- No events scheduled for Thursday Nov 9, 2023.
- No events scheduled for Friday Nov 10, 2023.
- No events scheduled for Saturday Nov 11, 2023.
- No events scheduled for Sunday Nov 12, 2023.
Week of Events
Opening Plenary – Health in All Places
Opening Plenary – Health in All Places
Welcome Darryl Slim, Diné Wellness Educator, Mesa, AZ Jessica Mefford-Miller, Chief Executive Officer, Valley Metro, Phoenix, AZ Closing Remarks Kate Gallego, Mayor, City of Phoenix, AZ Plenary - Health in All Places We all know that walkable, transit-oriented communities are healthier. They’re places where people can more easily and affordably get to jobs, education, fresh […]
MW04 Grand Canal Multi-Use Trail
MW04 Grand Canal Multi-Use Trail
You’ve heard of rail to trail, how about canal path to trail? The Phoenix metro area has 180 miles of canals, more than Venice and Amsterdam combined. Learn how the Grand Canalscape project converted the under-used utility corridor along one segment of canal into an attractive, vibrant and well-utilized community asset – one of the […]
MW05 Phoenix Streets: Historical Streetcar to Shared Micromobility
MW05 Phoenix Streets: Historical Streetcar to Shared Micromobility
In the first half of the twentieth century, streetcars were an integral part of Phoenix streets. Thirty miles of tracks carried 6 million riders a year. In 1947 a trolley bar fire destroyed most of the fleet and ushered in the era of buses – and cars. Fast forward to today. Hear from a bicycle […]
MW06 Car-Free Arizona: Achieving Sustainable Dreams at Culdesac
MW06 Car-Free Arizona: Achieving Sustainable Dreams at Culdesac
Yes, Arizona is home to the first car-free community built from scratch in the US: Culdesac Tempe. Take a look around. Learn how this mixed-use neighborhood came to be approved in Tempe, about its design, how it is managed and sense of place. Fifty-five percent of the neighborhood is open space and it includes a […]
MW07 Take a “Transit Walk” at the Mobility Center
MW07 Take a “Transit Walk” at the Mobility Center
Valley Metro’s Mobility Center provides several services for customers with specialized mobility needs, from ADA certification to fixed-route travel training to information about fare pass programs. It’s a state-of-the-art, multifunctional facility that simulates the look and feel of the public transit system. Take a “transit walk” through a simulated streetscape in an indoor environment, featuring […]
Lasso that Money! The Basics of Funding
Lasso that Money! The Basics of Funding
You've got an amazing project. The public loves it, stakeholders are on board and the agency can't wait to break ground. But how do you pay for it? As Ted Lasso would say, “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” Together, we’ll dive into the differences between funding and financing, explore capital and operating […]
Transit Agency CEOs: Circling Back and Looking Forward
Transit Agency CEOs: Circling Back and Looking Forward
Transit agencies are in transition, adapting furiously to meet changing realities. Have we reached equilibrium or are we still in transition? What does the new normal look like? Will people working from home return to the office – for which days? If downtowns are not so core, what are key destinations and travel patterns? How […]
A Coalition Approach to Equitable Transit
A Coalition Approach to Equitable Transit
How do we achieve the ultimate goal: transit expansion and related development that happens for and with communities instead of to them? Coalitions in Phoenix and Buffalo have organized to do just this. The Phoenix collaborative, with 50+ partners, connects and empowers dozens of leaders and community members from three distinct, culturally rich areas across […]
TOD to TOC: From the Ground Up
TOD to TOC: From the Ground Up
Let’s demystify TOD (transit-oriented development) in order to get better TOC (transit-oriented communities). Join with industry veterans to learn the foundational elements of TOC. Get into the implications: for ridership, parking, placemaking, equity and more. Find out how one legacy transit system is building on best practices of long-established TOD programs to push forward our […]
Ice and Fire: Landscapes for Climate Resilience
Ice and Fire: Landscapes for Climate Resilience
Imagine the Iron Throne (yes, a Game of Thrones reference) as a park bench in Phoenix or Calgary. Depending on the season, anyone who takes a seat could burn their skin or be frozen to the metal. Humor aside, our planet's climate emergency demands serious action. Fortunately, there are practical urban design measures that effectively […]
Form or Finance: Making the Missing Middle Work
Form or Finance: Making the Missing Middle Work
