January 5, 2024
Nebraska transit agency employees and members of the Nebraska Public Transit team attended the 5th National RTAP Conference: Navigating the Tides of Change with Rural & Tribal Transit. Held December 3-6 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the conference offered training, hands-on workshops, useful keynotes, a vendor expo, panels to learn from experts and peers, roundtables, and networking. The agenda was packed full of useful information that Nebraska transit agencies and the Nebraska Public Transit team will be able apply and compare to what is happening in Nebraska.
To kick off the full conference there was a welcome reception with a student poster presentation and wall of fame recognition. Prior to that, there were some pre-conference workshops. Keynote speaker John Martine, CEO of Southeastern Institute of Research, spoke to the group about harnessing the forces of change. He gave 10 predictions of transit that will come true by the year 2033 and talked about skills to help everyone think like a futurist.
Jonnie Kusek, director of transportation for Open Plains Transit, participated in a panel discussion about General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS). She presented about information to help agencies with National Transit Database GTFS requirements as well as the future possibilities around GTFS.
Other sessions and workshops included Rounding Up Morale, Cybersecurity, Bridging Transit’s Digital Divide, Updated Medicaid Transportation Requirements, and Strategies to Improve Transportation Access — just to name a few.
On Tuesday evening attendees were given the opportunity to attend the Big Night Out event which was held at Brookgreen Gardens. The event was called Nights of a Thousand Candles as it included flame-lit candles all throughout the gardens as well as Christmas lights and displays.
Overall, the Conference was a successful event, and those in attendance were excited to learn and grow while navigating the tides of change in rural and tribal transit.
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