The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) will hold its Annual Meeting October 4-6, 2010 at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio Hotel in San Antonio, TX. This premier industry event will attract more than 1,300 public transportation leaders from across North America. U.S. Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff will address attendees at the opening session on Monday, October 4. Federal Railroad Administration Deputy Administrator Karen Rae will participate in a panel on high-speed rail in the U.S on Tuesday, October 5.

The 2010 APTA Annual Meeting will focus on a number of topics affecting the public transportation industry including: authorization legislation, high-speed rail, sustainability, economic issues, workforce development and green jobs, technology, safety and security, and public-private partnerships. Listed below are some highlighted session topics; to view a complete schedule visit www.apta.com.

News media are invited to attend the conference at no charge. On-site media registration is available at the conference registration desk.

Monday, October 4

8:30 - 10 a.m.
Texas Ballroom

Opening General Session – Public Transportation Takes Us There

President’s Welcome and Remarks:

• William Millar, APTA president

Remarks:

• Mattie P. “M.P.” Carter, 2009-2010 chair, APTA, and commissioner, Memphis Area Transit Authority, Memphis, TN
• Michael J. Scanlon, 2010-11 chair, APTA; general manager/chief executive officer; and San Mateo County Transit District; and executive director, Caltrain (Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board), San Carlos, CA

Welcomes:

• The Honorable Julián Castro, mayor, City of San Antonio, TX
• Henry R. Muñoz III, and chair, board of trustees, VIA Metropolitan Transit, San Antonio, TX
• Keith T. Parker, AICP, president/chief executive officer, VIA Metropolitan Transit, San Antonio, TX

Remarks:

• Administrator Peter Rogoff, Federal Transit Administration, Washington, DC

10:15 - 11:30 a.m.
Texas Ballroom

General Session: Crystal Ball Versus Harsh Realities Future of Managing & Financing Public Transportation Systems in Unprecedented Economic Times
As the transit industry manages through the most turbulent economic period the country has experienced since the Great Depression, hear from the latest approaches to managing stagnant or shrinking budgets as well as how new and creative funding and financing practices can help.

Presiding:

• Michael J. Scanlon, 2010-11 chair, APTA; general manager/chief executive officer; San Mateo County Transit District; and executive director, Caltrain (Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board), San Carlos, CA

Keynote Address:

• Jay Walder, chairman and chief executive officer, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York, NY

Panelists:

• Mortimer L. Downey III, chairman, PB Consult; board member, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority; and president, Mort Downey Consulting LL C, Vienna, VA
• Beverly A. Scott, Ph.D., immediate past chair, APTA, and general manager/CEO, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Atlanta, GA
• Richard Rodriguez, president, Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago, IL
• Robert E. Skinner, Jr., executive director, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC

2:15 - 3:45 p.m.
Lone Star Ballroom D

Host Forum: Developing an Innovative Transit Vision into a Long Range Plan
This session, led by VIA’s President/CEO, will outline the progress VIA Metropolitan Transit has made in crafting its “Long-Range Comprehensive Transportation Plan for 2035.”

Presenters:

• Keith T. Parker, AICP, president/CEO, VIA Metropolitan Transit, San Antonio, TX
• The Honorable Nelson W. Wolff, judge, Bexar County, San Antonio, TX
• Henry R. Muñoz III, chair, board of trustees, VIA Metropolitan Transit, San Antonio, TX
• John S. Kulpa, Ph.D., regional transit manager, Jacobs Engineering, San Antonio, TX
• Allan Zreet, AIA, principal, Jacobs Engineering, Dallas, TX

2:15 - 3:45 p.m.
Lone Star Ballroom B

State of the Industry – Where Do We go from Here?
This round-table session features a discussion on the health of the industry - how various sectors have been affected, how they are coping with these challenges, and collective actions we can take for the future — by leaders from the public and private sectors as well as the Federal Transit Administration and Capitol Hill.