The term "missing middle" describes housing types that have been excluded from many zoning codes. Advocates and planners blame such restrictive zoning for a lack of diverse housing – and for contributing to our national housing crisis. They call for zoning reform to remove restrictive, monotype districts and increase housing supply. Together, let’s explore the […]
Reimagining Arterials: The Next Big Thing in TOD
Reimagining Arterials: The Next Big Thing in TOD
Just about every North American city has fading, car-centric arterial corridors. At Rail~Volution 2019, Peter Calthorpe presented these corridors as the “next big idea” for TOD. How? By converting excess lane capacity to fixed guideways for transit. And converting commercial strip malls and expansive surface parking into TODs. In our current era of online shopping […]
Driven by Data: Unleashing the Potential of Rail Corridors
Driven by Data: Unleashing the Potential of Rail Corridors
Maximizing the efficiency and potential of shared rail corridors – intercity, commuter and freight – is no easy task. Data can help. Let’s get into some specific examples. Caltrain is using an “Investment Sifting and Evaluation Toolkit” to evaluate different station redevelopment projects, providing baseline comparisons for a range of qualitative and quantitative metrics, from […]
MW08 Cultivating Community: An Urban Garden Hub on the LRT
MW08 Cultivating Community: An Urban Garden Hub on the LRT
We all know transit connects communities. But let’s take a close look at two urban gardens on light rail that serve as community hubs. CamelBackyard is an urban farm that grows organic produce through an aquaponics greenhouse and offers raised beds for community members, along with space to wash and process produce, a shaded outdoor […]
Mpact Innovators Presents: Walking Tour – From One-N-Ten to Margaret T. Hance Park
Mpact Innovators Presents: Walking Tour – From One-N-Ten to Margaret T. Hance Park
Join us and walk away with a deeper understanding of Phoenix's past, present and future. Ride light rail to One-N-Ten, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to serving and assisting LGBTQIA+ youth and that offers a safe space for youth of all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. Then visit nearby Margaret T. Hance Park, 32 acres […]
Mpact Innovators Presents: Walking Tour – Urban Transformation in the Taylor Paseo District
Mpact Innovators Presents: Walking Tour – Urban Transformation in the Taylor Paseo District
Join this lunch time walk for a firsthand look at urban transformation in downtown Phoenix, from skyline to streetscape. Visit a downtown park – a public oasis. Find out how the YMCA is providing heat relief, daycare and transitional housing. Learn about the city’s Paseo plan, which is fostering connectivity and accessibility by breaking down […]
MW09 Central Station Phoenix Redevelopment: A Hard Hat View
MW09 Central Station Phoenix Redevelopment: A Hard Hat View
Central Station has been the heart of the Phoenix regional transit system since the late 1990s, but the arrival of light rail in 2008 sparked a new vision for a transit center integrated with housing, retail and adjacent green space. That vision is coming to reality with the Central Station Redevelopment Project, currently under construction. […]
MW10 Extension to the Future: From 70s Mall to Walkable Urban Village
MW10 Extension to the Future: From 70s Mall to Walkable Urban Village
Phoenix’s Metrocenter Mall, opened in the 1970s, was in its heyday one of the biggest and busiest malls in the US. Fast forward to the present to learn how the 1.6 mile Northwest Extension Phase II will leap over an Interstate highway to extend the reach of transit-oriented development. Hear from the developers who are […]
MW11 The View from “A” Mountain: How Downtown Tempe Embraced Nature
MW11 The View from “A” Mountain: How Downtown Tempe Embraced Nature
Tempe is the most densely populated city in metro Phoenix, its downtown humming with activity from restaurants, bars, Arizona State University and a myriad of office workers and residents. Downtown Tempe is also home to an urban hiking trail and a lake! Take an urban hike (short but steep) up Hayden Butte (aka “A” Mountain) […]
Is the Sky Falling? A Peer Discussion on Climate Disruption
Is the Sky Falling? A Peer Discussion on Climate Disruption
In the famous story of Chicken Little, an acorn falls on her head, making her assume the sky is falling and the world is coming to an end. With extreme climate impacts happening now across the globe, it’s easy to feel like Chicken Little. So let’s turn panic into planning with an informed approach. Join us for […]
BRT 101: What You Need to Know Before You Start
BRT 101: What You Need to Know Before You Start
As the landscape for bus rapid transit (BRT) evolves, systems across the country are adjusting. With lower capital costs, enhanced services such as bus rapid transit and Better Bus applications have gained popularity. When integrating a high-capacity corridor into the built environment, there are many tools in the toolbox. Each project is unique, potentially involving […]
