DTA Makes a Splash in Florida
The Dakota Transit Association and the Small Urban & Rural Transit Center had a visible presence and a busy schedule at the CTAA Conference & Expo in Orlando, FL, this year.
- Ron Baumgart from River Cities Public Transit attended to receive the Community Transportation Rural Transit System of the Year award from CTAA. Accompanying Ron in receipt of this award was a number of his staff: Kevin Disburg, Carl Rathbun, Carl's wife Lorri, Lance Kuper, and the president of the RCPT board, Chuck Quinn. Jackie Mattheis from the South Dakota DOT and former DOT transit director Willis McLaughlin were also in attendance.
- Barb Cline, CTAA board member and director of Prairie Hill Transit, facilitated two workshops. The first one was titled Cost Allocation Techniques. The focus of this course was the allocation of "fair share" costs among organizations involved in coordinated transportation plans. The presenter was Richard Garrity, Garrity & Associates, Holly Ridge, NC. Barb's second workshop was titled College and Universities Transportation. Serving the needs of a college or university presents special challenges and opportunities for transit programs. A panel presented information on how transit managers have successfully addressed these challenges and captured the opportunities. Presenters were Jim Miller, SURTC, Port Matilda, PA; Ron Garrison, StarMetro, Tallahassee, FL; Kevan Danker, JAUNT, Charlottesville, VA; and Linda McKeown, CENTRO, Syracuse, NY.
- Gary Hegland, SURTC trainer and researcher, facilitated a session titled Reflecting on Risk Pools: A Proven Alternative to Combat the Rising Tide of Liability Insurance Costs. Insurance is a cyclical industry that often leaves community transportation operators in a serious bind. Since the 1960s, insurance pools, a joint underwriting operation of insurance or reinsurance in which the participants assume a fixed interest in all business written, have played an integral role in providing alternative risk protection. Captives, a risk-financing method of self-insurance involving the establishment of a subsidiary corporation or association organized to write insurance, have also provided an alternative. Presenters were Harold Pumford, Association of Governmental Risk Pools, Prauge, OK; Robert Pfaff, Director Akron Metro Transit, Akron OH; and Walter Diangson, Pacific Shore Insurance, Santa Ana, CA.
- Mike Kayras, Prairie Hills Transit, received on-the-job training for hosting the upcoming DTA Roadeo by assisting in judging the national CTAA Roadeo. He also spent time with Jim Holman, CTAA Roadeo designer and coordinator, discussing the roadeo layout.
- Jim Miller, a SURTC consultant from Port Matilda, PA, conducted an all day training session titled Develop a Business Plan for Your Small Transit System. Attendees learned that an effective business plan will help their organizations compete and thrive. They learned how to develop a flexible and sophisticated business plan to assist them in building their system and its funding base. Whatever each agency's objectives, they can use the concepts taught in this vital class to help reach their organization's goals.
- Del Peterson, SURTC researcher, facilitated discussion on a bus manufacturing project titled Advanced Small Transit Vehicle Stakeholder Meeting. FTA's Office of Research, Demonstration and Innovation in conjunction with the Small Urban & Rural Transit Center in Fargo, ND, is seeking input from transit agencies, vehicle manufacturers and other stakeholders on the issue of improving small transit vehicles. The meeting was well attended by transit managers, state DOT representatives and manufacturers alike. A market study will commence this fall to determine the feasibility of developing a new advanced small transit vehicle.
- SURTC had a booth at the CTAA Expo for the first time. Many conference goers stopped by the booth and viewed the training and research reports that SURTC has accumulated over the past three years. The booth was manned by Gary Hegland, Jim Miller and Del Peterson, all from SURTC.
DTA and SURTC were well represented at the national level. We can be proud of our contributions to the 2006 CTAA Conference.
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