Nearly 600 transit professionals from throughout California gathered in Anaheim from Oct. 15 to 18 to share information about everything from social media to bus fire suppression. The occasion was a conference jointly presented by the California Transit Association and the California Association for Coordinated Transportation.
In addition to co-hosting the Public and Community Transportation Conference and Expo with the Anaheim Transportation Network (ATN), OCTA was well represented at the opening session and on panels and at presentations.
Two OCTA directors opened the conference on Wednesday during the general session. Chairman Greg Winterbottom and Director Gail Eastman each made remarks.
At a presentation about fire suppression on transit buses, OCTA Transit Technical Services Section Manager, Bill Habibe, explained the research and rationale behind OCTA’s new fire suppression systems, which were recently installed in all buses. To help transit agencies understand how to get the most out of social media and other online tools, OCTA Community & Media Relations Department Manager, Ted Nguyen, moderated a panel.
Participating as a panelist in “Performance Metrics: Beyond the Numbers,” OCTA General Manager of Transit, Beth McCormick, helped determine what should be taken into account to determine the true value of a transit service to the community. OCTA Assistant General Manager of Transit, Erin Rogers, contributed to a lively session on privatization efforts by transit agencies throughout the state. As a panelist in a session on mobility management, OCTA Marketing & Customer Engagement Department Manager, Stella Lin, weighed in on the importance of community support to the success of Transportation Demand Management (TDM) programs.
OCTA also conducted a tour of its Central Communications / Emergency Operations Center in Garden Grove. Participants saw the final phases of a major upgrade to existing radio communications systems, including infrastructure and on-board equipment. The tour also included an overview of the contracted Transit Police Services provided by Orange County Sheriff’s Department with a discussion of various elements of the program, as well as graffiti abatement and a canine demonstration.
Click here to learn more about the conference.
