Do you know the way to San Jose? The Association’s 59th Annual Fall Conference & Expo is coming to Northern California this November, and you don’t want to miss it!
By Arianna Smith
Managing Editor
Transit California 
It’s time to make a plan to attend the Association's 59th Annual Fall Conference & Expo in downtown San Jose, California! As the organization rounds out its fifth decade, the conference this year will include both popular mainstay programming from past years, as well as new, engaging content and some changes to the format to keep up with the evolving transit industry’s needs.
This year's event will be held Wednesday, November 20 through Friday, November 22 and it will be hosted by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). VTA provides an extensive range of transit services, from bus, to light rail, to paratransit across Santa Clara County’s many cities and communities. The agency also serves as a funding partner for Caltrain, the Capitol Corridor, and the Altamont Corridor Express regional rail services.
“As host of the upcoming CTA Fall Conference and Expo in San Jose, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority looks forward to immersing attendees in all aspects of our agency and the diversity of cultures in San Jose,” said Carolyn Gonot, VTA’s CEO/General Manager. “We are thrilled to showcase the innovative projects and programs we've developed for Santa Clara County, including bus, light rail, and paratransit services, that provide seamless connections to other transit agencies across the Bay Area. VTA is committed to offering creative solutions as well as transit-oriented development that meet the diverse needs of our community, and we can’t wait for the CTA attendees to experience our vision firsthand.”
Check out the full Agenda-at-a-Glance, or read ahead for all the details you need to know.
Introducing Keynote Speakers: Olympian Summer Sanders and Transit Visionary Jarrett Walker
Conference attendees will have the pleasure of hearing from Summer Sanders, a celebrated gold medal-winning Olympic swimmer and media personality who grew up in Roseville, California. During her time as a college athlete at Stanford University, she won numerous NCAA titles and several medals in the 1991 World Championships. In 1992, she won four medals for the United States at the Barcelona Olympics. Following her successful competitive swimming career, she spent many years as a top sports television reporter, commentator and show host. Her speech will be both inspiring and timely as transit agencies across the state are working hard to plan and prepare to provide critical transportation services at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Ms. Sanders will speak on what it means to overcome challenges and adversity, how teamwork can lead to success and what athletes – and fans – are looking for from an Olympic host. Her keynote speech is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at 4:30 PM.
On Thursday at 9:30 AM, transit leader Jarrett Walker will provide insights on the state of the industry, as well as new ways of thinking about transit’s future. Walker is the author of the landmark book Human Transit: How Clearer Thinking about Public Transit Can Enrich Our Communities and Our Lives, which was recently revised, updated and expanded for 2024 audiences. Additionally, Dr. Walker has served as a transit planning consultant for a wide range of communities since 1991.
The Venue, the Expo, and Key Events
Conference programming will be held in and around the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.
This year, the event will include over 85 exhibitors – an Expo record – with new foyer booths near registration, as well as a Hospitality Suite. By making some targeted schedule changes, the Association has ensured that attendees and vendors alike will benefit from additional time to network with one another and visit exhibitor booths during the Wednesday evening Welcome Reception at 6 PM and throughout the morning and afternoon on Thursday.
Attendees are invited to join VTA for tech tours on Thursday afternoon at 3:45 PM. Additionally, Association sponsor Hayden AI will be back at the conference, with ongoing demonstrations right outside the convention center. Watch your email and the Association’s social media accounts (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram) for more details about tech tours and demos to be announced.
The Association’s membership includes agencies that operate some of the nation’s largest transit systems, but the majority of the Association’s transit agency members are small operators. That’s why the conference includes the annual Small Operators Awards breakfast, where small agencies and individuals who serve them will be recognized for outstanding service and innovative 2024 projects. This year’s breakfast takes place on Friday at 8:30 AM (please note that attendance at this breakfast requires a separate registration and fee).
Finally, attendees may wish to take part in the 13th Annual Jim Ditch Classic Golf Tournament at Coyote Creek Golf Club, which takes place on Tuesday, November 19 (the day before the conference begins). The tournament, which is not officially part of the conference and requires a separate registration, recognizes and remembers Jim Ditch, a passionate leader in transit education and a founding father of the California Transit Training Consortium. To date, the tournament has raised over $283,000 for an Education Fund, and it has provided 79 scholarships for students who want a career in public transit.
Concurrent Sessions
Previous attendees will recall the conference’s four blocks of interactive breakout sessions scheduled on Thursday and Friday. In total, the conference will offer twenty sessions for attendees to choose from divided into five topical tracks: Community Outreach and Community Benefits; Management & Leadership; Maintenance; Policy, Innovation, and Customer Experience; and Operations.
This event marks the second time that the Association has solicited concurrent session proposals from its membership and beyond, rather than determining the topics internally. Over 90 proposals were submitted, and Association leadership and committees selected components of 36 proposals to be included in this year’s sessions.
Additionally, 2023 conference attendees who responded to the post-conference survey were clear on their desire for the event to continue to include and continue to improve upon sessions focused on transit safety and transit diversity. As a result, twelve sessions across all the topical tracks are designated as “safety” or “equity” focused sessions.
Be on the lookout for an October announcement with detailed session topics and speakers!
Sponsorship, Registration, and Accommodations
Association members can purchase Full Conference passes for $500 or Single Day Wednesday or Thursday passes for $375. For non-members, Full Conference passes are $750, and Single Day passes cost $575. An early bird discount is available until October 9, but attendees can register as late as the first day of the conference on November 20.
The Small Operators Awards Breakfast is a separate charge of $80.
The Association has reserved room blocks at a discounted rate for conference attendees at the nearby Hilton San Jose at $292/night and the Marriott San Jose for $269/night. Price and availability subject to change. The deadline to reserve a room in the block is October 29.
The Association is grateful for its Year-Round Sponsors as well as specific Conference Sponsorships. Sponsorships are still open and available for the highly visible Welcome Reception, as well as for lanyards that every conference attendee wears with their name badges. For more information about cultivating top-of-mind brand awareness, access to senior-level influencers, and thought-leadership exposure, contact Association Business Development Director Kristian Ross-Patchin at kristian@caltransit.org to learn more and view the event’s sponsorship options.
Registrants will have access to an all new conference app that will be continuously updated with the latest information.
To register or to get more information, check out the conference website.
We’ll see you in San Jose!