We’re Saving You A Seat! The RideAmigos Guide to ACT 2019

Whether you’re a first time or a long-time member of the Association for Commuter Transportation we hope you’ll enjoy these insider tips for enjoying your time in New York City! 

The RideAmigos team looks forward to the annual Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) International Conference all year. We’re proud to be a sponsor of this year’s gathering in New York City (August 4-7, 2019), and we can’t wait to see our partners and connect with old and new friends!

There are so many things to do and see, and unfortunately you can’t be in more than one place at a time, so we made a list of a few of the things we’re most excited about at #ACTConf19. We hope this inspires you too!

Meeting New ACT Members

The conference is bigger than ever this year with over 600 attendees and more exhibitors. We always look forward to meeting new members and first-time attendees, whether they’re completely new to transportation demand management (TDM) and commuter transportation, or have just been waiting for the right time to attend an ACT event. If you’re new to ACT, you’re in for a great week – take this opportunity to meet lots of like-minded leaders from across our industry, and please say hi to the RideAmigos team! If you’re an ACT International Conference expert be sure to look out for new members and first-timers at the welcome receptions on Sunday.

All the Sessions

If you’re coming to New York with friends or colleagues, you might want to make a plan to divide and conquer. There is an incredible lineup of panels and presentations this year and you’ll want to see it all. Consider agreeing with a buddy on which sessions to attend and then compare notes over dinner at the end of each day. Here are some of the sessions our team doesn’t want to miss:

  • If you’ll be in town early on Sunday for the pre-conference sessions, an excellent panel of researchers and public agency leaders will share findings and engage the audience in Nudging the Commute: Behavioral Science in TDM. This should be an inspiring morning, and something we’ll be talking about for the rest of the conference.
  • Cities across the country are making an impact with innovative TDM policies. Check out how Austin, New York, and Santa Monica are using state and local policy and investment to enhance their transportation ecosystems in Take Charge: Use Government Policies and Investments to Make Your TDM Program More Impactful.
  • Marketing is a key part of a successful TDM program. Learn how agency leaders in Portland, Oregon and their partners are using audience segmentation techniques to better target their messaging to get the most out of their marketing spend in How to Slice and Dice: Targeted Approaches to Audience Segmentation for Transportation Behavior Change.
  • If you are responsible for transportation at a large university, this discussion about MaaS for Campus, including Safe Ride programs with leaders from The Ohio State University, Texas Tech, UCLA and USC is one you shouldn’t miss.
  • Transportation Management Associations (TMAs) are on the rise. No matter where you’re from, you can learn from the important role they are playing in TDM at the local, regional and individual employer levels in this session about TMA Expansion in Massachusetts.
  • Don’t miss the session on TDM and Social Equity – a topic that is becoming more complex and important as the mobility ecosystem evolves.
  • We won’t miss the chance to hear from a lineup of leading Bay Area employers, Intuit, Facebook, Genentech, Google and Stanford University discussing how they’re closing the gap with corporate transit.
  • Our own Corey Tucker will be part of panel of experts from Waze Carpool, TransSystems and ICF to dive into the science behind behavior change and how innovative TDM programs can overcome objections holding commuters back from sharing rides.
  • Wondering how your community is going to handle e-scooters (and other dockless mobility) when they arrive? Drop in on Keeping Up with E-Scooters to take note of lessons learned by this panel, moderated by UC Berkeley’s David Sorrell.
  • Who defines success in transportation programming? Different stakeholders have different goals and performance indicators. Measure What You Treasure, featuring our own Kathryn Hagerman Medina, will examine this question from the employer, TMO and municipal perspectives.

The RideAmigos User Group Meet-up

The ACT International Conference is an opportunity for dozens of RideAmigos administrators to get together for an in-person briefing and feedback session with product and support leadership. One of our favorite things about this reunion is seeing TDM leaders from across industries and geographies connect and share ideas and best practices. Since the last time we got together, RideAmigos has rolled out major updates to the web interface, our mobile apps, and our configurable commuter engagement programs.

The Seventh Annual RideAmigos Closing Night Party

After two and a half days of learning and networking, ACT members unwind with light-hearted karaoke and toast to a successful conference. The crowd is supportive and the music plays all night long. This year, Scoop and Edenred Commuter Benefit Solutions are joining us to host the closing night event in true New York City style. Come prepared for some extra special “carpool karaoke” and don’t worry, the Scoop team is bringing a list of transportation-themed songs. All ACT International Conference attendees are welcome with RSVP. Stop by RideAmigos booth 100, Scoop booth 205, or Edenred Commuter Benefit Solutions booth #407 to sign up, or just visit the Eventbrite page.

Celebrating Outstanding TDM Professionals

Each year, ACT recognizes and honors outstanding achievements in the field of transportation demand management at a breakfast ceremony on the last day of the International Conference. This year, ACT is presenting awards in fifteen categories, including a few new ones for 2019. Last year, eleven of the twenty-nine finalists and four of the winners were RideAmigos partners.

We’re looking forward to seeing you in New York! Email ACT@rideamigos.com or message us on Twitter @rideamigos to connect. You can also find us at Booth 100 or taking notes in sessions. Safe travels!

0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *