APTA’s Mobility Conference addresses the critical priorities and challenges facing bus and paratransit systems and explores the changing environment in which systems operate in today’s mobility landscape. As APTA members, you are an integral part of the call for abstracts. This is an opportunity for you to be part of the educational program and share your expertise and skill set with your peers in the industry.

Please Note: we are seeking individual speaker submissions only – not full panel ideas, at this time. Please craft your abstract around you and/or a partner presentation, not a full panel of a moderator and several speakers. Your submission will be paired with our similar submissions to curate a well rounded session.

Our internal subject matter experts have develop the session topics below based on extensive feedback from committee meetings, survey results, and one-on-one member conversations. Once submissions are reviewed by a committee of members and staff; staff will begin extending invitations to those who were selected based on their experience and partnerships that are aligned with the program.

We appreciate your interest in participating at our upcoming event. If you have more questions about this process, please email abstracts@apta.com . If you need to edit/update a submitted  abstract, log into the Abstract Service Center.  Your login credential can be found in your confirmation email.

Deadline to Submit: Friday, January 2, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET

Submission Details:

  • You MUST be an APTA member in good standing to submit abstracts.
  • Submit abstracts separately.
  • Do not submit duplicate abstracts under different topics. Select the topic closest to your main ideas.
  • Do not submit preselected full panel abstracts.
  • Be sure to add ALL proposed speakers (you and a partner, if it’s a joint presentation)
  • APTA will communicate with the submitter for all notifications and deadlines, who must share information as needed with speaker(s)
  • Submissions should avoid being a sales pitch or overly commercial
  • All proposals must be submitted using the online form, to be considered
  • Be concise when submitting your abstract (350 words max). If possible, highlight the top 3 takeaways that the audience will take away and any “actionable” items.
  • Submissions should reflect innovative, cutting-edge content
  • APTA will confirm if your submission has been accepted as a speaker on a panel or other opportunity
  • Submitters may submit multiple abstracts but will only have one opportunity to speak, if selected
  • Session topics are subject to change, depending on volume and quality of submissions received.
  • After careful review, all submitters will receive an official notification by email.
  • If selected, your submission will be paired with other similar submissions to curate a well-rounded session. APTA sessions are typically 60 minutes long consisting of a 45- minute presentation and 15-minute Q&A. So, each speaker or both co-speakers jointly will have approximately 10 to 12 minutes of presentation time on average.
  • If selected, speakers are encouraged to support the event by registering. APTA does not cover registration, hotel or other expenses for speakers.
  • Submissions are not automatically accepted and APTA reserves the right to make all final decisions on speaker selections.
  • Notifications will be sent out around mid to late February.

Submission Topics

  • Accessibility – [Areas of Focus: Consideration of same-day paratransit; Fixed route accessibility; Resources, and funding for moving beyond ADA requirements]
  • BRT Planning, Implementation and Operation – [Areas of focus: new and established systems; community engagement; economic benefits; funding strategies]
  • Bus Service and Operations – [Areas of Focus: service reliability, network redesign, bus facility improvements, ridership trends]
  • Capital Projects – [Area of Focus: Cost Containment Strategies for Bus and BRT]
  • Cyber – [Areas of Focus: Cybersecurity, privacy, interagency data sharing, Cyber Resilience and Data Governance]
  • Emergency Management
  • Fare Collections Systems – [Areas of Focus: Modern Fare Payment Systems (Mobile ticketing, contactless, and integrated payments across modes, Preventing Fare Evasion and Fraud (Strategies, lessons learned, and innovative enforcement approaches); Data-Driven Fare Policy (Using analytics to optimize pricing, ridership, and revenue); Customer Experience in Fare Collection (Case studies on seamless, user-friendly payment solutions)]
  • Funding – [Areas of Focus: New sources of state and local funding]
  • Innovative & Strategic Engagement – [Areas of Focus: Innovative and strategic ways to engage small businesses; innovative and strategic ways to engage the community; innovative and strategic ways to engage your board; innovative and strategic political partnerships; innovative and strategic staff engagement]
  • International Best Practices
  • Mobility – [Areas of Focus: Coordinated Transportation in Rural Areas and Smaller Towns, Cost Containment Strategies for Bus and BRT, Maximizing Off-peak and Weekend Ridership, Mobility Ecosystem (ex. First and last mile; Integrated mobility; Traffic management)]
  • Planning – [Areas of Focus: Transit Asset Management, Transit-Oriented Communities, Transit Scheduling (ex. headway management)]
  • Procurement – [Areas of Focus: IFB Compliance Strategies (Lessons learned and practical guidance for current federal requirements; Supply Chain and Tariff Management (Creative sourcing and risk mitigation approaches); Technology Procurement Case Studies (CAD/AVL, mobile fare systems, AI, and other innovations); Modern Contract Terms (Adaptive language, negotiation lessons, balancing compliance and operational needs)]
  • Risk Management
  • Safety – [Areas of Focus: Battery Electric Bus (BEB) Safety; Safety Technology, Collision Avoidance; Technology, Transit worker assaults and de-escalation training, SMS, Safety Culture and Data Management]
  • Security – [Areas of Focus: Human Trafficking; Special Event Planning, Managing the Unhoused, Continuity of Operations, Public Safety Programs, Fare Evasion Enforcement Efforts, Cyber Security, Clean and Efficient Initiatives]
  • Sustainability & Resilience
  • Technology – [Areas of focus: Bus Technology, Data and Passenger Amenities, Autonomous and Driver-Assist Technologies, Fleet automation, collision avoidance, safety systems; AI in Transit Operations (Predictive maintenance, real-time analytics, passenger experience); Digital Twins and Smart Infrastructure (Asset intelligence, IoT integration, lifecycle management)]
  • Vehicle Maintenance and Facilities– [Areas of Focus: transition to zero emission; alternative fuel bus technologies; automation, AI and asset management innovations; maintenance training, etc.]
  • Workforce Development – [Areas of Focus: Recruitment, Retention, & Reskilling for Public Transit; Next Gen Readiness & Workforce Technology; AI Workforce Readiness; Innovative Industry Workforce Solutions; Psychological Safety & Employee Wellbeing]
  • Zero Or Low Emission Bus – [Areas of Focus: transition management; hydrogen infrastructure; charge management, interoperability and data integration; service experience; for ZEB safety please submit under “Safety”]
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