FHWA’s Transportation and Climate Change Newsletter – August 2009

September 14, 2009 at 5:19 pm

(Source: FHWA Office of Planning, Environment and Realty)

Recent Events

Integration of Climate Change Considerations in Statewide and Regional Transportation Planning Report Released. DOT’s Climate Change Center, with support from FHWA’s Office of Planning, Environment and Realty, recently released this report which provides analysis, observations, and lessons learned from three case studies on climate change in transportation planning, and summarizes the proceedings from two panels of state and regional experts. The case studies and panel summaries focus on how participating states and MPOs are considering climate change in the following aspects of transportation planning: vision and long range planning; forecasts, data and performance measures; public involvement; collaboration with partners; and project selection. The report can be found on the DOT Transportation and Climate Change Clearinghouse site at: http://climate.dot.gov/state-local/integration/planning_process.html.

USACE Releases Sea Level Rise Guidance. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued guidance on incorporating sea level rise into their civil works projects. Per the guidance, potential sea level change must be taken into account for all projects within the extent of tidal influence. Appendix C to the guidance is a step-by-step guide on how to account for sea level changes. The guidance, Circular 1165-2-211, is available here: http://140.194.76.129/publications/eng-circulars/ec1165-2-211/ec1165-2-211.pdf.

State and Local News

CA Draft Adaptation Strategy Released for Public Comment. This public review draft presents research on the potential effects of climate change in California out to 2100. It also assesses potential impacts and adaptation strategies for seven different sectors, including transportation and energy infrastructure. Adaptation strategies listed include: development of a climate vulnerability plan to assess the vulnerabilities and adaptation options for California’s transportation facilities, assessment of the adequacy of current design and engineering standards in the face of future climate change effects, and vulnerability assessments for new transportation projects.
http://www.climatechange.ca.gov/adaptation/

Michigan Governor Calls for Reductions in Greenhouse Gas Emissions. On July 29, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm signed an Executive Order laying out a goal for the State of a 20 percent reduction in GHGs from 2005 levels by 2020 and an 80 percent reduction by 2050. Consistent with the State’s Climate Action Plan, the Executive Order directs the Michigan DOT to “continue to implement and expand on Congestion Mitigation programs to reduce vehicular congestion in major urban areas, including, to the maximum extent feasible, expanding the use of Intelligent Transportation Systems, identifying and improving key bottlenecks, constructing modern roundabouts where justified by traffic volumes and safety needs, and promoting the development of intermodal freight terminals.” The E.O. also calls for the DOT and the Department of Management and Budget to jointly develop an idle-reduction program for the state vehicle fleet. The E.O. is available here: http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-36898-219081–,00.html.

NYSDOT Report Explores Roadway Energy Efficiency and Carbon Capture. The New York State DOT and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority have released a report on roadway lighting, vegetation, and their interaction which includes a focus on energy efficiency and carbon capture. The report is available at: https://www.nysdot.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/trans-r-and-d-repository/LightingVegetation-C-08-03-10628.pdf

Announcements

TRB and AASHTO Webinar: U.S. Transportation System Scenarios to 2050 in a World Addressing Climate Change. This webinar, to be held September 10, looks at regional transportation scenarios that aim to reduce transportation emissions and prevent weather-related infrastructure degradation. There is no fee for TRB sponsors (such as FHWA and state DOTs), but you must register at least 24 hours in advance to participate. To register or for more information, click here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/977805225.

Value Pricing Pilot Program Seeking Applications. FHWA is seeking applications for transportation pricing studies and implementation projects that do not involve tolling roadways. An objective of the solicitation is to provide incentive grants to expand the number of metropolitan areas that are developing areawide or regionwide approaches to congestion pricing. Eligible strategies include pay-per-mile car insurance and innovative parking pricing strategies such as parking “cash-out” programs, potential win-win strategies that may lead to reductions in VMT and corresponding greenhouse gas emissions. A total of at least $3 million is available for these projects and studies. The application deadline is November 3. For more information, see the August 5 Federal Register notice, available here: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-18699.pdf.

ITS America and IBTTA Hosting Conference on Sustainability, Social Responsibility, and Energy Conservation. ITS America and the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association are co-hosting this conference to be held October 4-6 in St. Louis, MO. For more information and to register, click here. A preliminary agenda is available here: http://www.ibtta.org/Events/eventdetail.cfm?ItemNumber=3853.

