NABSA Connects with Rural Transit Agencies at Knowledge Sharing Retreat
Earlier this month, NABSA Membership & Engagement Director, Laura Mallonee, attended the 5th Annual Transit Knowledge Sharing Retreat. The Transit Retreat is a 2-day educational event that supports rural, small urban, and demand-response transit and mobility providers across the United States. NABSA is a regular attendee of the Transit Retreat and each year looks forward to gaining insight from rural and small urban communities and sharing how shared micromobility can be scaled and customized to meet the needs of communities of any size.
Crawford Area Transportation Authority (CATA) Executive Director and retreat facilitator Tim Geibel says, “The Transit Retreat is a unique, national event that focuses on Rural, Small Urban and Demand Response Mobility providers with targeted content and professional networking and development. Each year, over 40 unique transit and mobility providers from 15+ states join the Transit Retreat.”
Kicking off the event, NABSA joined the Association of Mobility Managers, Introducing Youth to American Infrastructure (iyai+), CALSTART, National Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP), Transit Workforce Center (TWC), and Shared-Use Mobility Center (SUMC) for a session called Get to Know your FTA Technical Assistance Centers and National Partners. This session provided an opportunity to share about NABSA and its role in moving shared micromobility forward in North America.
Additionally, Laura Mallonee joined up with Alvaro Villagran and Hani Shamat from SUMC to facilitate a workshop entitled Mobility Innovation in Rural and Small Urban Communities. This interactive workshop generated discussions about what people have learned, challenges they face, and hopes they have in exploring innovative rural and small urban mobility projects. Themes that arose during the discussions were the importance of partnerships and collaboration, opportunities for education and engagement, funding challenges and nuances, and the critical role of networking and knowledge sharing.
The Chief Engineer Ed Austin, P.E., with the Alabama Department of Transportation provided the keynote address. Session content ranged from transit innovation to safety, regional connections to the next generation of workers, fare collection to partnerships, and so much more! The event also provided attendees the opportunity to connect with downtown Mobile through shopping, tours, and eats. Inspired by the NABSA Annual Conference, the Transit Retreat hosts their own version of the lightning round slideshow, providing attendees an opportunity to connect with each other and event sponsors with 1 minute introductions paired with a slide.
NABSA was genuinely thrilled to join this event, share ideas, and build real connections!
