Innovative Service Strategies and Exploring New Partnerships

Dear Colleague:

Communities around the country face the growing challenges of traffic congestion and mobility. Our public transportation agencies are playing a vital role in developing and delivering the transportation choices that are so crucial to our quality of life and economic prosperity.

In order to serve increasingly diverse travel patterns, public transportation agencies are using innovative service strategies and exploring new partnerships. For example, as a complement to fixed-route bus and rail transit, some organizations have developed vanpool programs to provide an attractive door-to-door travel option for longer-distance commutes. Vanpools offer an efficient service alternative for lower-density developments and outlying communities. Additionally, more and more public transportation agencies are working closely with groups like Transportation Management Associations to forge strong partnerships with the private sector and promote transportation choices.

The Association for Commuter Transportation and its members have been at the forefront of these innovative approaches. I encourage you to review the attached brochure and consider how your region might benefit from increased use of these strategies. I believe that strong local partnerships with groups like Transportation Management Associations and the integration of flexible public transportation services, like vanpools, are just a few of the ways we can begin to improve mobility and accessibility in our communities.

Sincerely,
Jennifer L. Dorn