Red Line Aftermath: How Baltimore Turned Cancellation Into Innovation
Red Line Aftermath: How Baltimore Turned Cancellation Into Innovation
The Baltimore Red Line received almost a billion dollars in federal funding before it was abruptly canceled in 2015 by a newly-elected Governor. Magnified by an already-strained relationship with residents, this cancellation became a catalyst for intense analysis of the roles state and local stakeholders should play in transit governance and funding. Baltimore is the […]
TOD Guidelines: What’s Working Best
TOD Guidelines: What’s Working Best
Design guidelines exist along a spectrum, from high-level "aspirational" guidance to nuts-and-bolts "dimensional" guidance. Transit-oriented development (TOD) design guidelines, wherever they fall on the spectrum, can help provide more predictable and repeatable development outcomes along transit corridors. But not all agencies and local governments that operate transit use design guidelines. What does it take to […]
The Power of Partnership to Address Homelessness
The Power of Partnership to Address Homelessness
For people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, transit provides reliable, affordable rides to essential services. Many transit agencies collaborate with nonprofits to distribute free or reduced fare cards to people who are unhoused. During extreme weather, some transit agencies deploy vehicles as cooling or warming centers. Many transit agencies also have started scheduling outreach […]
Transit Stops: Unlocking the Potential
Transit Stops: Unlocking the Potential
Time to re-envision your humble transit stop. What would it take – what could be done – to transform the place you wait for the bus into a community asset? There are great stories to tell! Hear how placemaking and public art linked with community input and vision can seed creative interventions that make transit […]
Supercharging Your Bus Network
Supercharging Your Bus Network
Buses are the workhorses of most public transit systems and the COVID-19 pandemic cemented the critical importance of bus-based mobility in our communities. Programs to tackle chronic bus delay are delivering more reliable service, centering investment in equity-priority communities and delivering big benefits with small capital budgets. Learn the details from the US and Canada: […]
Making the Case for Transit from an Economic Development Lens
Making the Case for Transit from an Economic Development Lens
In today’s climate, when we showcase the benefits of public transit and transit-oriented development, are we clear enough about the economic benefits, from new or increased property tax revenue to job creation? Let’s look at the ways that various land uses contribute to tax base - and how tax base in turn supports services and […]
MW12 Sky Train: Automation and the Airport Experience
MW12 Sky Train: Automation and the Airport Experience
The automated PHX Sky Train® transports travelers from Valley Metro’s 44th & Washington Station to airport terminals, connecting as well to economy parking and the rental car center. An 18 vehicle fleet serves four stations on dual guideway track, running every 3-5 minutes 24 hours a day. The project was built in ways that reduce […]
MW13 Discover Vibrant Tempe Via Modern Streetcar
MW13 Discover Vibrant Tempe Via Modern Streetcar
Scenic splendor! Technological marvels! Public art and local history! Discover vibrant downtown Tempe from the newest mode of public transportation in the Valley: streetcar. Learn about hybrid streetcar vehicles and the off-wire section through downtown. Hear from the project team about how they leveraged the unforeseen circumstances of the pandemic, capitalizing on reduced pedestrian and […]
Special Event – Politics of Place: Stories of Land and Housing in Phoenix
Special Event – Politics of Place: Stories of Land and Housing in Phoenix
Politics of Place Walking Tour - program Pre-registration required. Be part of a site-specific storytelling, poetry, and performance walking tour along the Rio Salado (Salt River). Investigate displacement of Black and Indigenous communities due to light rail. Learn about the increased cost of living due to privatization along downtown and south side corridors in Phoenix. […]
Community Ownership as an Anti-Displacement Strategy
Community Ownership as an Anti-Displacement Strategy
Transit projects have transformative impacts on underserved communities. Yet, they often put at risk small businesses that are the backbone of local economies. BIPOC-led, women-owned, or emerging majority-owned — these small businesses face the possiblity of being displaced and eliminated, with ripple effects in their surrounding communities. It doesn’t have to be this way. Neighborhoods […]
What’s Up (or Down) with Fare Policy?
What’s Up (or Down) with Fare Policy?
In our post-COVID world, transit fares have become a hotly debated topic. Many agencies have instituted zero-fare pilots for the entire system or specific customer segments such as youth or older adults. Other agencies, facing complex fiscal challenges, are being forced to raise fares. Join us as we tackle some really important questions from both […]
Growing Ridership in a Post-Pandemic Era
Growing Ridership in a Post-Pandemic Era
Many cities have bus or rail routes designed to serve suburban commute trips. Yet, the pandemic, Black Lives Matter movement and the transit fiscal cliff all have magnified the need to serve local trips, people who work service jobs and those who can’t afford premium fares. Hear from locations that are restructuring service away from […]
Complete Streets 2.0
Complete Streets 2.0
Integrating transit and complete streets design solutions into legacy urban arterials is increasingly a priority for cities across North America. But, it's never so simple as adding some bike lanes, a bus lane and calling it a day. Explore new and emerging approaches to updating these roads: nuanced design based on the specific needs of […]
Getting Results from State Mandates for Housing and TOD
Getting Results from State Mandates for Housing and TOD
Several state legislatures have considered laws to address the underproduction of housing and the affordability crisis hitting communities across the country. And in some states, such laws have passed. But mandates to local communities about zoning and growth often are controversial. Local governments want control and the flexibility to respond to the nuanced local situation. […]
The ZEV Opportunity: Equitable Pathways to Zero-Emission Deployments
The ZEV Opportunity: Equitable Pathways to Zero-Emission Deployments
For public transit systems standing on the precipice of transformation, there’s the challenge — and the opportunity — of transitioning to a full fleet of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). Let’s dive deep into strategies for not merely adopting, but optimizing the societal benefits of ZEVs. Explore the forward-thinking approaches of agencies across the country and delve […]
Corridor Planning for TOD: Why is it Different?
Corridor Planning for TOD: Why is it Different?
Successful transit-oriented development (TOD) needs to be place-specific. But what about planning for TOD at the corridor scale? Let’s find out in two very different contexts. Chicago’s Red Line Extension is bringing four new stations to the city’s south side, with goals of economic development, community revitalization and to reverse decades of disinvestment in local […]
TOD Dollars and Sense for Today’s Market
TOD Dollars and Sense for Today’s Market
While there are federal infrastructure dollars for building transit, developing around transit faces headwinds in today’s economic climate. Let’s dig into the factors making it difficult to realize the potential for economic development around transit, especially in the neighborhoods that most need it. To make development happen at all usually takes both public and private […]
Monday Wind-Down: Reception in the Public Square
Monday Wind-Down: Reception in the Public Square
Celebrate the first full day of the conference! Compare notes about the sessions or Mobile Workshops you attended. Revive the conversation from the opening plenary. Stop by the exhibit booths as you walk and talk. Appetizers and cash bar.
Mpact Innovators Presents – Fast Charge: Breath Work and Chair Yoga
Mpact Innovators Presents – Fast Charge: Breath Work and Chair Yoga
Dive into a tranquil pause that promises relaxation, mental clarity and a refreshing break from the daily grind. This morning break is thoughtfully divided into two parts: Mindful Breathing. Explore two evidence-based breathing techniques designed to relieve stress and heighten alertness in just 5 minutes. Chair Yoga. Navigate an accessible series tailored to counteract the […]
Tuesday Plenary – A Decade of ETOD: The Story and the Playbook
Tuesday Plenary – A Decade of ETOD: The Story and the Playbook
Welcome - Earl Blumenauer, Congressman, 3rd District, Oregon Plenary - A Decade of ETOD: The Story and the Playbook During the past decade, the “ETOD” movement has moved from aspiration to practice. The work of embedding Equity into traditional Transit-Oriented Development now has a storybook of milestones reached and projects launched. And it has a […]
MW14 Grand Canal Multi-Use Trail
MW14 Grand Canal Multi-Use Trail
You’ve heard of rail to trail, how about canal path to trail? The Phoenix metro area has 180 miles of canals, more than Venice and Amsterdam combined. Learn how the Grand Canalscape project converted the under-used utility corridor along one segment of canal into an attractive, vibrant and well-utilized community asset – one of the […]
MW15 The Asian District: Along the Light Rail in Mesa
MW15 The Asian District: Along the Light Rail in Mesa
The Asian District in Mesa, Arizona, is the southwest’s most vibrant center for Asian culture, community and commerce. More than 70 Asian-themed restaurants, groceries and other service and retail businesses are clustered along Dobson Road and on Main Street, adjacent to light rail: Mekong Plaza, International Marketplace and H Mart. Hear from city leaders and […]
MW16 Bringing LRT to South Phoenix: Design, Construction, Community
MW16 Bringing LRT to South Phoenix: Design, Construction, Community