Previous Newsletters

If you have any suggestions for inclusion in future issues of Transportation and Climate Change News, or if you would like to receive it directly in the future, please send your suggestions or request to Kathy Daniel at Kathy.Daniel@dot.gov

Event Alert! Transit Oriented Development Panel Discussion – September 15, Washington, DC

September 11, 2009 at 6:11 pm

Transit Oriented Development Panel

Hosted by Womens Transportation Seminar (WTS), Washington DC Chpater

September 15, 2009

This panel will focus on recent and anticipated changes in national and state-level legislation and policies that facilitate stronger transportation-land use coordination in the planning process, with a focus on encouraging transit oriented development.

Featured Speakers:

Amy Inman,  Senior Planner, Department of Rail and Public Transportation

Christopher Patusky, Director, Office of Real Estate, Maryland Department of Transportation

Mariia Zimmerman, Vice President for Policy, Reconnecting America

Serving as Moderator for the Panel:

Susan Borinsky, FTA Associate Administrator for Planning and the Environment


WHEN:

Tuesday, September 15
12:00 Noon

WHERE:

District Chophouse
509 7th Street NW
Washington, DC 20001

METRO:

Gallery Place/Chinatown (Yellow/Red/Green)

PROGRAM FEES:

$30 WTS Members ; $60 Non-Members; $15 Students

RSVP:

Email RSVP@WTS-DC.com by Thursday, September 10, 2009.  Please indicate “TOD Panel” in the subject line.
Please include full name, company, phone, e-mail, and membership status and note any special needs or dietary restrictions on your RSVP; we will accommodate your request as well as possible.

We urge you to RSVP now and reserve your seat.* Seating is limited, and priority will be given to WTS members.


Please note, if you RSVP late or walk in the day of the program, you are not guaranteed a place and may be asked to wait for availability. Additionally, unless you cancel by the program’s RSVP date, or if you are a ‘no-show’ you will be obligated to pay.
Remit advanced payments payable to “WTS-DC” to: WTS-DC Treasurer, P.O. Box 34097, Washington, DC 20043. Please specify what program/event the payment is for. All RSVPs will receive an email about electronic payment through paypal prior to the event. If you choose not to pay electronically we will accept checks and cash at the door

Getting Wiser & Greener! Oil rich Saudi Arabia takes a deep interest in rail projects; Makes strategic investments in rail transit and HSR projects

September 9, 2009 at 5:22 pm
(Source: Wired; Arab News; Straits Times)

The Saudi government is building a $1.8 billion monorail to ferry pilgrims among the holy sites of Mecca, Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah. Once complete, the Saudis estimate 53,000 buses will disappear from the city’s crowded roads, promising a safer, more comfortable pilgrimage. (FYI – For those not in the know, Monorail is a single rail serving as the track for a wheeled or (magnetically) levitating vehicle, has been rapidly paving its way as a modern urban transit system, providing the most-sought-after transportation solutions for a built-up congested city.)

The monorail will be built over the next four years, with the first segment — roughly 35 percent of the project, by one estimate — opening in time for this year’s Hajj between November 25 and 29. Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims must complete if they have the means and ability to do so, is the fifth Pillar of Islam and as such attracts a staggering number of pilgrims.

Arab News quotes Dr. Habeeb Zain Al-Abidine, the Deputy Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Secretary-General of the Commission for Development of Makkah, Madinah and the Holy Sites , saying that a feasibility study conducted by an international company had proposed five monorails linking the holy sites.  The project is expected to facilitate the transportation of more than three million pilgrims between the holy sites.  “The feasibility study suggested the second monorail be built two to three years after the construction of the first one,” he said, adding that a single monorail would cost SR4 billion. The first monorail beginning from Mina will transport nearly one million pilgrims including 360,000 Arab pilgrims. The Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), the Ministry of Transport and the Higher Commission for the Development of Makkah and Madinah have all reviewed a study of the project and welcome it. The study was prepared by the International Transport Projects Company, which is now contacting Saudi authorities to obtain the appropriate license to implement the project.

The monorail project, which is being implemented by a consortia of companies led by China Railway Company, will be operational with its full capacity during the Haj season of 2011, said the committee, which is chaired by Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Prince Naif.   This is one of two rail projects the Chinese are building in Saudi Arabia (See below for details on the 2nd project).

The Arab News also says that Makkah monorails will be 8 to 10 meters above the ground to ensure smooth flow of pedestrians and vehicles.  “The monorail project will help withdraw about 53,000 buses and other vehicles being used by pilgrims coming by land from within the Kingdom and neighboring GCC countries,” the report said.

