2006 Preliminary Program

Session 1: Welcome

Maureen Bertocci, chair, APTA Information Technology Committee, and chief technology officer, Port Authority Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PA

John Inglish, vice chair-research & technology, APTA; chair, APTA ITS Public Transit Forum; and general manager, Utah Transit Authority, Salt Lake City, UT

Jacob L. Snow, general manager, Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, NV

Session 2: Keynote Address

"For anyone who has ever dreamed of flying…" - NY Times

The idea is simple. It's a globe that sits inside your PC. Please join us as Michael Jones shares the vision of Google as they transform the idea of GIS Data and Google's vision to organize the world's data.

Guest Speaker:

Michael Jones, chief technology officer, Google Earth, Mountain View, CA (invited)

Session 3: Developing a Strategic IT Organization

With a constant trend toward transit CIOs at the executive table, we see agencies transforming to strategic organizations. This session discusses how you move toward a strategic organization.

Moderator:

Denise Du Charme, vice chair, APTA Information Technology Committee, and manager of information technology, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Austin, TX

Delivering a High Performance IT Organization
Douglas W. Carter, principal, Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, VA

Implementing a Business-Focused IT Strategic Plan
Lisa Yeo, manager, IT strategic planning and resources, Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, Portland, OR

Successfully Planning the Integration and Implementation of Multiple IT Systems
Miguel Velazquez, director of information technology, Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority, Rochester, NY

The Value of a Strategic Plan for Smaller Transit Systems in Selecting and Implementing Information Technology
Susan E. Thomas, president, Draycott Consulting, Inc., Alexandria, VA

Lunch

Ralph J. Menzano, transportation industry director, Oracle Corporation, Lafayette, PA

Session 4: Plenary Session: Straight from the CEO

More and more, we technology people, need to become part of the corporate fabric. To accomplish that, we have a need to know what is in the minds of our CEOs. This session offers an opportunity to hear CEOs express their approaches to critical management problems, in their own words, and to describe the kinds of remedies they have applied to those problems. Through this interactive session we will try to get into their heads with the purpose of understanding the environment in which they operate, the opportunities they see, the obstacles they face, and what worries them the most.

Moderator:

Paul P. Skoutelas, secretary/treasurer, APTA, and senior vice president, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Pittsburgh, PA

John M. Inglish, vice chair-research & technology, APTA; chair, APTA ITS Public Transit Forum; and general manager, Utah Transit Authority, Salt Lake City, UT (invited)

Maximizing ROI by Evaluating People, Processes and Technology
James K. Gee, general manager, Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority, Toledo, OH

Fred M. Gilliam, vice chair-bus & paratransit operations, APTA, and president/chief executive officer, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Austin, TX (invited)

Jacob L. Snow, general manager, Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, NV

Product Showcase

Come meet approximately 30 vendors displaying technology products for improving management and services to transit customers.

Reception

Registration

Continental Breakfast

Session 5: Managing the Data Mountain

Data, data, data, data, and more data. Systems today are capable of reporting thousands of metrics a day. How does one determine what data they need; and how does one manage this data effectively?
Join us to find some innovative solutions.

Moderator:

Shyam K. Dunna, president & CEO, nMomentum Corporation, Suwanee, GA

Error Correction Strategies for Data Warehouse Systems
Kenny Herrscher, president, On Time Consulting Services Inc., Yorba Linda, CA

Integration of Planning Data from Fare Collection and Fleet Management Systems Phil Parisi, manager, internet services & data, Pace Suburban Bus, Arlington Heights, IL

Achieving the Missing ROI: AVTA, A Case Study
Randy Floyd, executive director, Antelope Valley Transit Authority, Lancaster, CA

Rahim N. Rahim, principal/CEO, RNR Consulting, Cleveland, OH

Leveraging OCTA's Ridership Data Mart to Make Better Short-and Long-Term Service Planning Decisions Using Integrated GFI Farebox & Bus Operations Information
Gordon Robinson, service planning and customer advocacy department, Orange County Transportation Authority, Orange, CA

Jorge Duran, manager, operations planning & scheduling, Orange County Transportation Authority, Orange, CA

Jim Sterling, planning, development & communications department, Orange County Transportation Authority, Orange, CA

Session 6: IT Security to Homeland Security

Security continues to remain a top concern for transit agencies and one of the primary areas of technology spending growth. This session will explore how agencies have defined and executed security technologies that improve the safety and security of their employees and passengers.

