When we attended the last APTA EXPO four years ago, ridership was increasing, new ideas and a renewed vision for public transit were coming to the fore. Some of the experiments—like the Houston Model—were working and increasing ridership at many agencies. There was an electric energy and we thought something great was coming for transit. We looked forward to what things would look like in 2020.
We had no idea what was in store for us, the industry, or the world. The pandemic was a gut punch to the industry. With routes slashed and “commuting” almost a thing of the past, the New York Times predicted in the summer of 2020 that public transit was facing serious challenges. They didn’t think we could survive the pandemic.
But we did.
Instead, we made it through together and showed the world that public transit is an essential part of the economy and society. We’ve innovated. We’ve shown we’re resilient. And now it's time to look forward to what's next. Now it’s time to get together, celebrate, and share ideas for a new renaissance in public transit.
A lot has changed since the last APTA EXPO. Vontas was launched to focus on ITS, Yard Management, and payments. We've launched updates and evolved all our products, including some new initiatives for our products and launching new partnerships like most recently with Esri and Sentient Science. There is so much that has been going on, we can’t wait for you to come by the booth and see all the latest innovations at both Trapeze and Vontas.
But we also want to hear from you. We want to know what you and your agency did to weather the storm. We've seen so many amazing initiatives, collaborations, and plans for the future of transit. And we can’t wait to hear more.
We’re more excited than ever to see you again in person at APTA EXPO. But this isn't going to be just any conference. After all this time with virtual meet-ups and Zoom meetings, we decided to kick things up a notch for a special in-person experience. That's why we at Trapeze and Vontas are excited to invite you to Come Together: The Collaboration Tour.
Do you remember the excitement of attending a concert or festival tour that was filled with exciting activities, great experiences, and making connections? Come Together: The Collaboration Tour is a transit experience presented by Trapeze and Vontas at APTA EXPO in booth #353 to highlight everything great about transit and the work we’re doing together to make it even better.
We have a lot of great things planned for APTA EXPO. Trapeze and Vontas product experts will be on hand to answer your question, give demos, and talk with you about solutions. Many senior product directors and experts will be ready to give you the inside story on our future plans.
But that’s not all.
To kick off the conference on Monday, Paul Comfort will have two “Get to Know the GM” sessions. The first at 11 AM will be with Trapeze GM Teresa Domingo followed by Paul chatting with Peter Aczel GM of Vontas at 12 pm. These sessions will be your chance to hear directly from our leaders what’s in store at both companies and their visions for the future of transit.
On Tuesday we have two very special events planned for Transit Unplugged. At 11:30 we have an amazing panel of five amazing female transit leaders from across the U.S. talking with Paul about their career journeys, advice for people coming up the ranks, and their greater vision for public transit. On this special panel are:
And you’ll want to get there a little early for some special announcements (and get a good seat).
Then at 3:00 PM, we’re having a special Transit Unplugged Fourth Anniversary party titled “Cocktails with Comfort” with past guests from the past four years and we’ll kick off the new season of Transit Unplugged. We’ll also be unveiling the first look at the first episode of Transit Unplugged TV and a few other special surprises too.
You can get the full schedule on our APTA EXPO microsite.
APTA Expo kicks off November 8th through the 10th. You can find the Trapeze-Vontas team and the Transit Unplugged stage at booth 353.
For more information, to sign up for alerts, and a copy of the program, be sure to visit our special APTA EXPO site.
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