The committee said the monorail would pass by three stations in Arafat, Muzdalifah and Mina. The last station in Mina will be on the fourth flour of the Jamarat Bridge.   Controlled access to the monorail is intended to avoid accidents such as the tragedy at Mina in 2006, when more than 350 people died in a stampede after two busloads of pilgrims disembarked at the entrance to the Jamarat Bridge holy site. Trains on four elevated tracks will carry as many as 20,000 pilgrims an hour in an orderly fashion.   The project also includes parking facilities so that pilgrims can park their cars at the entrance of Makkah and then board the monorail.

Wait!  This is not the only rail activity happening in Saudi Arabia.  It is interesting to note how the Saudi Government is making strategic investments in rail projects arond the country.  Back in April, Arab News published an article about the Saudi Government’s plan for expanding the railway network across the country and beyond.  The Kingdom’s railway expansion envisages 3,900 km of new track. In addition to the Landbridge Project linking the Kingdom’s east with its west, two other major new rail projects are moving closer. These include a 450-km high-speed Haramain railway to link Jeddah with Makkah and Madinah.  

Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf announced plans to establish a new railway system linking the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emriates.   “GCC leaders have given preliminary approval for the project. The final decision will depend on its feasibility,” Al-Assaf said.

Talking about Chinese role in building railway infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, the other rail project is 275-mile high-speed rail system linking Mecca and Medina through Jeddah to be built by China Railway Engineering.  China’s involvement in both projects  (HSR and Monrail) reportedly was clinched during Chinese Prime Minister Hu Jintao’s visit to Saudi Arabia in February, during which representatives of Chinese Railway Corp. met with Saudi Prince Miteb bin Abdulaziz, chairman of the commission for developing the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.  (FYI – The Mecca deal highlighted the growing role of China in Saudi Arabia’s plan to commit 450 billion riyals (S$180 billion) to major infrastructure, education and new cities projects over the next five years.  China is already one of the top buyers of oil from Saudi Arabia, importing 36 million tonnes of Saudi crude last year, according to Chinese figures.)

Mansour Al-Maiman, secretary-general of PIF and chairman of Saudi Railway Company, said the North-South Railway would be ready next year for the transportation of minerals. He said the passenger railway linking Riyadh, Sudair, Qassim and Hail would be floated for tenders within a few days, adding that the work on the project would be completed by 2012.  Once complete, the North-South rail link woulc connect mineral-rich Jalamid belt with smelters in Ras Al-Zour near the eastern industrial city of Jubail.

The North-South Railway is given priority due to its importance to industrial development. It is integral to planned phosphate and bauxite mining projects in the north of the country that will link up with processing and smelters on the Gulf coast.  French defense group Thales and construction giant Saudi Binladin Group were awarded an SR1.7 billion ($453 million) contract to build signaling, ticketing, communications and security systems for the 2,400-km long North-South Railway.

IBTTA & ITS America Joint Conference: Sustainability, Social Responsibility, Energy Conservation and Fall Maintenance — October 4-6, 2009 @ St. Louis, MO

September 8, 2009 at 7:20 pm

09 St. Louis

The Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark

1 South Broadway, St. Louis, MO 63102


IBTTA and ITS America Join Forces on Sustainable Transportation and Facility Maintenance


Register today for this groundbreaking joint conference, Sustainability, Social Responsibility, Energy Conservation and Fall Maintenance, October 4-6, 2009 at the Hilton Hotel in St. Louis.

Agenda highlights include:

  • Congressman (MO-3rd) Russ Carnahan;
  • “Four Legs” of Sustainable Transportation presented by John Charles, President & CEO, Cascade Policy Institute and his expert panel, including Allen Biehler, President of AASHTO and Michael Replogle, Global Policy Director of ITDP;
  • Dennis Archer, Chairman, Dickinson Wright, PLLC, and Former Mayor of Detroit will discuss the role of the federal government in promoting sustainable transportation policies for metropolitan areas;
  • Views of the FHWA and the US DOT ITS Joint Program Office on operational strategies, policies and supporting ITS Technologies and their impacts on climate change;
  • 21st Century Roadway Maintenance and more.

Meeting Host: The Missouri Department of Transportation; Organization Sponsors: AASHTO, The Bipartisan Policy Center and the Missouri Valley Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers.

Supporting Organizations

09 st. louis

09 st. louis

Missouri DOT Logo

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09 ST. Louis

Visit IBTTA’s website for information on registration, hotel reservations, exhibiting or sponsorship.  Show below is the conference agenda.