Valley Metro’s 5-mile light rail extension to South Central Phoenix is the largest system expansion since the construction of the original 20-mile light rail line. The project includes 11 new stations with artwork by 18 local artists. The design involves conversion of an arterial street to a pedestrian plaza, two roundabouts with LRT, five traction […]
How Transit is Responding to Security Challenges
How Transit is Responding to Security Challenges
Employees, riders, policymakers and the business community all want the same thing: A safe transit experience for all. So, what’s the best route to take? Can we reimagine transit security with the strategic use of technology - to improve outcomes and better monitor transit spaces for riders and employees? What are some of the innovative […]
TOD Practitioners’ Forum
TOD Practitioners’ Forum
Are you a transit-oriented development (TOD) manager at a transit agency? Or a city or county staffer tasked with making TOD happen? Maybe you work for a redevelopment authority or other financing entity? Whatever the case, get together with folks like you, who make TOD dreams a reality. Don’t expect many presentations, if any. Instead, dive […]
Pivoting to Plan B in Austin
Pivoting to Plan B in Austin
After years of unsuccessful votes, the people of Austin, Texas, finally passed a transit funding measure in November 2020. Following the vote, the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) advanced work on two light rail corridors. But as design progressed, the cost of the program grew to a size that wasn’t feasible. Hear how a variety of […]
Transit Agencies and MPOs: Stepping Up to Lead TODs
Transit Agencies and MPOs: Stepping Up to Lead TODs
How can agencies that lack land use authority nonetheless try to shape local jurisdictions’ planning and zoning regulations? How can regional players collaborate to set goals for density near transit, affordable housing, parking management and multimodal station access? Learn how to develop or advocate for a consistent transit-oriented development (TOD) or transit-oriented communities (TOC) policy […]
Streetcar: Living the Dream
Streetcar: Living the Dream
Whether it’s a legacy streetcar system like Philadelphia’s, or the newer systems in Tucson and Seattle, the streetcar has made a revival. Serving as a driver for both economic development and accessibility, these systems are turning heads for their role in revitalizing communities. But how do they measure success? And where are they headed in […]
Microgrids: More Than Powering Buses
Microgrids: More Than Powering Buses
Transit systems across the world share the ambition to be more sustainable and resilient. In response, electrification has become a buzzword. Yet electrification by itself isn’t necessarily more sustainable and resilient than power from fossil fuels. Micorgrids to fuel buses can make a huge difference. Harnessing renewable energies such as solar, wind or hydro, microgrids […]
Humanizing Highways: Wait … What?
Humanizing Highways: Wait … What?
State routes often are the conduit to major economic centers and other destinations that transit riders need. Yet, they also often present significant barriers to safe, appealing, accessible transit, let-alone transit-oriented development. State and federal DOT design standards deserve much of the blame, but transit agency policies and local government codes also can reinforce the […]
Mpact Innovators Presents: Walking Tour – Rail Extensions & the Downtown Hub
Mpact Innovators Presents: Walking Tour – Rail Extensions & the Downtown Hub
Get on your feet and embark on a captivating walking tour of downtown Phoenix. First we’ll explore the current construction and progress of the 5.5-mile South Central light rail extension, which aims to enhance accessibility and connectivity for residents and visitors to south Phoenix. Then we’ll head to the 1.4-mile Capital light rail extension to […]
Mpact Innovators Presents: Walking Tour – Arizona Center and Heritage Square
Mpact Innovators Presents: Walking Tour – Arizona Center and Heritage Square
Explore pockets of downtown Phoenix that offer a sense of both history and revitalization. The Arizona Center, across from the hotel, is one of the first mixed-use projects in downtown, featuring dining, shops, refreshing green space and waterways as well as new high-rise developments. See how the desert landscape interacts with the built environment. Continue […]
MW17 Tour de Core! Infill along Light Rail in Downtown Phoenix
MW17 Tour de Core! Infill along Light Rail in Downtown Phoenix
Fifteen years ago light rail opened in the Valley, connecting Phoenix to Tempe and Mesa. Extensions of light rail and streetcar in Tempe have followed or are in process. Over this time, $2.3 billion in capital investment has led to $17.1 billion in public and private investments within a half mile of station platforms. What […]
MW18 Tracks through Time: Uncovering Hohokam Culture
MW18 Tracks through Time: Uncovering Hohokam Culture
Light rail construction in Phoenix has added to our knowledge of the Hohokam people, the region’s very first canal builders. Conveniently enough, you can hop on the light rail to visit the museum where the evidence uncovered during construction – from pottery, tools and jewelry to pit houses, kilns, roasting pits and canals – are […]
MW19 Arts Pave the Way: Roosevelt Row
MW19 Arts Pave the Way: Roosevelt Row
Roosevelt Row, downtown Phoenix’s walkable arts district, is an urban creative space that nurtures arts-focused initiatives for artists and entrepreneurs. Over the past decade and more, it has grown from a small collection of galleries hosting a “First Fridays” event to a major cultural and economic force in Phoenix. The arts district started as a […]
Parking from All Angles
Parking from All Angles
