There’s nothing quite like a back-to-school commercial to jolt you into remembering the days of endless sunshine and long weekends are almost coming to an end. Well, this year, they’re also reminding me about two things:
And, you guessed it! Our 2019 ThinkTransit Conference fills both requirements. That’s right: last week, we shared the news that the 2019 ThinkTransit Conference will take place at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina in Tampa, Florida, from April 14-17, 2019.
It may seem a long time away, but we know time flies and it’s never too early to start getting excited about the people you’ll meet, the learning you’ll do, and the knowledge you’ll gain.
Over the next couple of months, as we gear up for registration opening (coming in December 2018), we’ll share with you some key highlights from the 2018 ThinkTransit Conference so you can get a sense for what you’re in for. From autonomous vehicles to informative keynotes, from hands-on training to technical tours, we’ll give you a glimpse of what happened in 2018 – and what’s coming in 2019.
So let’s start by looking at the autonomous vehicle we had on display at the 2018 ThinkTransit Conference.
Riding Autonomous Vehicles at ThinkTransit
In December 2017, Trapeze’s autonomous vehicle launched in Switzerland. Now, it’s fully integrated into local public transit and is part of the Swiss Mobility Lab that we launched there. As of June 6, 2018, more than 5,000 passengers had ridden the vehicle.
At the 2018 ThinkTransit Conference in Nashville, TN, an autonomous vehicle took attendees on autonomous rides, while demonstrating how it integrates with existing transit operations’ technology. If the vehicle requires maintenance, service requests are automatically sent to your enterprise asset management system. For fare collection, sensors aboard the vehicle detect when passengers board and debark and passengers pay via an app.
The reason we brought an autonomous vehicle to ThinkTransit in the first place is because this new technology can strengthen the public transit system. It can be safer – if a pedestrian approaches the vehicle, its response time is quicker than that of a human being’s. Second, it can solve the first-mile last-mile issue. Finally, it can allow agencies to operate routes that were previously not covered or considered to be unprofitable.
After all, the ThinkTransit Conference is the place to see the latest and greatest transit technology so what kind of conference would it have been without an autonomous vehicle?
Plus, if you really want to stay up to date on the latest transit technology, register for ThinkTransit, taking place April 14-17, 2019 in Tampa, Fl. Save your spot here!
Bus
Rail
Paratransit
