APTA forum focuses on 'future of mobility'

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) last week convened a forum of 240 transit agency officials, business executives, government representatives and public transportation advocates for a meeting on the "future of mobility."

The July 12 gathering in Washington, D.C., focused on topics such as how public transit agencies can foster a "culture of innovation;" the imperative of discovering new mobility service models and how to link them into integrated transit systems; incorporating private mobility networks; and policies to ensure equity, access, inclusion and sustainability, according to Passenger Transport Express, APTA's e-newsletter.

"The summit focused on asking and answering pressing questions on ways to ensure public transportation remains the backbone of multimodal lifestyles," the newsletter reported, adding that APTA is developing an action plan based on the discussions.

"We are looking forward," APTA President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Skoutelas told the forum. "Let's rewrite our future; let's rewrite what public transportation can be."

Many transit agencies are beginning to embrace the concept of "mobility management" — designing or providing transportation that begins and ends with the rider. To learn more about it, read this article in Progressive Railroading's July issue.