A developer, a transit agency and a lawyer walk into a room. No, this isn’t a joke. It’s a deep dive on parking – from all angles! Convertible parking. Legalizing no parking. Eliminating parking requirements. The future of parking in TODs – is there any?! Come hear about the history and trends in parking reform […]
Cross-sector Partnerships for Affordable Housing
Cross-sector Partnerships for Affordable Housing
While there is a lot of policy focus on creating affordable housing at transit-rich locations, actually doing it can require aligning transit agency plans – for a particular TOD or for a particular station-area – with the priorities of very different organizations, each with their own purposes and resources. For example: how about a transit […]
Investment in People: Rail Supportive Community Development
Investment in People: Rail Supportive Community Development
Let’s look together at cities that are making strides in expanding transit without causing displacement to existing residents and businesses. How? With context-specific approaches, time-tested anti-displacement strategies and by investing in stabilizing local people and places as part of the planning stages of rail expansion. Investment in people is harder than investment in development. We’ll […]
#OptOutside: Transit and Recreational Access
#OptOutside: Transit and Recreational Access
Currently 100 million Americans (including 28 million children) do not live within a 10-minute walk of a park. So how are transit agencies working with other partners to help bridge the gap in recreational access? Come hear multiple stories, learn best practices and discuss some of the operational challenges to providing access to the outdoors […]
Economic and Workforce Development: Equity and Cultural Competence
Economic and Workforce Development: Equity and Cultural Competence
Transportation projects increasingly are moving beyond traditional economic development goals, defined by job access, to embrace the value that these projects bring for workforce development and small or disadvantaged business growth at the local level. Hear from agencies that have developed innovative policies and initiatives for cultural competency, workforce development, job creation, apprenticeships and advanced […]
The Never Ending Importance of a Story Told Well
The Never Ending Importance of a Story Told Well
We all are tapped to tell the story of transit’s role in our communities, in a multitude of settings. Whether it's to engage the community in a new project or service, inform stakeholders about the benefits of our work or convince elected officials of the value to their constituents, we all have a story to […]
Capping Projects Through Time: Lessons Learned
Capping Projects Through Time: Lessons Learned
New highway capping projects seek to reconnect communities that were severed by transportation infrastructure projects. But success requires more than reconnecting streets. It requires a holistic view of neighborhood transformation and planning for connectivity at different scales. Find out about the many different types of projects that reconnect communities and how projects are getting done. […]
Station Design and Wayfinding: Enhancing the Customer Experience
Station Design and Wayfinding: Enhancing the Customer Experience
As humans, when we have good experiences, we come back. We’re happier. We feel seen and cared for. So let’s discuss the customer experience and how station design — ease of access, wayfinding, ADA and design features — can attract riders to transit, and keep them comign back. Specifically, we’ll highlight how major cities across […]
MW20 Main Street Mesa: New Development, Historic Character
MW20 Main Street Mesa: New Development, Historic Character
Downtown Mesa, the heart of the third largest city in Arizona, is driving new development while working to maintain its historic character and support a diverse mix of local businesses. Explore downtown Mesa’s Main Street area, including transit-oriented development along the light rail. Focal points include: environmentally sustainable housing; business development programs – including a […]
MW21 Inside the Operation and Maintenance Center
MW21 Inside the Operation and Maintenance Center
Go behind the scenes to the facility where light rail and streetcar vehicles are serviced and maintained. Valley Metro recently expanded its Operations and Maintenance Center (OMC) to accommodate more vehicles for a growing system. The new facility will support 90 vehicles (up from 50) and 66 miles of line. The update also included installation […]
Pushing the Joint Development Envelope: Jurisdictional Partnerships
Pushing the Joint Development Envelope: Jurisdictional Partnerships
Joint development is transit-oriented development (TOD) that occurs on transit agency land or through some other transaction to which the agency is a partner. Within the larger TOD arena, joint development is important for three reasons. It captures land value for transit; it requires integrated planning among the transit agency, the developer and the land […]
Mpact Innovators Presents: Idea Exchange – AI for Planners
Mpact Innovators Presents: Idea Exchange – AI for Planners
Embark on a thoughtful, hands-on exploration of AI in transit and urban planning. In a rapidly evolving digital age, artificial intelligence (AI) is not only transforming our virtual realms. It’s also influencing our urban environments. Dive into methods for fostering a more fruitful and balanced relationship with AI. Break into groups to interact with AI […]
Microtransit: Transit Savior or Political Stopgap?
