2007 Preliminary Program

Session 1: Welcome

Denise Du Charme, chair, APTA Information Technology Committee, and chief information officer, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Austin, TX

John M. Inglish, vice chair - research and technology, APTA, general manager/chief executive officer, Utah Transit Authority,
Salt Lake City, UT

William W. Millar, president, APTA, Washington, DC

Mayor Ray Nagin, City of New Orleans, LA (invited)

Session 2: Keynote Address
Steven I. Cooper

Preparedness and Response by CIOs to Natural Disasters Drawing on Experiences and Lessons at the American Red Cross
Steven I. Cooper, senior vice president and chief information officer, American Red Cross, Washington, DC

Steven I. Cooper joined the American Red Cross on May 2, 2005, as the senior vice president and chief information officer (CIO) for information technology. Prior to joining the Red Cross, Mr. Cooper was appointed in February 2003 by President Bush to be the first CIO of the Department of Homeland Security. Before that, Mr. Cooper spent more than 20 years in the private sector as an information technology professional, most recently as CIO for Corning, Inc. in Corning, NY. His primary areas of expertise lie in strategic information delivery, information technology architecture, enterprise application integration, application development, and value assessment.

Based upon collective experience derived during Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, Steven and his team of information technology professionals are currently engaged in a reorganization to ensure the Red Cross information technology organization is at its highest level of readiness and information technology excellence.

Session 3: Emerging Technologies for Transit

New and exciting technologies are all around us, but which ones have the potential to really impact transit?  This panel seeks to present some of the interesting technologies that are emerging in the transit industry.

Moderator:
Shyam Dunna, president and chief executive officer, nMomentum Corporation, Suwanee, GA

Panelists:
Tom Gant, chief information officer, Regional Transit Authority, New Orleans, LA

Paul Toliver, president, New Age Industries, Seattle, WA

Jim Srygley, chief executive officer, S & A Systems, Inc., Rockwall, TX

Lunch

Session 4: Plenary Session: Straight from the CEO

Join us as we hear straight from the CEOs - the opportunities they see, the obstacles they face, what worries them the most, and how they view technology as part of the solution.

Moderator:
John M. Inglish, vice chair - research and technology, APTA, and general manager/chief executive officer, Utah Transit Authority, Salt Lake City, UT

Panelists:
Kevin Desmond, general manager, King County Metro Transit Division/Department of Transportation, Seattle, WA

Mark A. Major, general manager/CFO, Regional Transit Authority, New Orleans, LA

Gregory E. Cook, chief executive officer/ executive director, Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, Ann Arbor, MI

Product Showcase

Reception

Registration

Continental Breakfast

Session 5: Redefining Technology Project Success

What defines success?  Is it on time and on budget?  Are there more effective ways to define and measure success?  Are there more creative implementation methods or techniques available?  Hear transit agency representatives discuss real projects that have been successful and why their method worked where others have not.

Moderator: 
Robert Gave, associate, Booz Allen,
San Francisco, CA

Rebuilding the Business of Bay Area Rapid Transportation
Robin Cody, department manager information technology, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit, Oakland, CA

Ten Commandments of Successful ERP Implementations and a Few Lessons Learned
Bill Kalahar, vice president, chief information officer advisory services, enGenius Consulting Group, Duluth, GA

The Key to Technology Project Success
Don Bowling, information technology administrator, Stark Area Regional Transit Authority, Canton, OH

Session 6: Data Center Virtualization and Consolidation

Virtualization lets multiple operating systems and applications run on the same server making it easier to provision new servers and allowing more efficient use of hardware. Is this concept hard to implement?  Does it eliminate the need to outsource disaster recovery?   Listen to those who have implemented this technology and faced the challenges. 

Moderator:
Vijay Mididaddi, principal, Intueor, Irvine, CA

Data Center Virtualization and Consolidation - A Roadmap
Shyam K. Dunna, president and chief executive officer, nMomentum Corporation, Suwanee, GA

Centralized Storage and Server Virtualization
Jason Blevins, network administrator, Capital Metropolitan Transit Authority, Austin, TX

Data Center Virtualization and Consolidation - Is it the Way?
Himanshu H. Patel, principal rail & transit specialist, Bentley Systems, Inc., Mayard, MA

Session 7: Paratransit Solutions

Transit is providing more and more services for mobility-impaired riders.  What are the key issues in paratransit where technology can be leveraged to provide a greater quality of life for persons with visual, cognitive, and learning disabilities? 
 
Moderator:  
Jim Kelley, chief technology officer, Community Transit, West Palm Beach, FL

Paratransit Technologies for Emergency Preparedness
Tim Quinn, executive vice president, RouteMatch Software, Inc. Atlanta, GA

Proactive Messaging: Using Dial-out Technology to Improve Customer Service and Increase Agency Productivity
Gerald Bachmayer, director, Ontira Communications Inc., Vancouver, BC

Leveraging IVR to Improve Paratransit Service: The Metro Access Experience
Trevor Wilson, technical product specialist, Trapeze Group, Silver Spring, MD

Tim Palo, information technology and director, MV Transportation/MetroAccess Services, Silver Spring, MD

Addressing Habitual Paratransit Problems
William Ho, chief technology officer, StrataGen Systems, Inc., Kirkland, WA

Lunch

Session 8: Open Source

In this discussion we explore the pros and cons of open source software. Is it for everyone? Is it really free? How and where do you find open source software?  What are the legal issues? 

