Local leaders and leaders of APTA welcomed conference attendees to APTA EXPO and the focus was on what the industry’s future holds and how it will evolve.
Richard A. White, acting president & CEO, APTA, said this year’s EXPO was designed around transformational change. “It’s happening already,” he said. “There’s been dramatic growth we’ve seen since we’ve started our careers … If we’re going to remain not just relevant, but central to serving the public, we must evolve our services and business models.”
“Our industry is evolving at a pace we’ve never seen before,” echoed APTA Chair and Jacksonville Transportation Authority Chief Executive Officer Nathaniel Ford Sr. While the different technologies, different service providers and different modes are disruptive to our business, the evolution is underway. He stressed that the industry will need to, “use technology and innovation to make our transformational change sustainable.
AECOM Chief Growth Officer, Design and Consulting Services Group Vahid Ownjazayeri, P.E., said by 2050, two-thirds of the world population is expected to be living in cities and the challenges facing cities is expanding exponentially. The connected, automated, accelerating the use of technology to solve complex challenges will be the smartest cities, he said.
Bringing Transformation to Atlanta
As backdrop to Expo, the city of Atlanta has seen an evolution itself, with many large businesses expanding or moving to the Atlanta region, in part because of the convenience access to public transportation, said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. “More companies are choosing to locate on MARTA lines, near MARTA stops,” he said. “The national and international business communities are bullish on Atlanta because they know we’re serious about improving our transportation network.”
In 2014 Clayton County voted to join the MARTA system and last year, voters agreed to expand the system. Reed said, “It’s not just a collection of bus routes or rail lines, it is indeed a life line.
“People at home are ahead of where the politicians are. They understand they key to their success and livelihood is affordability and mobility.”
Over the last few years, MARTA has developed a regional transportation plan, expanding multi-modal transit and the airport is undergoing a $6 billion expansion. Reed said, “Mobility, wherever you are, will help you be a leading city.
Move faster, farther over the next 10, 15, 20 years.”