Microtransit: Transit Savior or Political Stopgap?
While micro-transit is a new tool for some transit agencies, many have been using it for decades. Learn about the role of microtransit in the agency’s suite of services – and what makes it work well or fail. How does microtransit work as a first-last mile connector to fixed-route transit? What are trade-offs of implementing […]
Bus Network Redesign: A Changing Landscape
Bus Network Redesign: A Changing Landscape
Many cities and agencies across the country are now or have recently embarked on bus network redesigns to address changes in the transit landscape, among them new travel patterns post-pandemic, demographic shifts, funding constraints and operator or workforce shortages. While there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution, there are plenty of lessons learned, innovative approaches and new […]
Equitable Decision-Making: From Ambition to Action
Equitable Decision-Making: From Ambition to Action
Many organizations have diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) policies in place. But what moves a program from analysis and engagement to action and outcomes? Take a look at three programs making decisions centered on equity: Miami-Dade County’s New Mobility Project, Sound Transit’s Everett Link Extension Equitable TOD project and the Washington/Oregon I-5 Interstate Bridge Replacement program. […]
Community Engagement 201: The Practical Application of Capacity Building
Community Engagement 201: The Practical Application of Capacity Building
How do you achieve community engagement in which community members have the information and tools they need and deserve, to not only effectively participate in public processes but also make decisions about the facilities and infrastructure they will use or be affected by? It’s daunting. Explore case studies and programs that seek to change the […]
Getting to Transit: Expanding Last-mile Access
Getting to Transit: Expanding Last-mile Access
Active modes of mobility are key to reaching transit, especially in auto-dominated environments. This is particularly true in under-served communities, as came into sharper focus during the pandemic. Explore the current status and need for safe, multi-modal connections to rapid transit — with national research and metrics, including origin and destination surveys, safety audits and […]
Mpact Innovators Presents: The Mpact PK Slam
Mpact Innovators Presents: The Mpact PK Slam
Creative, candid, energetic! The PK Slam features stand-up presentations in the style of PechaKucha™. This year’s venue: a Spanish-revival style theater in downtown Phoenix originally used for vaudeville acts. Don’t miss this Tuesday night tradition – the one everybody talks about! Americo Gonzalez Aquino, Transportation Design Principal, HDR, Inc., Astoria, NY Brittany Hoffman, Public Information […]
Mpact Innovators Presents: Mpact PK Slam Recovery Run
Mpact Innovators Presents: Mpact PK Slam Recovery Run
Join other Mpact Transit + Community runners for a group jog to recover from the PK Slam festivities. Plenty of options to fit your pace.
MW22 50th Street Station: Innovating for Accessibility
MW22 50th Street Station: Innovating for Accessibility
A perfect alignment of funding, vision and design came together for the 50th Street Station on the Valley Metro light rail system, a stop that was added more than 10 years after operations began. Learn the fascinating story of adding a station into existing right-of-way without losing travel lanes for autos. You’ll also learn how […]
MW23 Evolving Downtown Phoenix: Business District to Neighborhood
MW23 Evolving Downtown Phoenix: Business District to Neighborhood
From a sleepy central business district to a thriving nexus of arts, culture and innovation, Downtown Phoenix continues to defy the odds. Go behind the scenes to learn about the public-private partnerships helping to usher Downtown Phoenix into its newest evolution: a walkable urban neighborhood. Take a look at the streetscape enhancements, sidewalk improvements (including […]
FTA TOD Planning Grant: Roundtable Discussion
FTA TOD Planning Grant: Roundtable Discussion
When it comes to grants, are you putting your best foot forward? Let’s get together — roundtable style — for a peer-to-peer discussion on the the FTA TOD Planning Grant process. We’ll cover the application, administration and implementation process, along with the challenges and opportunities you’ll encounter at each stage. If you’re a first time […]
Housing Hard-Core: Creative Investments in Transit-Centric Affordability
Housing Hard-Core: Creative Investments in Transit-Centric Affordability
Affordable housing is a lot more complicated than getting people into homes – though that is job #1. Behind the scenes, it’s hard-core work, steeped in details about how investments are devised, how buy-in is created and how a variety of resources are compiled to make affordable housing truly feasible and readily available. Join a […]
True Accessibility and Universal Design
True Accessibility and Universal Design
We have collectively spent billions on curb cuts, accessible pedestrian signals, elevators, level boarding and other transformative solutions. But for many people with disabilities, a big remaining barrier is navigating to and within the pedestrian environment – locating the transit stop, finding the escalator, using the kiosk or boarding the right train. Knowing how to […]
Data Traveler: Worldwide Lessons in Expanding Transit
Data Traveler: Worldwide Lessons in Expanding Transit
The transportation system is the nervous system of a city. To understand how it works, we need to understand the data it’s giving us – across multiple modes – and then adapt and develop our transit systems to provide what our cities need. Learn from national and international examples and data that demonstrates our changing […]
Mobility Hubs: Hype or Substance?
