The businesses that keep public transportation on the move are traveling to Houston as METRO prepares to host APTA Expo 2014, the transit industry's premier showcase for technology, products and services. The conference will be held October 13-15 at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
More than 800 global suppliers will roll out products and services for public transit agencies and providers from across the world. EXPO occurs every third year and this year expects to connect more than 15,000 industry professionals from 65 countries.
“The economic impact is tremendous. The hotel and lodging alone are projected to generate about $16.6 million. The latest room reservations count is currently surpassing those projections. The convention promotes Houston and the region, showcasing industry, development, dining, entertainment, and, of course, transit,” said METRO Board Chairman Gilbert Garcia.
“We couldn’t be more pleased to host the event. The city is on a roll and we want to show off the agency and the many ways we facilitate business, and community,“ said METRO President & CEO Tom Lambert. “METRO Ambassador volunteers will assist with the thousands of visitors. It is truly an agency-wide, all hands on deck. We’ll be showing off everything from buses to bike racks for attendees from across the world.”
Among the visitors slated to appear is U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx who will speak on October 14. METRO is staffing its welcome area with subject matter experts and arranging five technical tours for transit visitors. The tours include:
· TranStar with an emphasis on emergency management
· METRO’s Rail Operations Center (ROC) which manages light-rail activity
· METROLift Operations Center tour examining para-transit services
· The agency’s award winning “Arts in Transit” program
· A 10-mile bicycle tour showcasing METRO amenities and connections to bike paths and the city’s bike share program
On Monday, Oct. 13, METRO will offer speakers on transit-oriented development and on Tuesday, Oct. 14, System Reimagining, the redesign of Houston’s local bus routes, will be explored. In another session METRO will offer insight into public transportation and its relationship to real estate values, touching on the $9 billion currently invested near rail stations along the Red Line and two lines under construction. Also, there will be a discussion on the transit board member’s role in procurement.
Please visit APTA EXPO 2014 for schedules and information regarding the conference and ridemetro.org for information about METRO, Houston's regional transit leader.
APTA EXPO MEDIA CONTACT: Nicole Burdiss at nburdiss@stratacomm.net or (202) 289-2001
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