UTC Spring 2024 Seminar Series

The outlook for paratransit services will be the focus of UTC Seminar Series online presentations during the spring 2024 semester. Here are some details:

February 22: The debut UTC Seminar Series presentation for Spring 2024 focused on a wide range of issues and developments involving paratransit services across metropolitan Chicago.  Speakers from the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) tackled funding, right-of-way challenges, reduced fare programs, ADA paratransit eligibility and more.  We recorded the presentation, “The Outlook for Paratransit Across Metropolitan Chicago in 2024.”  Visit this link to access a Box folder with the zoom recording, audio only recording, Chat comments, and three presentations.

March 21: The second UTC Seminar Series presentation for Spring 2024 focused on the growth of paratransit services in Northeastern Illinois and a statewide initiative to provide paratransit vehicles to transit providers and non-profit organizations.  Featured speakers were Pace Suburban Bus  Executive Director Melinda Metzger and Zoe Keller, Illinois Department of Transportation Section Chief, Office of Intermodal Project Implementation.  Miss “The Evolution of Pace Paratransit and IDOT Consolidated Vehicle Procurement Program?” Visit this link to access a Box folder with the zoom recording, audio only recording, Chat comments and PowerPoint decks.

April 11: The final talk, “Hailing Uber While Wheeling,” featured Dr. Mahtot Gebresselassie, Assistant Professor at York University in Toronto.  The focus was on a recent study, “Wheelchair Users’ Perspective on Transportation Service Hailed Through Uber and Lyft Apps.” All are invited to visit this link to access a Box folder with the zoom recording, audio only recording, Chat comments and the PowerPoint presentation.

UTC Fall 2023 Seminar Series

For fall 2023, the UTC Seminar Series centered on the growing microtransit shared transportation networks nationwide and across metropolitan Chicago.

These online presentations were held via Zoom. Our sincere thanks to the transportation professionals who shared knowledge and insight, and to those who registered and participated in these hour-long conversations.  Watch this space for news early in 2024 on Seminar Series events for the Spring semester.

September 21: “New Developments in Microtransit,” with Natalie Covill-Fontaine of the Federal Transit Administration and Rudy Faust of the Shared Use Mobility Center.  Download the zoom AV, audio only, Chat and PowerPoint decks. 

October 19: “Connecting Cook County: An Overview of Cook County’s Support for Microtransit and Multimodal Initiatives,” with Curtis Witek and Benet Haller of the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development, and Joe Ronovsky from the Village of Bedford Park. Download the zoom AV, audio only and PowerPoint deck.

November 16: “Connecting Riders: Pace Contracts with Rideshare Services to Strengthen First/Last-Mile Connections,” with Steven Andrews, Pace Suburban Bus Community Relations Manager.  Download the zoom AV, audio only, Chat and PowerPoint deck.

Visit the Webinars page to access recordings from Seminar Series presentations in 2021, 2022 and Spring 2023.