Moderator:

Clair Fiet, chief technology officer, Utah Transit Authority, Salt Lake City, UT (invited)

Developing a Real-Time Passenger Security Manifest and Fare Collection/Validation Using Wireless Handheld Devices
David Kutrosky, deputy director, finance and planning, Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority, Oakland, CA

WAN and LAN Security at MARTA
Don Lawson, director of technology for infrastructure and systems management, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Atlanta, GA

Automated Video Analysis
Zeev Kalansky, manager, business development, NICE Systems, Inc., Irvine, CA

Innovative Security Solutions: A Case Study of the CCTV System at Caltrain
Mark Talbot, P.E., director, Cedar City office, Lamoreaux McLendon & Associates, Cedar City, UT

Narendra Shah, senior electrical engineer, Caltrain/San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans), San Carlos, CA

Session 7: Improving Transit Operations through Technology

Who says IT people aren't creative? Join us in this session to hear how others have used technology in creative ways to improve transit operations.

Moderator:

Sreeni Malireddy, vice president, principal consult, PB Consult Inc, San Francisco, CA

Negotiating Hardware and Software Contract(s)
Robin Cody, immediate past chair, APTA Information Technology Committee, and department manager, information technology, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, Oakland, CA

Geographic Information System (GIS) In Transit Agencies - A Survey
Mathew George, M.B.A., president, East West Software (Transportation) Services, Inc., Houston, TX

Making Transit Data Exchange and Publication a Breeze
Guy Tinat, systems engineer, Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, Portland, OR

The Real-Time Metropolis: Using Data Visualization to Improve Mass-
Transit Operations
Russ Jamerson, president & CEO, Kinesix Software, Houston, TX

WMATA Bus and Rail Scheduling and Dispatch Improvement Program
John Campolieto, BRSD program manager, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Washington, DC

Kevin Landrigan, associate, Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, VA

Lunch

Speaker:

Douglas Carter, principal, Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, VA

Session 8: Intelligent Transportation Systems

As technology expands into our everyday lives, the expectations of our riding public transportation increases. This session will discuss the benefits of ITS technologies in providing increased capabilities to both the agency and the public with advanced ITS.

Moderator:

Douglas Spaeth, director of technology, Ontira Communications Inc., Vancouver, BC

Understanding the Need for a Maintainable ITS Integration Effort
Arthur C. Scanlon, chief technology officer, Clever Devices Ltd., Plainview, NY

Metropolitan-Area Network Design for
ITS Applications
Robert Gave, communications systems manager, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, San Jose, CA

The Challenges of a Multi-Agency Regional Transit System
Mike Nevarez, deputy director, public transit IT, City of Phoenix Public Transit Department, Phoenix, AZ

Collection of Ridership and On-Time Performance Data
Andreas Rakebrandt, project manager, INIT Innovations in Transportation Inc., Chesapeake, VA

Session 9: Aligning IT with Your Business Needs

With more pressure on IT to prove a return on investment, agencies recognize that the true value of technology is in implementing technologies that facilitate achieving their business objectives. This session will provide examples of how technology has been implemented with positive effects on agencies' efficiency and effectiveness.