Mobility Hubs: Hype or Substance?
Mobility hubs are a hot concept – seen as a potential solution to multiple challenges, from enhancing the customer experience to extending the agency’s reach to advancing equity. But is this all hype? Or is there something real brewing? Let’s take a look at the evidence from around the country. We’ll share typologies for integrating […]
Infrastructure Projects and Tribal Lands
Infrastructure Projects and Tribal Lands
Infrastructure projects are always complex. And yet they happen within a fairly formulaic structure and sequence. How does this work when projects traverse and are meant to serve Native American communities and reservations? All too often, processes can neglect the sovereignty, cultural traditions, treaty rights and values of Tribes. Learn ways to work with Tribes […]
Flex Your BRT Muscles to Boost Your Corridor
Flex Your BRT Muscles to Boost Your Corridor
Communities of all sizes are planning, designing and building Bus Rapid Transit. Let’s dig into a couple of exciting and transformational case studies from Denver and Houston for specifics about flexing the mode to meet local needs – for high-quality transit, safer streets, more vital business districts and access to parks and public amenities. Find […]
Navigating Transit’s Fiscal Cliff
Navigating Transit’s Fiscal Cliff
Transit agencies across the country — particularly those reliant on farebox revenue — face an oncoming crisis as COVID relief operating funds will run out over the next few years. Ridership is still on a slow path to recovery, while inflation and workforce challenges are putting significant strain on the cost side. Mitigating risk starts […]
Transit + Mega Events: A Winning Team
Transit + Mega Events: A Winning Team
Whether it’s the World Cup, Super Bowl, Olympics, a political march or sold-out concert, transit can be a key differentiator in a successful mega event. Join experienced transit experts for a discussion around operations, security, marketing, partnerships and community engagement. Even if you’re from a smaller city, we’ll cover best practices that could come in […]
Doing It for the Neighborhood: Community-Centered Economic Inclusion
Doing It for the Neighborhood: Community-Centered Economic Inclusion
Community development corporations (CDCs) are neighborhood-level nonprofit organizations created to support and revitalize communities. To find out what this means on the ground, dive into a case study of the Retail, Arts, Innovation and Livability (RAIL) CDC in Mesa, Arizona. Small business support and economic capacity-building are core to their work, but not all. Their […]
Big Data So What? Let’s Get Somewhere
Big Data So What? Let’s Get Somewhere
Too many numbers can make us numb. Our ability to collect large amounts of data often outstrips the ability to analyze it or take action based on findings. There also are challenges of determining how much data to collect, how granular it should be, how to store it and how to set up systems to […]
ETOD: Centering Community Vision and Power
ETOD: Centering Community Vision and Power
Building power with communities is vital to envisioning more equitable transportation investments. So, let’s have a powerful discussion on the topic. Break into small groups and reflect on the role community visioning plays in the local planning context. How are you moving from community-engaged to community-led planning? How are public, private and community-based planning efforts […]
Closing Plenary Lunch – Downtown and Not Downtown: The Evolving Recipe for Resilient Places
Closing Plenary Lunch – Downtown and Not Downtown: The Evolving Recipe for Resilient Places
Welcome - Christopher Coes, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, Office of the Secretary, USDOT, Washington, DC Plenary - Downtown and Not Downtown: The Evolving Recipe for Resilient Places Why are some downtowns bouncing back more than others? What neighborhoods or places, downtown or not, are thriving – and why? Researchers typically measure downtown vitality via three […]
Regional Day: Continuing Our MOMENTUM
Regional Day: Continuing Our MOMENTUM
Forum 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm Networking 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm Regional day programming provides an opportunity for the local region to delve into issues that specifically affect them. Local conversations and local solutions. Open to the public. Register here - select Regional Day Only $25 - but (hurry!) the first 100 to register are […]