South West Transit Association
2024 State & Tribal Partnerships Conference Agenda
Sunday 7/28
5:30 P.M. - 7:00 P.M. - Opening Reception
Join your fellow conference attendees for some complimentary drinks & appetizers and catch-up from your colleagues from – and beyond – the SWTA Nation!
Monday 7/29
8:30 A.M. - 9:30 A.M. - Opening General Sesson
Introductory remarks from SWTA Chair Kendra McGeady and TTA President Vince Huerta, and a welcome to Fort Worth from Trinity Metro President & CEO Richard W. Andreski.
9:15 A.M. - 10:45 A.M. - State & Local Funding Ideas
Public Transportation in communities is supported through a federal-state-local partnership. Learn how transportation agencies are securing funding at the state and local levels to complement the rise in federal funding. Panelists will discuss forward-looking funding and financing approaches to support ongoing operating and capital programs.
Moderator: Art Guzzetti, Vice President, Policy and Mobility - American Public Transportation Association
Pennsylvania – Danielle Spila, Director, Bureau of Public Transportation - Pennsylvania Department of Public Transportation
Washington – Justin Leighton, Executive Director - Washington State Transit Association & Don Chartock, Deputy Director, Public Transportation - Washington State Department of Transportation
Colorado – Ann Rajewski, Executive Director - Colorado Association of Transit Agencies
Tennessee – Jason Spain, Executive Director - Tennessee Public Transportation Association
California – Michael Pimentel, Executive Director - California Transit Association
Minnesota – Sherry Munyon, Lobbyist - Minnesota Public Transit Association
11:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. - Trends in Ridership Recovery
What changes in rider demand are we seeing several years out from the pandemic? How are transit providers attracting riders amid changes in the way people work and live? A panel of practitioners will address these questions and more as they share their ideas and perspectives on building transit ridership.
Moderator: John Andoh, Transit Manager – Redding Area Bus Authority, Redding, CA
Dinero' Washington, CEO - Sportran, Shreveport, LA
Heather Dalmolin, CEO and General Manager – Mountain Line, Flagstaff, AZ
Tara Crawford, AVP of Planning and Development – Trinity Metro, Fort Worth, TX
Ralph Parker III, Director of Research and Service Analysis – Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Dallas, TX
12:15 P.M. - 1:30 P.M. - Lunch & Safety Updates Presentation
Enjoy a buffet lunch and learn about important transit safety updates.
1:45 P.M. - 3:00 P.M. - Concurrent Meetings: AASHTO Public Transportation Council & State Transit Association Leaders Roundtable
The AASHTO Council on Public Transportation holds an in-person Summer Session, hosted by AASHTO Council leadership. During this meeting, AASHTO is joined by the FTA Office of Research, Demonstration, and Innovation and the Shared-Use Mobility Center for a conversation on state DOT’s role in supporting innovation in mobility services, topics to cover data management, microtransit, and more. Following this conversation, the Council on Public Transportation holds an update and discussion on the Council’s priorities and principles for Reauthorization and AASHTO’s Reauthorization Roadmap.
- Chair: Nicole Majeski, Secretary – Delaware DOT
- Vice Chair: Jean Ruestman, Administrator, Office of Public Transportation – Michigan DOT
- Rik Opstelten, Mobility Innovation Team – Federal Transit Administration
- Todd Allen, Mobility Innovation Team – Federal Transit Administration
State Transit Association leaders will meet in the Cedar Room for a roundtable discussion of current issues facing state transit associations, among them member recruitment and retention, conferences, hotel contracts, and organizational management and advocacy. This is the optimal opportunity to hear the perspectives of fellow peers!
- Chair: Justin Leighton, Executive Director - Washington State Transit Association
3:15 P.M. - 4:30 P.M. - Updates on Flex Funding
Texas DOT staff moderate a discussion on the ways in which state DOTs work to coordinate and leverage flexible funding opportunities between FHWA and FTA programs to advance transit projects. The Texas, Missouri and Pennsylvania DOTs come together with the FTA staff to share best practices, case studies, and perspectives on leveraging the Flex Funds process to support transit and transportation programs.
