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ParatransitTo inspire transit professionals to redefine the future of mobility at a time of great change, ThinkTransit 2019 recognized outstanding transit agencies and leaders transforming the industry with innovative ideas. Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and Utah Transit Authority as well as University of Toronto Professor Amer Shalaby, Mike Hill of Spokane Transit, and Laura Matson of Metro Transit won this year’s ThinkTransit Awards of Excellence for their valuable contributions in pushing forward the boundaries of public transit.
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority received the Award of Excellence in the Advancement category for expanding the boundaries of transit provision with its hugely successful paratransit self-service portal, “My Access.” The agency demonstrated innovation leadership and a keen understanding of customer needs with this service, which significantly improved ease of use for paratransit passengers. As proof of its exceptional adoption, MyAccess accounted for 14 percent of the transit agency’s booked trips and 20 percent of revenue collected in the first two months. The service incorporated Trapeze’s EZ Wallet demand response payment solution.
The Award of Excellence in Innovation recognizes groundbreaking, unique or farsighted approaches to how people use public transit. University of Toronto professor Amer Shalaby was named this year’s winner for his extensive research into transit planning and management solutions improving the performance and competitiveness of transit systems. His breakthroughs have helped transit authorities and communities in Canada and around the world create more effective and responsive transit services. Professor Shalaby notes that winning the award “shows that the work we do at the university is of value to the industry, is being appreciated by the industry and it just gives us more motivation to continue working hard to improve public transit services.” Trapeze Group is proud to be working closely with Professor Shalaby in solving transportation challenges.
Innovation in public transit depends on close and smart collaboration with partners to share ideas and resources, exploit synergies and overcome obstacles together. The Award of Excellence in Alliance is presented to a transit agency which has formed a mutually supportive partnership with Trapeze and is committed to delivering excellent outcomes. In the spirit of true collaboration, Utah Transit Authority has worked closely with Trapeze over the past year on several high-impact projects, including developing products, speaking at ThinkTransit and contributing to industry articles.
The Award of Excellence in Community Building is presented to the individual who has demonstrated outstanding engagement on the Trapeze Collaborate customer community, actively helping build a vibrant forum for advancing shared learning and sparking meaningful conversations. Mike Hill from Spokane Transit has been a strong voice within the community, unfailingly lending his experience and expertise to discussions. When asked about the transit industry as a community, Mike offered “We’re in the same business, trying do the same things and we’re really able to help each other and that’s something that’s unique to our industry.”
The Best Live Session award, voted on by attendees, went to Laura Matson of Metro Transit. Participants said they appreciated Laura’s insights and perspective, finding her knowledgeable and engaging. They also praised the interactive nature of her session.
Trapeze congratulates all the winners and joins the entire industry in expressing deep gratitude for their hard work and dedication to creating better public transit for all.
Handed out at the annual ThinkTransit Technology Conference, the Awards of Excellence recognize passionate, innovative and forward-thinking transit agencies and leaders who have made outstanding contributions to public transit in the past year. ThinkTransit 2019 was held in Tampa, Florida, from April 14 to 17.