No more excuses to drive! DC Biking Infrastructure Gets A Sophisticated Addition; Bikestation Set for October Unveiling

September 2, 2009 at 2:16 pm

(Source: NPR)

Today, NPR had an interesting coverage of DC’s newest addition to its growing biking infrastructure.  Just outside Washington, D.C.’s central train station, construction is under way on a sleek, modern, glass-and-metal bike garage. Here is the audio snippet (via Apture):

“Some people say it’s a half-football or a shell,” says Mazen Soueidan, the project manager. “It has four sides [with] scalloped shells that overlap.”

Once completed, the Bikestation will hold 130 bikes, lockers and a small shop for repairs. Located next to the Metro subway exit at Union Station, the system will provide secure bike storage for commuters who want to cycle through Washington once they arrive from “feeder” cities like Baltimore.

Bike Station

Image courtesy: The City Fix DC

Of course, part of the appeal of bicycling is convenience — you can lock a bike to pretty much anything.

But if you lock your bike to a parking meter, you might come back to find it’s missing a seat or wheels, or it’s just gone. Soueidan says theft was an issue even while building the bike garage.

Set to open in October, the Bikestation will require either an annual membership or a daily usage fee.

Paine says introducing the system to Washington is part of a larger shift toward “dispelling the notion that the car is an essential part of our daily lifestyle.”

John Ciccarelli of Bicycle Solutions in San Mateo, Calif., agrees. “What’s growing is acceptance that the bicycle is a mode of transportation as well as recreation,” he said.

Levered arms inside the bike storage unit allow bicycles to be stored one on top of the other.

Image Courtesy: NPR - Levered arms inside the bike garage allow bicycles to be stored one on top of the other.

Click here to read the entire article.

Congratulations, Washington, DC Metro Riders! You will soon be surfing the web wirelessly! Kudos to DC’s Metro Rail System for the efforts!

August 20, 2009 at 10:09 pm

(Source: Transit Wire & Progressive Railroading)

Amidst the flurry of negative publicity surrounding Washington, DC’s Metro rail system, there was some good news shining like a lone star in the dark sky! Metrorail passengers will soon be able to go online while underground. Four major cell phone providers have started to install the hardware that will enable riders to make calls, surf the Web, or send text messages from many of the Washington (DC) Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s busiest stations starting in October.

Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, AT&T and T-Mobile recently began installing hardware at the 20 below-ground stations and expect to complete work by Oct. 16. According to the WMATA press release, during the next two months, the companies will install a wireless network at the following Metrorail stations: Ballston, Bethesda, Columbia Heights, Crystal City, Dupont Circle, Farragut North, Farragut West, Federal Triangle, Foggy Bottom-GWU, Friendship Heights, Gallery Pl-Chinatown, Judiciary Square, L’Enfant Plaza, McPherson Square, Metro Center, Pentagon, Pentagon City, Rosslyn, Smithsonian and Union Station.

The companies will build, operate, maintain and own the new wireless network, as well as establish a second wireless network that WMATA will own, operate and maintain. The wireless contract will generate a minimum of $25 million during the initial 15-year term and an additional $27 million during renewal terms, according to the transit agency.

Customers at those stations will begin to see large, cabinet-like enclosures that will house the hardware at the ends of station platforms or on mezzanines, in areas that will not impede the flow of customers or impact the safe operation of the Metrorail system. New cables and antennae also will be installed as part of this work, which will take place late at night when the Metrorail system is closed.

“This is the first phase of Metro’s effort to bring expanded cell phone carrier service to the entire Metrorail system by 2012,” said Suzanne Peck, Metro’s Chief Information Officer. “After we complete the first 20 stations this fall, the carriers will install service at the remaining 27 underground stations by the fall of 2010. Customers will be able to use these carrier-provided wireless services in tunnels between stations by October 2012.”

Riders can now receive cell phone service from multiple providers at above ground stations, but the current underground wireless network only supports Verizon customers and Sprint phones that roam onto the Verizon network. In 1993, Metro agreed to allow Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems, which later became Verizon Wireless, to build and maintain the current wireless network. In exchange, Verizon built a public safety radio communications system for Metro. Verizon also pays annual fees to Metro.

“Customers have been asking for expanded cell phone and Internet access in the Metrorail system for a long time,” said Metro General Manager John Catoe.  And now they are finally getting what they pleaded, fought and begged for years!