Moderator: Mark Sprick, AICP, Director, Administration & Program Support, Public Transportation Division - Texas DOT
David Bartels, Director of Planning & Program Development - FTA Region VI
Danielle Spila, Director, Bureau of Public Transportation - Pennsylvania DOT
Christy Evers, Administrator of Transit, Multimodal Division – Transit, Missouri DOT
5:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M. - Interactive Tour of Fort Worth Central and Grapevine stations
Any interested conference attendees can join in a short walk over to Fort Worth Central Station, where Trinity Metro staff will provide details of their system and intermodal facility, which hosts multiple Trinity Metro bus routes, intercity bus carriers, TEX Rail to DFW Airport, Trinity Railway Express to Dallas, Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer & Texas Eagle routes. Additionally, Trinity Metro staff will also travel with any attendees interested on TEXRail to their Grapevine station, where transit-oriented development is flourishing. Note: no meals are provided during this event.
Tuesday 7/30
8:00 A.M. – 9:00 A.M. - APTA State Affairs Commitee Meeting
All are invited and welcome to attend this meeting of APTA’s State Affairs Committee, covering issues of particular relevance to State DOTs and State Transit Associations. Topic for this meeting include state purchasing schedules, Medicaid transportation, targeted issues for IIJA reauthorization, and new accessibility guidelines for websites and meetings. Justin Leighton of the Washington State Transit Association serves as Chair. Danielle Spila of PennDOT is Vice Chair.
9:00 A.M. – 10:00 A.M. - NEMT Updates & Challenges
How are states responding to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' recent non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) guidance? We'll discuss your experiences, and will review the findings from a National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM) sponsored survey on the state-by-state environment for using public transportation services for NEMT. The session will also present a sneak preview of an NCMM webpage that will be devoted to this topic, on which public transit agencies will be able to find an historic timeline of events impacting NEMT and a state-by state table of NEMT environments and innovations pertinent to the usage of using public transportation services for NEMT.
Robbie Sarles, President - RLS & Associates
Will Rodman, Research Scientist - Texas Transit Institute
10:30 A.M. – 11:45 A.M. - Vehicle Flexibility & Sustainability
Amid turmoil & uncertainty in the cost, supply and delivery of transit vehicles of all sizes, our panel will discuss the challenges and potential solutions on an issue with substantial implications for the transit industry.
Jacklyn Cuddy, Executive Director – CalACT
Don Chartock, Deputy Director – Washington State Department of Transportation
Brent Roy, Public Sector Sales South – Model 1 Commercial Vehicles
11:45 – 12:30 P.M. - Leadership Session featuring FTA Acting Administrator & APTA, AASHTO & CTAA Leaders
Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool will provide remarks on behalf of the Federal Transit Administration, followed by a buffet lunch for all attendees. We’ll then feature a lunchtime discussion moderated by Acting Administrator Vanterpool and leaders of APTA, AASHTO and CTAA.
Scott Bogren, Executive Director – Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA)
Art Guzzetti, Vice President-Policy and Mobility – American Public Transportation Association (APTA)
Nicole Majeski, Secretary – Delaware Department of Transportation (representing the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials – AASHTO)
1:30 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. - Roundtable Discussion with FTA Staff
Federal Transit Administration staff will engage with attendees in discussion on in-depth topics and details relevant to the public transportation industry, including federal programs, policies and regulations.
3:15 – 4:30 P.M. - Transit Research Update & Wrap-Up
Learn the latest on current and upcoming research projects sponsored by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) along with key issues from the Transit Workforce Center. APTA, AASHTO & CTAA staff will also lead a wrap-up discussion of the themes and ideas presented during the conference, along with an update from SWTA staff on key topics from the Summer University conference.
Jamaal Schoby, Ph. D, Senor Program Officer – Transportation Research Board
Jack Clark, Executive Director – Transit Workforce Center
4:30 P.M. - Conference Adjourns
Conference sessions conclude for this event.
Begins at 5:00 P.M. - Optional Social Event at Fort Worth Stockyards (small additional fee)
Unwind with your fellow conference attendees at Second Rodeo Brewing (https://secondrodeobrewing.com/) in Fort Worth’s famed Stockyrds district. Attendees will receive 2 vouchers good for their choice of drinks and food. There’s no formal program at this optional social event.