fixed route will result in a savings of $1 million, with no loss of mobility or independence for passengers. We want to give riders more travel options in a way that will save money for both the passenger and the system. As riders begin considering using fixed route for certain trips on an occasional basis, we will see a gradual reduction in demand.

Results during the pilot project have been very promising. We can gauge the success of the program by our ability to track usage of the People With Disabilities Ride Free card — the “Circuit Permit”— and lift/ramp deployment.

Use of the Circuit Permit grew by more than 20 percent from December 2009 to December 2010, with nearly 1.2 million uses of the cards on Pace fixed route service throughout 2010. This total does not include uses of the pass on CTA bus or rail service in Chicago, where over 70 percent of commuters in the region reside, or Metra commuter rail service. This pass had the second highest growth during the year out of all passes Pace collects.

The increase in lift usage on Pace fixed route service was even more substantial, rising nearly 54 percent from December 2009 to December 2010. Lift usage for all of 2010 was nearly 27 percent higher than the annual total for 2009.

Meanwhile, paratransit ridership fell by roughly 28 percent during 2010 compared to 2009. We realize other external factors may have contributed to this change, but the increase in ramp/lift deployments and Circuit Permit usage certainly speak to a successful effort to convince riders to consider using fixed route service more often. BR

Richard A. Kwasneski serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for PACE Suburban Bus, South Holland, IL.

Austin Mohawk stakes its claim on the strength of its structural engineering team.

“In our mind this is a public safety issue,” says Millet. “We know an alarming number of shelter designs sold each year do not meet these requirements for the areas where they will be in service.”
He says many transit agencies rely on federal subsidies to purchase transit bus shelters, and under FTA Regulations must incorporate the design regulations of CFR 49 Par 41.20, which include such wind load, snow (live) load, and seismic calculations.

“Nowhere is there an exemption for a transit shelter in the International Building Code (ICB),” says Millet. “Changes to the 2006 International Building Code forced significant changes to the structural design of shelters.”
According to Austin Mohawk, the new requirements sharply increased structural wind and snow load for shelters. Also, shelters using ASCE Chapter 7 now require seismic calculations.
Austin Mohawk says its broad range of shelters is not well known in the mass transit industry, but believes what the company brings to the table is sensitivity by the structural engineering team to these code requirements.

The Columbia Equipment Old Fashioned shelter style lends flair in downtown areas and small town squares.

Columbia Equipment, Inc:  seasoned and innovative
Columbia Equipment Company, Inc, Jamaica, NY, lays claim to being the nation’s most experienced bus shelter manufacturer, creating the first prefabricated aluminum shelter in 1961. Its structures are now in use at thousands of locations throughout all 50 states. The company designs, manufactures, installs and maintains its shelters, praised by customers for their easy installation, and their weatherproof, vandal-resistant and maintenance-free characteristics.

The advertising bus shelter pays dividends far beyond the cost of the shelter over the long term.

Columbia equipment says its standard models are typically less expensive and the most popular. Available in many styles and colors, the company says its standard design is extremely sturdy while keeping materials to a minimum, and interchangeable parts allow for easy additions and modifications in the future.
For a little more flair in downtown areas and small town squares, Columbia prides itself in its Old Fashioned style where cities may require new construction to resemble the original look and feel of surrounding buildings and architecture, such as a Victorian or Spanish flavor.
Columbia Equipment says its design of each Old Fashioned shelter can match architectural preference. It also excels in special color products to make a location more unique and perhaps drive business.
The company’s advertising bus shelter makes the installation of a new shelter system cost effective, paying dividends beyond the cost of the shelter over the long term.
Ad space fits into almost any of the Columbia pre-fabricated shelter systems, or the company will design to agency specifications. BR

By Michael Melaniphy

Buses and motorcoaches by the dozens from the major OEMs will be on exhibit, not to mention trains and railcars setup inside the 280,000 square-foot exhibit space.

What exactly can a private motorcoach operator expect to gain by attending the world’s largest trade show for public transportation? More than one might think possible.

Bus operators could literally spend months reading trade journals and perusing the Internet for the same intelligence they will be able to gather in only three days this fall at APTA EXPO in the Big Easy.

Every three years the American Public Transportation Association stages its behemoth public transit trade show, which attracts more than 17,000 attendees from around the world who come to see the latest in public transit equipment, visit with expert consultants, learn about industry trends and see what is coming next in the world of public transportation. This year the show takes place October 3 – 5 in New Orleans, LA, taking up most of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

Independent bus and motorcoach operators would find it worthwhile to set aside the time and makethe trip. APTA EXPO 2011 is essentially a one-stop shop for the latest innovations and services both public and private. More than 750 companies will display products and services that will help:

• Plan for future equipment purchases and upgrade decisions
• Review the latest in safety and security systems
• Interact with the newest driver training programs and systems
• Meet international companies as well as small and diverse suppliers
• Build an efficient, state-of-the-art front office and maintenance operation
• Green up the fleet and operations facility
• Learn how public transportation agencies operate and are expanding
• Gain a public perspective of the Government transportation agenda
• Learn private/public partnerships could help grow the business
• Discover the common threads between public and private transportation

Of the 1,500 APTA members, 600 represent public transportation agencies that do business with the private sector — one more big reason why APTA EXPO needs to be on the radar of everyone in the coach business.

Every three years the American Public Transportation Association stages its behemoth public transit trade show, which attracts more than 17,000 attendees from around the world.

The smallest tour and charter companies can benefit, as APTA EXPO 2011 sets the stage to meet representatives from transit authorities and governmental entities, who can help identify future business opportunities or available grant programs.

Buses and motorcoaches by the dozens from the major OEMs will be on exhibit, not to mention trains and railcars setup inside the 280,000 square-foot exhibit space, as well as hundreds of component and system suppliers. There will be an array of latest technology for fleet management, maintenance systems, driver training, safety and security, asset tracking, vehicle health monitoring, passenger entertainment, insurance and leasing. Experts in bus depot construction, state-of-the-art bus wash systems and vehicle maintenance technology will be on hand to help with more efficient facilities. BR

Michael Melaniphy, Vice President, Public Sector for Motor Coach Industries, Inc. Shaumberg, IL, serves as Chairman of APTA EXPO 2011. He also serves on the APTA Business Member Board of Governors as the First Vice-Chair, the Board of Directors and chairs several committees.