Moderator:

• Sharon Greene, vice chair-business members, APTA; chair, APTA Business Member Board of Governors; and principal, Sharon Greene and Associates, Laguna Beach, CA

Panelists:

• Paul Smith, executive vice president, sales & marketing, New Flyer, Winnipeg, MB
• Stanley J. Rosenblum, division vice president, Jacobs, New York, NY
• Phillip A. Washington, general manager, Regional Transportation District, Denver, CO
• Matthew Welbes, executive director, Federal Transit Administration, Washington, DC
• Joyce Rose, staff director, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC

4 - 5:30 p.m.
Lone Star Ballroom D

Connecting the Dots – Energy, Environment, Transportation, Housing, Sustainability
The federal partnership between EPA, HUD, and DOT on livable communities has given impetus to community development focusing on the synergy between housing, transportation, and the environment.

Moderator:

• Richard J. Simonetta, vice president, national director of high speed rail & special projects, URS Corporation, Columbus, OH

Panelists:

• Emil Frankel, director of transportation policy, Bipartisan Policy Center, Washington, DC
• James Corless, director, Transportation for America, Washington, DC
• Mitch Warren, professional staff member, Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC
• Amy Scarton, counsel, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC
• Margot T. Oge, director of Transportation and Air Quality, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC

Tuesday, October 5

10:15 - 11:30 a.m.
Lone Star Ballroom E-F

GENERAL FORUM: High-Speed Rail in the U.S. – A Status Update
Join us for an update session to hear directly how high-speed rail grant recipients intend to change the face of the American landscape while they turn dollars into real jobs in Florida, California, and the Midwest.

Introduction:

• David J. Carol, market leader, high speed rail, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Charlotte, NC

Moderator:

• Karen J. Rae, deputy administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, Washington, DC

Panelists:

• Kevin Thibault, chief executive officer, Florida Rail Enterprise, Tallahassee, FL
• Jolene M. Molitoris, vice chair, APTA High-Speed & Intercity Rail Committee, and director, Ohio Department of Transportation, Columbus, OH
• William Glavin, rail director, Texas Department of Transportation, Austin, TX
• Roelof van Ark, chief executive officer, California High-Speed Rail Authority, Sacramento, CA

2 - 4 p.m.
Lone Star Ballroom E-F

GENERAL FORUM: Transit & the State DOT Commissioner: The Future is Multimodal
Hear some of the nation’s top state leaders in transportation talk about how state departments of transportation balance the operational and infrastructure needs of the transportation system.

Discussants:

• Michael A. Sanders, vice chair-state affairs, APTA, and transit administrator, transit & ridesharing, Connecticut Department of Transportation, Newington, CT
• Ronald L. Epstein, chair, APTA State Affairs Committee, and chief financial officer, New York State Department of Transportation, Albany, NY

Presenters:

• James Simpson, commissioner, New Jersey Department of Transportation, Trenton, NJ
• Jolene M. Molitoris, vice chair, APTA High-Speed & Intercity Rail Committee, and director, Ohio Department of Transportation, Columbus, OH
• Martin Tuttle, deputy director-planning & modal programs, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Sacramento, CA.

Wednesday, October 6

9:30 – 11:00 a.m.
Lone Star Ballroom C

Strategies for Implementing a State of Good Repair
Hear how public transportation agencies are targeting their resources and leveraging technology to keep their public transportation systems in good order.

Moderator:

• Onala “Tony” M. Atala, associate vice president, system safety & security, AECOM, Newark, NJ

Panelists:

• Sean G. Libberton, associate administrator, Office of Program Management, Federal Transit Administration, Washington, DC
• Yoav Arkin, senior program director, system safety and assurance, AECOM, Baltimore, MD

11:15 a.m. – 12-15 p.m.
Texas Ballroom A-C

Closing General Session: Elections 2010 – What Does It Mean?
Gain a clear understanding of the implications of the Fall 2010 elections on public transportation.

Presiding:

• J. Barry Barker, vice chair-government affairs, APTA, and executive director, Transit Authority of River City, Louisville, KY

Keynote Speaker:

• Dr. Larry J. Sabato, election analyst, author, professor, and director, Center for Politics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

*Media can attend for free. Onsite registration is available at the conference registration desk.

**The media center is in room Mission A at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio Hotel.