The Association’s 60th Annual Conference & Expo at the Long Beach Convention Center is just days away. Here’s what you need to know about the latest additions – and why you should join us in Long Beach!
By Arianna Smith
Managing Editor
Transit California
In less than one week, transit leaders will descend on Long Beach for the Association’s signature event. As previously reported in Transit California, this year the California Transit Association will celebrate a major conference anniversary, with some of the most important voices and topical discussions in the transit world. Come join us, alongside host agency Long Beach Transit, from Wednesday, November 5 through Friday, November 7, 2025 for the California Transit Association’s 60th Annual Fall Conference & Expo!
What we’ve added: new partnerships, speakers, and events
For months, the excitement has been building for the conference keynote address speakers, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg (on Wednesday) and Lincoln Room Strategies CEO Lynda Tran (on Thursday). Now we’re pleased to announce even more nationally and state-recognized transit speakers!
Welcome remarks will be offered by California’s Secretary of Transportation Toks Omishakin, famous for his “Core Four” transit principles of Safety, Equity, Climate Action and Economic Prosperity that have become the state’s top transportation priorities. Additional remarks will be offered by California State Senator Lena Gonzalez, who served as Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee for three years, and who currently serves as Senate Majority Leader and Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus. (Here’s a full list of all speakers sharing their expertise at the conference.)
Even before the official start of the conference, attendees can join the organization Latinos in Transit for a Networking Mixer on Tuesday, November 4, from 6-8 p.m. in Downtown Long Beach. Visit their website for registration details.
Also on Wednesday, the Small Operators Award Lunch will feature a special address by Dina El-Tawansy, Director of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). Director El-Tawansy was recently profiled in Transit California’s August 2025 edition. At the lunch, the Association will present four awards: the Transit Professional of the Year Award and the Distinguished Service Award for outstanding individuals, and the Transit Agency of the Year Award the Transit Innovation Award for outstanding programs and services. The Awards Lunch is open to all but requires a separate fee of $100 (available for purchase during the registration process).
On Thursday, the Association is partnering with the California Transportation Foundation (CTF) to offer a unique opportunity during CTF’s two-day Education Symposium, a mentoring program that includes a Team Challenge with students who are the next generation of transportation talent. Conference attendees are invited to join CTF's Symposium as an option during the “Tech Tours” time slot (Thursday from 3:45-5:45 PM) for a fun, interactive mentoring and networking activity with students from California colleges and universities. Transportation is provided by conference host agency Long Beach Transit. Conference participants who wish to attend the Symposium must pre-register and select the CTF Reception Guest Option from the registration options. A separate registration fee will be collected by CTF.
On the final day of the conference, a Caltrans data quality workshop will be hosted by the California Integrated Travel Project (Cal-ITP) that emphasizes how good data helps agencies meet and exceed customer expectations. The workshop will focus on understanding, implementing and applying best practices for the General Transit Feed Specification Realtime (GTFS-rt) standard.
New details on deep dive Concurrent Sessions
While we’ve changed up and added numerous scheduled events at this year’s conference, our Concurrent Sessions follow a familiar formula: four blocks of interactive breakout sessions are scheduled on Thursday and Friday. The twenty concurrent session panels are grouped by topical track. Here are some highlights:
In the Community Outreach and Community Benefits track, attendees will learn how to increase ridership and public support of transit programs. Two panels offer insights on best practices for serving specific rider populations (“Neurodiversity in Transit Interiors: Strategies to Address Needs of All Riders” and “Engaging the Next Generation: Pathways to Youth Participation in the Public Transportation”) to help ensure that they view transit as an attractive, affordable option for getting places, and that they use transit more often in their communities. Two other panels will discuss successful case studies for generating public engagement and political support for transit programs and policies (“Engaging Stakeholders to Keep and Build Public Support for Inclusivity Programs” and “Winning Hearts and Headlines: Selling Public Transit Success Stories”).
The Management and Leadership track panels offer in-depth discussions on topics of interest to participants who are or want to serve in agency leadership roles. “Succession Planning and Performance Management 101” provides practical insights for succession planning and modernizing performance management systems, while “Crisis Communications: Effective Strategies During Emergencies” explores real-life examples of transit agencies using digital tools and traditional communication channels to manage emergencies. Panelists on “The Powerless Brokers: Why California Can't Build Transit” grapple with concerns of overlapping jurisdictions, weak coordination, and misaligned incentives that undermine project delivery while exploring strategies to streamline decision-making, build accountability, and reduce barriers that slow progress. Finally, panelists on “Mobilizing the Masses: Getting to ‘Yes’ on Local Transportation Measures” will provide practical guidance on building local and regional support for self-help measures.
The Maintenance track panels provide expert updates on a variety of long-standing transit labor and technological adoption concerns. Three panels explore complex facets of the state’s transition to Zero Emissions technologies (“Weathering the Future: Resilient Power Strategies for Zero-Emission Transit”, “2025 Status Update on CA Zero-Emission Bus Regulations”, and “Approaching the Off-Ramp: Accessing State Support and Regulatory Relief for the ICT Regulation”). The fourth offers real-world insights on addressing workforce and operational challenges in public transit through labor-management collaboration (“Take the High Road: High Road Partnerships in the Transit Industry”).
This year, the Policy, Innovation, and Customer Experience track splits panels between wide-ranging policy discussions and deep dives on transit technologies. Two panels will provide 2025 legislative updates - from the federal multi-year reauthorization bill coming up (“Inside the Beltway: 2025 Federal Legislative Update”) to new developments at the state level (“Under the Dome: 2025 State Legislative Update”). Two other panels give participants the chance to learn about technologies that are enhancing rider and operator experiences alike (“Artificial Intelligence” and “The Power of Fare Innovation & Integration”).
Finally, the Operations track panels looks toward the future: upcoming special events that will draw visitors to California from around the world (“Transit Safety: Transit Worker Assaults, Special Events & Security”), the Earth’s changing climate (“Rebuilding a Resilient Transit System”), the ongoing evolution of state and federal transit funding (“Cutting Costs Without Cutting Service”), and changing technologies (“Technology Enablement to Transit Operations”).
Ways to participate
If you’re ready to plan your conference schedule, check out the online agenda. And new this year, you can customize content from the Association’s helpful media guide designed especially for attendees, participants, sponsors and exhibitors to amplify your own participation on your personal, professional, or organizational social media feeds.
If you still haven’t made up your mind about attending part or all of the event, you still have (a little bit of) time: You can register right now online through November 5, or even in person on the first day of the conference!
Finally, keep watching your email and the Association’s social media accounts (X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky) for late-breaking additions and exciting surprises throughout the event. See you in Long Beach!