APTA hosts ‘record-setting’ 2025 Mobility Conference, International Bus Roadeo in Austin
Last week, the Mass Transit magazine team attended the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) 2025 Mobility Conference and International Bus Roadeo in Austin, Texas, which saw a record-setting number of attendees and competitors.
Throughout the keynote speeches, educational sessions and on-site tours, attendees learned about integrated mobility services, APTA’s priorities for the upcoming Surface Transportation Reauthorization, streamlining bus procurements and economic success stories in Texas. However, a recurring theme was the discussion surrounding autonomous vehicle (AV) technology and its applications within public transit.
APTA highlights automated technology
Several programs were highlighted during Tuesday’s general session on big breakthroughs in vehicle automation, including Connecticut Department of Transportation’s (CTDOT) CTfastrak’s Hartford Busway, Jacksonville Transportation Authority’s (JTA) Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C) and research studies from Texas A&M Transportation Institute.
CTDOT plans to launch Level 4 automated bus technology later this year on the dedicated guideway in Hartford, Conn. The 40-foot, battery-electric buses will be integrated with automated driving systems to implement precision docking and bus platooning.
According to CTDOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto, the largest project barrier has been deciding who bears the brunt of the liability, as the private sector is hesitant to take it on during the testing phase and the public sector lacks the authority to indemnify a private entity. However, Eucalitto added that automated technology is “making it much easier to sell the future of technology and innovation in transit” to funding decision makers.
JTA’s U2C program is also making significant strides this year. The authority’s Autonomous Innovation Center will open April 17 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony after breaking ground last year in May. JTA will use the center to store, service, monitor and maintain its electric and autonomous vehicle (AV) fleet. JTA will then launch its U2C revenue service June 30.
JTA CEO Nat Ford said the U2C program has helped reinvent JTA “in all things that we do,” explaining that the program has helped the community view the authority as “economic drivers and innovators in the community.”
Later in the day, a breakout session continued the breakthroughs in automation discussion, adding Capital Metro’s (CapMetro) autonomous yard deployment project, AV MaaS provider Beep and the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Southern Nevada. This session highlighted the lack of purpose-built AVs for public transit, the hurdles of designing and building this type of AV and the need to continue researching the maintenance schedule for the vehicle and its integrated technology like the cameras and sensors.
Regardless of the application, each agency emphasized how this technology is not intended to replace operators but instead can help with driver shortages and a retiring workforce. It’s also an opportunity to evolve operators’ skillsets and identify newly needed positions like back office support and vehicle monitoring.
APTA celebrates winners of International Bus Roadeo competition
On April 8, APTA announced the winners of the 2025 International Bus Roadeo. This year featured 75 bus operators, 52 maintenance teams and 43 combined teams who demonstrated their abilities in various driving, safety and repair scenarios.
The top winners are:
- Grand champion: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority (L.A. Metro), Los Angeles, Calif.
- First runner up: Oahu Transit Services, Inc., Honolulu, Hawaii.
- Second runner up: JTA, Jacksonville, Fla.
- First place operator: Matt Chomjak, Community Transit, Everett, Wash.
- Second place operator: Douglas Rego – Oahu Transit Services, Inc., Honolulu, Hawaii.
- Third place operator: Ramon Farfan – JTA, Jacksonville, Fla.
- First place maintenance team: L.A. Metro, Los Angeles, Calif.
- Second place maintenance team: VIA Metropolitan Transit, San Antonio, Texas.
- Third place maintenance team: Central Ohio Transit Authority, Columbus, Ohio.
For a full list of winners, visit APTA’s website.
APTA announces winners of 2025 Bus Safety, Security and Emergency Management
Following the awards ceremony for the roadeo, APTA celebrated the winners of this year’s Bus Safety, Security and Emergency Management awards. Nominations were evaluated based on effectiveness, benefit level, innovation and transferability, and are awarded in categories based on ridership.
Bus Safety Award Gold Winners
- San Joaquin Regional Transportation District (SJRTD), Stockton, Calif. – Fewer than three million passenger trips annually
- JTA, Jacksonville, Fla. – More than three million and fewer than 15 million passenger trips annually
- Sacramento Regional Transportation District, Sacramento, Calif. – More than 15 million and fewer than 50 million passenger trips annually
Bus Security Award Gold Winners
- SJRTD, Stockton, Calif. – Fewer than three million passenger trips annually
- Foothill Transit, West Covina, Calif. – More than three million and fewer than 15 million passenger trips annually
- RTC of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, Nev.– More than 50 million passenger trips annually
Bus Emergency Management Gold Winners
- Foothill Transit, West Covina, Calif. – More than three million and fewer than 15 million passenger trips annually
- Maryland Transportation Administration, Baltimore, Md. – More than 15 million and fewer than 50 million passenger trips annually
For a full list of the winners, visit APTA’s website.
Megan Perrero | Editor in Chief
Megan Perrero is a national award-winning B2B journalist and lover of all things transit. Currently, she is the Editor in Chief of Mass Transit magazine, where she develops and leads a multi-channel editorial strategy while reporting on the North American public transit industry.
Prior to her position with Mass Transit, Perrero was the senior communications and external relations specialist for the Shared-Use Mobility Center, where she was responsible for helping develop internal/external communications, plan the National Shared Mobility Summit and manage brand strategy and marketing campaigns.
Perrero serves as the board secretary for Latinos In Transit and is a member of the American Public Transportation Association Marketing and Communications Committee. She holds a bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism with a concentration in magazine writing and a minor in public relations from Columbia College Chicago.
