APTA will host a series of webinars in July to review public transit and passenger rail provisions in H.R. 8870, the BUILD America 250 Act. This webinar will focus on the proposed Consolidated State Block Grant program.

Panelists:

• Ward McCarragher, APTA Vice President, Government Affairs and Advocacy
• Mark Hybner, APTA Director, Government Affairs and Advocacy

APTA will host a series of webinars in July to review public transit and passenger rail provisions in H.R. 8870, the BUILD America 250 Act. This webinar will focus on the sections of the bill that impact commuter rail.

Panelists:

• Ward McCarragher, APTA Vice President, Government Affairs and Advocacy
• Benji Schwartz, APTA Director, Government Affairs and Advocacy

APTA will host a series of webinars in July to review public transit and passenger rail provisions in H.R. 8870, the BUILD America 250 Act. This webinar will focus on the sections that change or eliminate statutory and regulatory provisions related to project delivery for public transportation projects.

Panelists:

• Ward McCarragher, APTA Vice President, Government Affairs and Advocacy
• Katie Mabry, APTA Legislative Representative, Government Affairs and Advocacy

APTA will host a series of webinars in July to review public transit and passenger rail provisions in H.R. 8870, the BUILD America 250 Act. This webinar will focus on changes to the CIG Program.

Panelists:

• Ward McCarragher, APTA Vice President, Government Affairs and Advocacy
• Benji Schwartz, APTA Director, Government Affairs and Advocacy

APTA will host a series of webinars in July to review public transit and passenger rail provisions in H.R. 8870, the BUILD America 250 Act. This inaugural webinar will be a broad overview of the bill ahead of specific issue-area webinars throughout July and beyond as the Surface Transportation Authorization process progresses.

Panelists:

• Paul Skoutelas, APTA President and CEO
• Ward McCarragher, APTA Vice President, Government Affairs and Advocacy
• Mark Hybner, APTA Director, Government Affairs and Advocacy

Transit agencies are confronting a practical workforce challenge: maintaining and operating increasingly complex fleets amid technician shortages, evolving technologies, and constrained training capacity. As vehicle and facility systems become more advanced and interconnected, agencies have an opportunity to modernize how they develop and sustain talent.

This session presents a structured approach to workforce development that connects funding strategy, workforce assessment, and implementation. Speakers will discuss how agencies can align workforce initiatives with federal and state funding programs; conduct targeted skills-gap assessments aligned with operational needs; and deploy modern training solutions, including AI-enabled emerging training simulations, to accelerate readiness and reduce risk.

Drawing on real-world transit deployments and advanced transit technologies, the session will demonstrate how agencies can intentionally design workforce programs that are scalable, measurable, and aligned with long-term operational performance. Attendees will leave with a practical framework for moving from workforce discussions to funded, executable solutions.

Moderator:

• Ron Thiele, CEO, Xpan, Chair - APTA Technology Workforce Subcommittee, Vice-chair - APTA Business Member Workforce Development Subcommittee

Presenters:

• Mike Hynes, Deputy Director, Transit, Calstart
• James Hall, Principal & Founder, Zeb Tech

Artificial intelligence is reshaping how industries operate, and public transportation is no exception. The 2026 APTA Workforce Summit, brings together industry leaders, managers, and labor partners to explore what AI means for transit operations, workforce planning, HR solutions, and rapidly evolving technology. The summit tackles the questions transit organizations can’t afford to ignore: what new skills will teams need, how do we attract and retain next-generation talent, and how do we balance innovation with the needs of customers, boards, and communities.

Whether your organization is already integrating AI or just beginning to assess its implications, the Workforce Summit offers practical tools, policy insights, and peer-driven strategies to help you move forward with confidence. Attendees will leave with a clearer picture of what an AI-ready workforce looks like — and a concrete path to building one.

Who Should Attend:  The Workforce Summit is designed for the transit professionals responsible for building and sustaining a capable, future-ready workforce. Industry leaders, HR and workforce development professionals, managers, and labor partners will all find relevant programming and actionable takeaways across the two-day agenda.

The 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. Participate in specialty workshops, technical tours and APTA's combined Bus Display & Products and Services Showcase.

Who should attend: bus and paratransit system employees and managers, planners, board members, contractors, suppliers, manufacturers, and consultants.

A panel of seasoned experts will explore how transit campaigns can partner effectively with legal counsel to navigate the requirements and complexities of a ballot initiative.

Presented by APTA’s Center for Transportation Excellence (CFTE), the session will conclude with a live Q&A, giving attendees the chance to ask questions and learn directly from experts working in the field.

The webinar will be moderated by Jessica Grennan, Executive Director of CFTE, and the discussion will feature insights from the following: 

Shayna van Hoften, Public Transit & Transportation Practice Group Chair, Hanson Bridgett LLP, helps clients identify and mitigate government ethics and governance challenges. She is also the Vice Chair of the APTA Legal Affairs Committee, serves as General Counsel for the five Retirement Boards for employees and retirees of the Sacramento Regional Transit District, and is the primary Deputy General Counsel for the San Mateo County Transit District and San Mateo County Transportation Authority. Shayna previously served as Interim General Counsel for the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District. 

John Putnam, Partner, Kaplan Kirsch LLP, works as an attorney representing transit, rail, and other transportation-related public-sector clients nationwide, helping navigate complex federal, state, and local requirements to deliver innovative solutions for infrastructure, sustainability, and safety challenges. He currently serves as the Chair of the Front Range Passenger Rail District, a Member of the Colorado Rail Industry Advisory Committee at the Colorado PUC, and as Chair of the Legal Resources Section of the United States Transportation Research Board. John has served both as the Senate-confirmed General Counsel for the United States Department of Transportation and as Senior Advisor to the Colorado Department of Transportation and the Governor of Colorado on transit and rail issues. 

Jonathan Gaul, Deputy Operations Division Chief, City of Atlanta Department of Law, is a Deputy Division Chief with the City of Atlanta, working with the City’s Department of Transportation (“ATLDOT”) on all issues, including but not limited to federal funding, capital project programs, regulatory compliance and intergovernmental relationships. He supports the planning, coordination, and implementation needed to move  ATLDOT projects forward, including the referendum-approved Transportation Special Local Option Sales Tax projects, from concept to construction. As part of his work with ATLDOT, Jonathan works with the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (“MARTA”) attorneys on its More MARTA sales tax-funded program for Atlanta-specific projects. Jonathan is an experienced public sector attorney, having assisted private parties and governmental agencies on procurement, compliance, and contract matters.

In this final session of the Selecting Paratransit Software series, we brought together eight vendors, a small selection of available paratransit options, to advise transit professionals on all three phases of the procurement process. These phases include developing your requirements and specifications, conducting the procurement, making your selection, and implementing the new system.  What should agencies be asking? What can you expect from the process? How can you ensure your agency is asking the right questions?  The session will also offer insights into common pitfalls, emerging trends, and strategies for fostering transparency and collaboration between agencies and vendors.

Moderated by Accessible Transit and Paratransit Subcommittee Chair, David Rishel

Panelists: 

• Audey Korpus, Trapeze Group
• Brian Corcoran, Ride Co
• James Cox, The Routing Company
• Matt Taylor, EcoLane
• Ryan Larsen, QRide
• Sarish Kasat, Via
• Todd Schonhoff, MTM
• Victoria Fulton, Spare