Moderator:

Carolyn Young, executive director, technology & communication, Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet), Portland, OR

Low Cost System for Bus Tracking and Arrival Prediction
Jeremy Siviter, senior systems engineer, IBI Group, Falls Church, VA

Adam McGavock, director of transportation projects, Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, Arlington, VA

Transit Collaborative Development Framework
Bibiana Kamler McHugh, GIS manager, Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet), Portland, OR

PIS Case Studies - Europe
Jonathan Morley, technical director, Trueform Engineering Ltd., Hayes, Middlesex, United Kingdom

Needs Assessment, System Selection, and Implementation of an Advanced Communication System (ACS) at Stark Area Regional Transit Authority

Charles Odimgbe, executive director/CEO, Stark Area Regional Transit Authority, Canton, OH

Continental Breakfast

Session 10: Scheduling Technologies

Demands for paratransit services are growing in every agency. A need for efficient and timely scheduling is a must. This session will show you how companies are using the latest in ITS technology to increase efficiencies, reduce cost and improve customer service.

Moderator:

Robin Cody, immediate past chair, APTA Information Technology Committee, and department manager, information technology, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, Oakland, CA

Where's My Ride? Meeting the Needs of Para-Transit Supervisors for Wireless Real-Time Vehicle & Customer Information
Gerald Bachmayer, director, Ontira Communications, Inc., Vancouver, BC

Strategy-Based Scheduling: How Using Heuristic Strategies in a Scheduling Engine Can Boost Schedule Efficiency and
Operational Productivity
Bill Ho, chief technical officer, StrataGen Systems, Inc., Kirkland, WA

Kevin MacDonald, general manager, Veterans Transportation Services, Waltham, MA

Timothy Payne, senior operations planning manager, Pierce County Public Transportation Benefit Area Authority Corporation (Pierce Transit), Lakewood, WA

Managing Paratransit Growth through Innovation
Marsha Kaye, regional sales manager, Trapeze Group, Scottsdale, AZ

Patrick Sampson, transportation analyst, Orange County Transportation Authority, Orange, CA

The Benefits of Using ITS Technologies
Tim Quinn, executive vice president, RouteMatch Software, Inc., Atlanta, GA

Session 11: Technology Decision Making

Technology tools to aid in decision making have been around since early computers, but today there are many interesting and diverse ways transit is using systems and technology to aid in decision making. Some of these tools will be discussed at this session.

Moderator:

Jannet M. Thoms, executive director of technology/chief information officer, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Atlanta, GA

Balance Scorecard, a Business Management Tool for a Transit Environment
Jannet M. Thoms

Improving Project Management through Knowledge Sharing
Karen L. McGraw, managing partner/CEO, Cognitive Technologies, Inc., Atlanta, GA

Using ITIL to Maximize IT Effectiveness
Shana Lawlor, associate, Booz Allen Hamilton,
McLean, VA

Easy Does IT - The Importance of Ease-of-Use in an Enterprise Maintenance Management Solution
Eric Bauer, associate director, transportation solutions, MAXIMUS Asset Solutions Division, American Canyon, CA

Implementing Spear 3I in an Accelerated Mode at CATS (A Phased Approach)
Kenneth D. Dawson, applications manager, Charlotte Area Transit System, Charlotte, NC

Session 12: Wireless Technologies

Wireless? WiFi? Broadband? Radio? This session will look at these technologies and suggest viability in various applications. Presenters will discuss benefits and limitations of today's technologies.

Moderator:

Mark Swaffer, IT manager, Regional Transportation Commission, Las Vegas, NV

California Trains Connected: Building a Business Case and Melding Technology Options for Deployment of a Mobile Wireless Network
James Allison, principal planner, Capital Corridor Joint Powers Authority, Oakland, CA

RFID and RTLS RFID Practical Uses in Transit
Joseph Franz, business technology consultant, Concept2 Solution, LLC, Coraopolis, PA

Building the IT Foundation for ITS at CARTA
Kirk Shore, manager of technology, Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority, Chattanooga, TN

Douglas J. Parker, senior consultant, TranSystems Corporation, Barrie, ON

The Next Frontier in Transit Technology: Services and Tools for Our Drivers
Jim Kelley, chief technology officer, Community Transit, Everett, WA

Closing Remarks

Denise Du Charme, vice chair, APTA Information Technology Committee, and manager of information technology, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Austin, TX

Technical Tours of Las Vegas Monorail and Freeway and Arterial System of Transportation (FAST)