Public Transportation Leaders Meet In Atlanta At APTA Annual Conference -- APTA Holds Annual Competition to Crown Best Bus Operator and Maintenance Team

Contacts: Virginia Miller (202) 496-4816 vmiller@apta.com
or Donna Aggazio (202) 496-4884 daggazio@apta.com.

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Fewer than ten days remain before the start of the American Public Transportation Association's Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, October 9 to October 13, at the Marriott Marquis and Westin Peachtree Plaza hotels. Two thousand people are expected to attend APTA's Annual Meeting, which is the premier gathering of public transportation officials in North America. The meeting is hosted by the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA).

The conference will feature nationally known speakers including: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Under Secretary Asa Hutchinson; Federal Transit Administrator Jenna Dorn; former U.S. Ambassador Andrew J. Young; forecaster and strategist Daniel Burrus, and Court TV host Catherine Crier.

In all, 40 educational sessions are planned covering a range of topics including homeland security and public transportation, transit-oriented development, and improving performance through establishing industry standards. APTA and MARTA offer three technical tours on highlights of the MARTA system.

News media are also invited to attend APTA's 29th International Annual Bus Roadeo competition beginning at 7 a.m. on Saturday, October 9. This roadeo showcases transit operator and mechanics' professional skills from the best in bus transit operations. This year more than 250 participants will compete from 112 transit systems. The event is held at the MARTA Lakewood-Ft. McPherson Station facility in Atlanta. The awards for top operator, maintenance team and overall prize will be announced at a banquet on Sunday, October 10, at 7 p.m.

For news media registration, contact APTA's Tanya Williams at (202) 496-4887 or twilliams@apta.com. Complimentary credentials are available to working members of the news media who are actively covering conference activities. On-site registration is also available. The conference program is on-line at http://www.apta.com/conferences_calendar/annual/index.cfm.

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APTA is a nonprofit international association of more than 1,500 member organizations including public transportation systems; planning, design, construction and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions, and state associations and departments of transportation. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical public transportation services and products. Over ninety percent of persons using public transportation in the United States and Canada are served by APTA members.