Moderator: 
Maureen L. Bertocci, chief technology officer, Port Authority of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PA

Time Table Publisher — An Open Source Application for Transit Agencies
Frank Purcell, software engineer, Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, Portland, OR

The Google Transit Data Feed Project
Joachim Pfeiffer, project manager, PEMCCO, Incorporated, Virginia Beach, VA

Open Source vs. Open Documentation
Ian B. Pirie, senior consultant, STV Incorporated, Philadelphia, PA

Rick Spangler, business development manager,
Avail Technologies, State College, PA

Session 9: Security and Preparedness

Is it how well we protect or how fast we can react? Thousands of buses, thousands of miles of rail, viruses, hackers, identity theft - can we really protect all of it?  How fast can we recover?  What can IT do to help?

Moderator: 
Roger Thorn, director of information technology and information technology services, Sacramento Regional Transit District, Sacramento, CA

WiMax Applications for Data & Video for Protecting Mass Transit Systems
Barry C. Einsig, director, transit & transportation market, TYCO Electronics, Harrisburg, PA

Chicago Transit Authority - Mobile Wireless Security Network
Herb Nitz, manager, communications engineering & development, Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago, IL

Automated Video Analysis; Video Analysis, Content Analysis
Ian Ehrenberg, vice president, general manager, NICE Systems, Watertown, MA

How to Run a Successful Transit IT Emergency Response Exercise
Chao-Ming Liu, principal project manager, Telcordia Technologies, Piscataway, NJ

IT-Centric Video Surveillance for Transit Security and Preparedness
Marc Holden, vertical business manager – transportation, March Networks, Escondido, CA

Continental Breakfast

Session 10: Innovative Smart Card Systems

Smart cards are becoming more innovative. Transit agency representatives will discuss the latest technologies, the cost of implementation and the benefits over magnetic technologies.

Moderator: 
Ralph J. Menzano, vice chair, APTA Information Technology committee, and transportation industry director, Oracle USA, Lafayette, PA

Ottawa Regional Smart Card System Business Case Assessment
Douglas J. Parker, senior consultant, TranSystems Corporation, Barrie, ON

The Breeze Card Fare Collection System –
An All Smart Card Solution
Neil Poling, director of technology enterprise management and planning, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Atlanta, GA

Setting the Standard for Contactless Fare Systems - Applying the APTA Contactless Fare Media System Standard
Martin Schroeder, senior program manager-rail programs, APTA, Washington, DC

The Utah Transit Authority and Electronic
Fare Collection
Craig Roberts, Utah Transit, Salt Lake City, UT

Session 11: How and Why GIS is Part of the IT Organization

GIS is a collection of computer hardware, software, and geographic data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information. How are transit agencies using this information for planning, targeting market segments, and real estate management? Why does information technology have to be involved?

Moderator:
John K. Leary Jr., president/chief executive officer JKL Solutions, Inc., N. Falmouth, MA (invited)

Evolving Transit Technology - Facilitating Seamless Data Integration and an Enterprise System Development though GIS Server Implementation
Layi Taylor, senior information technology services and GIS analyst, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Atlanta, GA

An IT Approach to GIS  
Carolyn Young, executive director, communications and technology, Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, Portland, OR

Successfully Integrating GIS into IT: Experience at Pace
Ed Miller, GIS section manager, Pace Suburban Bus, Arlington Heights, IL

Lunch

Session 12: Traveler Information Systems

Trip planners, websites, 511, and commercial ventures all seek to provide traveler information. Some efforts appear to be overlapping or redundant. Traveler information systems may prove difficult to fund and implement for smaller transit agencies. Where are we going as an industry with traveler information? Where should we be going and what do we need as an industry to get there? How do we coordinate with regional partners?  The presenters will discuss both internal and regional development in this area.

Moderator: 
Ken Donnelly, director industry solutions - transportation and public sector, IBM, Tampa, FL

A Better Customer Experience - Real-Time Train Status Using Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR) Technology
Chris Roberts, president, Axtion Systems Corporation, Cardston, AB

Preparing Your Transit Data for Google - What Do You Need To Do?
Keith Boyer, founder and chief operating officer, Data Management Group, Hampton, VA

What is Real Time Passenger Information System?
Robert Burke, managing director, Connexionz (NZ) Infocell (UK), Christchurch, New Zealand

From Information to Action: The Next Step in Traveler Information Systems
Rick Stuntz, chief operating officer, LogicTree Corporation, Bowie, MD

Session 13: Wi-Fi and Wireless Technologies

Wireless networks represent the future of computer and internet technology. The presenters will discuss the difference between Wi-Fi, WiMax, wireless and wired, and how these technologies can be used in transit.

Moderator: 
David Sullivan, vice president, information technology, Hampton Roads, Norfolk, VA

CDPD Upgrade and Mobile - IP as Middleware for Commuter Rail Diagnostics Systems
Andrew Hunt, director, business development, IP Mobility, Salt Lake City, UT

Wireless Devices & Wi-Fi Access for Transit Field Personnel
Bibiana McHugh, information technology manager of GIS and location-based services,
Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District
of Oregon, Portland, OR

An Overview of Mobile WiMax and It's Potential Role in Transportation
Howard Sherry, Ph.D., chief scientist - wireless systems and networks, Telcordia Technologies, Red Bank, NJ

Rail Security & Advanced Applications Over Wireless Mesh Technology
Kirk Talbott, chief information officer, North County Transit District, Oceanside, CA

Ralph J. Menzano, vice chair, APTA Information Technology Committee, and transportation industry director, Oracle USA, Lafayette, PA