Webinar Alert – Talking Operations: Using Incentive Payments to Affect Commuting Behavior — August 19, 2009

August 12, 2009 at 7:01 pm

Date:  August 19, 2009

Time: 3:00 PM -4:30 PM EST

Speakers:

  • Balaji Prabhakar, Stanford University
  • Nicholas W. Ramfos, Director, Commuter Connections, National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board

This webinar will examine a project in India, led by Dr. Balaji Prabhakar, where a variety of payments and lottery awards were tested to encourage bus commuters to shift their schedules to just outside of peak periods. Dr. Prabhakar’s presentation will discuss the specific tests that were conducted and the results of each.

Closer to home, Dr. Prabhakar is also beginning to help try to solve some of Stanford University’s parking and commuting challenges in a policy climate that leaves little room for error¿the university is subjected to heavy penalties if the campus exceeds its allowance for peak-period car commuters.

Dr. Prabhakar has some very creative ideas for testing incentives related to parking at Stanford, which he plans to share in this Webinar, and the technological know-how to implement them and determine their effects.

The webinar will also provide a brief look at incentive programs implemented in the Washington DC metropolitan region to help reduce congestion. Nicholas Ramfos, the Director of the Commuter Connections program at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments will highlight incentives including a region-wide Guaranteed Ride Home Program, free consulting services and equipment lease reimbursements to employers that start or expand a telework program, and a new demonstration program that will be launched this fall which will pay commuters to carpool in designated congested corridors in the region. Nicholas Ramfos’ brief presentation will focus mostly on this newest demonstration program.

Click here to Register and for additional information on the event.

Natural Resources Defense Council report finds rising gas prices, combined with the economic downturn, are making people more vulnerable to changes in oil prices

August 11, 2009 at 6:16 pm

(Source: Natural Resources Defense Council)

America’s addiction to oil continues to threaten not only our national security and global environmental health, but also our economic viability. Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) analyzed how heavily drivers in each state are affected by increases in oil prices and ranked states on their adoption of solutions to reduce their oil dependence — measures they are taking to lessen their vulnerability and to bolster America’s security. NRDC found that rising gas prices, combined with the economic downturn, are making people more vulnerable to changes in oil prices. But many states are taking significant steps to reduce oil dependence through smart clean-transportation policies.

Our analysis shows that:

  • Oil dependence affects all states, but some drivers are hit harder economically than others.
  • The trends in states’ vulnerability to oil price increases over the past couple of years are not encouraging — drivers in every state were more vulnerable in 2008 than they were in 2006.
  • While some states are pioneering solutions and many are taking some action, a fair number of states are still taking few (if any) of the steps needed to reduce their oil dependence.

Image Courtesy: NRDC - Percent of Income Spent on Gasoline by the Average Driver, 2008

1) West Virginia
2) Idaho
3) Wyoming
4) Mississippi
5) South Dakota
6) Oklahoma
7) Alabama
8) Arkansas
9) North Dakota
10) Alaska

The NRDC report says that although some states are adopting strong measures to reduce their oil dependence, too many others are still taking little or no action. The solutions rankings in this report are based on the range of key actions that states can take to reduce oil dependence, with particular focus on policies that can have substantial impact and can be replicated by other states.

NRDC research shows that the 10 states doing the most to wean themselves from oil are:

1) California
2) Massachusetts
3) Washington
4) New Mexico
5) Connecticut
6) New York
7) New Jersey
8) Pennsylvania
9) Oregon
10) Florida

In contrast, the 10 states doing the least to reduce their oil dependence are:

1) West Virginia
2) Idaho
3) Wyoming
4) Mississippi
5) South Dakota
6) Oklahoma
7) Alabama
8) Arkansas
9) North Dakota
10) Alaska

Click here to download the full issue paper. A Fact Sheet developed by the study team can be downloaded here.

(Hat Tip: Elena Schor @ Streetsblog, Capitol Hill)

Event Alert: 16th ITS World Congress — Sept 21-25, 2009 @ Stockholm, Sweden

August 11, 2009 at 3:33 pm

ITS 2009 - Stockholm

ITS World Congresses gather some 5,000 participants from around the world looking to share experiences and build networks. As a decision-maker, manufacturer, supplier or consultant within the private or public sector, the World Congress is an opportunity for you to learn more about what ITS can do to improve the efficiency of your operations. What’s more, it is an excellent opportunity to show the general public how ITS can help them in their daily lives.

