Buses, Trains and the Media

APTA webinar gives new meaning to fare collection

I got a phone call from a staff member at the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) a few weeks ago reminding me that the association was going to be holding a webinar on Nov. 10 called "Investing in the Future of Public Transportation: New Workers - New Perspectives."

I welcomed the reminder because, as the operator of a job board for folks in public transportation, I'm very interested in how the transit industry is going to attract the next generation of professionals, especially with so many current employees approaching retirement age.

So I fired up my computer and went to the APTA website to register for the event. The ubiquitous Bill Millar was slated to provide the opening remarks and the line-up of scheduled speakers, nearly a dozen, was certainly impressive. I was looking forward to sitting in on this webinar.

There was only one problem: APTA was charging a $195 fee to attend (for members and non-members). I had to read it twice to make sure that it wasn't a mistake. As far as I know, APTA has not charged members to attend webinars in the past. Yes, I understand that producing a webinar can be expensive. That's why you sign up sponsors like AECOM and Bombardier Transportation, as APTA did.

At the end of the day, however, your goal should be to attract as wide an audience as you can, especially for such an important topic. By charging $195 per connection (APTA encouraged agencies to gather folks in a conference room to watch on a single connection), APTA ensured that the dissemination of information and live interactivity would be limited.

I'm hoping that APTA will archive the webinar and make it freely available to all members and non-members. Although experts say that the recession ended earlier this year, I suspect that many people in the transit industry probably disagree, based on the hardships they are facing. Charging nearly $200 to attend an industry webinar is a poorly timed decision.  

OK. Now that I've vented about this, I can get back to work.

Thanks for your time.

Steve

Top Transit Tweets - Nov. 6, 2009

quesoqueen: and another thing...dont judge me because i refuse to take public transit

northoaklandnow: Transit riders wooed by Bay Bridge closure are not back in their cars: http://bit.ly/1yqgML

musicgeoff: I love to drive but am thinking of getting a Metro Transit pass

shmooth2: some transit takers are monsters, too! http://j.mp/qZW5G

ohaijoe: RT @Innocentamanda: gold line is awesome, reasonably clean, fast, comfortable.Everything public transit should be (agree, best in LA prolly)

heanster: Haha. 2 for 2. same angry dude on both bus rides getting into squabbles. so tame compared to chitown transit!

apocalypsepony: Note to self: trying to explain transit subsidies and farebox recovery in line draws blank stares.

_nicolemurray_: Waiting for the bus and I feel a lot safer being that there is a transit person parked right in front of me!

kaitlinwithak: nj transit should probably get a website that doesn't go down every other day. just sayin.

bw_punk: Noticed a guy had fallen asleep on the bus. Can't help but wonder how many times he's circled this town so far, courtesy of Pullman Transit

jotulloch: Transit journey begins... CalTrain to Muni to BART. 10 minutes longer, but $0.60 cheaper than BART alone... More types of transit = more fun

Atrios: if nothing else people are getting a taste of what this city (And driving in it) would be like without public transit