APTAtech Attracts More than 500 Professionals

APTA’s 2024 APTAtech Conference took place Aug. 4-7 in Philadelphia, PA. The event attracted more than 500 attendees and featured 68 exbibit booths.

Art Guzzetti, APTA vice president for mobility initiatives and public policy, gave opening remarks on behalf of APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas.

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) General Manager and CEO Leslie S. Richards; Robert Buckley, president of a local construction company; and Dave Adams from PennDOT shared a story of collaboration, innovation, and achievement through public-private regional partnerships. Following a crash of a gasoline tanker on Interstate 95 in Philadelphia in June of 2023, it was feared that regional commerce and connectivity could be stifled for many months. A public-private effort quickly mobilized between all these parties, which enabled the swift construction of a temporary road less than two weeks after the incident, with permanent lanes in both directions open in early November.

“We are reimagining and redefining mobility in America thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—a one-in-a-lifetime catalyst for modernization, change, and innovation,” Guzzetti told attendees. “Every week, public transit agencies unveil new fleets of zero-emission vehicles, launch new systems to facilitate fare collection, open new routes to underserved neighborhoods, and open state-of-the-art facilities. As we gather ideas from one another, we look forward to APTAtech each year for the creative discussions it fosters.”

Dave Jackson, vice chair of the APTA Research & Technology Committee; and Chistina Belmont, chair of the APTA Fare Collection Systems Committee, also welcomed attendees and encouraged them to explore “unlocking the future and discovering the power of innovation, AI, and data” during the conference. They shared that this year’s meeting would debut the CISO Roundtable, the APTA Artificial Intelligence Subcommittee, and Fare Policy Roundtable.

The Transit CEO Roundtable Luncheon featured Michael Hursh, general manager, Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District, Oakland, CA; Charlotte Shaw, executive director and CEO, Birmingham-Jefferson (AL) County Transit; and SEPTA’s Richards. The conversation explored an executive viewpoint on topics including innovation culture, pros and cons of AI, the latest trends in fare policy and cyber security, elevating the customer experience through technology, and retaining technology professionals.

The conference concluded with the Innovation Challenge, a competitive and interactive event in which participants formed teams and worked in small groups to address how public transit agencies can leverage artificial intelligence to enhance the customer service experience. At the end of the event, the ideas from three out of 11 teams were selected by a panel of judges as the most innovative based on feasibility, cost effectiveness, creativity, and risk profile.