Delegates will include representatives from:

  • International organisations and national governments
  • Regional, local and municipal authorities
  • Security and safety organisations
  • CEOs from industry
  • Equipment manufacturers and suppliers
  • Service developers and service providers
  • Software developers and systems integrators
  • Automotive and industrial designers
  • Public transport and freight operators
  • ITS project management and financiers
  • ITS consultancies and advisors
  • ITS users and members organisations
  • Public interest groups and press

There will also be an opportunity for the public to visit the Exhibition and demonstration sites on the last day of the World Congress in Stockholm.

The Congress format consists of several different types of sessions.  Along with the traditional types of sessions (Plenary, Executive, Special Interest and Technical/Scientific), this year the Congress organizers are introducing the two new formats: Interactive Sessions and Lunchtime Debates.  Sessions typically last 90 minutes.

The Exhibit Hall provides a venue for public sector organizations and private sector vendors to show off their latest technology.  The Exhibit Hall will be open to Congress delegates September 22-25; on Friday, September 25, it will also be open to the public.

The 2009 ITS World Congress will also feature four demonstration sites where Congress delegates can watch ITS in action: one is located inside the Exhibit Hall, two are located just outside the building in the parking lot, and one is accessible by shuttle bus.  Congress delegates can also go on any of 11 technical visits to see ITS in action in and around Stockholm.

Social events include receptions on Monday (September 21) and Tuesday (September 22) evenings and a gala dinner Wednesday (September 23) evening in Stockholm City Hall, famous as the location where Nobel Prizes are awarded.

Preliminary Programme now available

Registration Fees

Registration information, including fees, is now available on the Congress website and published in the Preliminary Programme. Registration is now open. Click here to register.

Standard Rates


(payment received from 25 July 2009)

Early Payment Rates

(payment received by 24 July 2009)

Group Discount Rate

(15 or more)

Ticket Type Duration Inc. VAT Net Inc. VAT Net Inc. VAT Net
Speaker/Moderator Full Event €1,062.50 €850.00 €900.00 €720.00 €871.25 €697.00
Speaker/Moderator 1 Day €625.00 €500.00 €537.50 €430.00 €512.50 €410.00
Student Speaker/Moderator Full Event €437.50 €350.00 €375.00 €300.00 €358.75 €287.00
Delegate Full Event €1,400.00 €1,120.00 €1,187.50 €950.00 €1,148.00 €918.40
Delegate 1 Day €837.50 €670.00 €712.50 €570.00 €686.75 €549.40
Exhibitor/Sponsor Delegate Full Event €1,187.50 €950.00 €1,012.50 €810.00 €973.75 €779.00
Student Delegate Full Event €437.00 €350.00 €375.00 €300.00 €358.75 €287.00
Swedish Public Sector Full Event €1,125.00 €900.00 €962.50 €770.00 €922.50 €738.00
Accompanying Person Full Event Free Free Free Free Free Free
Press Full Event Free Free Free Free Free Free
Exhibition Visitor (pre registered) Full Event Free Free Free Free Free Free

Publication on the event CD Rom, presentation of papers, as well as Special Interest Session organisation are subject to the authors/ speakers/moderators registration and payment by 3rd August 2009.

Official event publications and website

The Preliminary Programme has already been circulated. The Final Programme will be distributed at the event. Information will be updated on the event website at regular intervals.

To ensure you are on the mailing list, please email r.gardner@hgluk.com your full contact details.

For all other event related information, please visit the ITS World Congress website.

Unleash the Videographer in you! APTA Unveils Dump-The-Pump Video Contest

August 11, 2009 at 11:08 am

Dump-The-Pump Video Contest

Win a year of free transit and an iPod touch! What’s more, the first 25 individuals who submit a video entry to the contest will receive a $25 VISA cash card just for telling APTA why they dumped the pump.

As an extension of Dump the Pump day , APTA is sponsoring a user-generated video contest, asking Americans to tell us why they Dumped the Pump.

The contest is open to the public and submitted videos will be judged on creativity, content and overall impact.  The grand prize winner will receive FREE rides for a year on their local transit system and an iPod touch.  The second place winner will ride free for six months and the third place winner will be awarded a three month free pass.  APTA will provide each of the winners with their free transit pass.  Use this information to let your community know about this fun and exciting contest.

Everyone is eligible — Young and old, new and life-long riders alike! So get out your video cameras, hop on transit and tell us about it.

For full contest rules and guidelines, including detailed instructions about how to submit videos through the YouTube.com channel, are available at www.publictransportation.org/takesusthere/contest.html

Deadline – – All videos due: September 18.

If you have any questions please contact Mark Neuville with APTA at mneuville@apta.com.

(Hat Tip: Nick Perfili@ YPT)