 |
IN FOCUS |
|
by Matthew W. Daus, Esq. |
||
 |
||
This year brought another highly successful conference of the International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR) in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The theme of the 2015 conference was "Regulatory Resiliency, Renewal and Regeneration."
Our 28th Annual Conference was one of the highest rated of all prior conferences. In addition to the high attendance rate, the results of our post conference survey contained some of the best ratings ever. Over 94% of attendees reported that the conference completely met and exceeded expectations and was worth the investment. Well over 82% of attendees indicated that the entertainment, events, speakers, program theme, and topics were very good, excellent or the "best ever."
Many people worked together to make this conference so successful, including our conference planning committee and our supportive conference hosts: Aref Salem, Linda Marchand, Kim Thibault, and Marie-Hélène Giguère of Montreal's Taxi Bureau, as well as our conference planners Bianca Blag and Michelle Iadarola.
In addition, the IATR's new partnership with the United States Department of Transportation's University Transportation Research Center (UTRC) from the City University of New York was on full display. Resources were committed from the university to help plan, support and implement the conference.
IATR President Matt Daus delivers welcoming remarks at the 2015 Montreal IATR conference, sporting an IATR hockey jersey.
Our thanks go out to Dr. Camille Kamga, Nadia Aslam and Tierra Fisher of the UTRC for their unwavering assistance. Of course, we could never have had such an outstanding conference without the support of our many sponsors who helped us with transportation, booths/displays and participation in our educational sessions.
Our Montreal program sessions addressed every current issue at both the high and granular levels. Experts and peers looked behind and beyond the current state of affairs of the technological disruption movement, while attempting to forecast the fast approaching future. Topics included pressing issues such as:
The IATR Board of Directors and Conference team, a Championship team of regulators, left to right, Joe Mora (Miami), Linda Marchand (Montreal conference host), James Bisson (Ontario), Matt Daus (IATR President, New York), Michel Trudel (former IATR President, Montreal), Tom Drischler (IATR Board Chair, Los Angeles), Helen Chapman (London), Jenny Teo (Singapore).
For the first time, we had a well received IATR Conference App that was used to provide a paperless format to view the speaker bios, presentations, events, and program. The program can be viewed here: http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/2015-IATR-Conference-Program.pdf. The papers, PowerPoints, photos, and videos of the conference can be viewed by members in good standing by visiting www.iatr.global.
We were honored to welcome the former Governor of the State of New York, Hon. David A. Paterson as our keynote speaker, who discussed his historic tenure, his approach and accomplishments in the for-hire transportation arena. Governor Paterson also shared his new activities and advocacy for clean air and accessible vehicles; safe, secure and efficient technologically, based ground transportation services and the EB-5 immigration program's transportation funding initiatives.
left to right, Tom Drischler (IATR Board Chair, Los Angeles), former New York State Governor David Paterson (New York), and Matt Daus (IATR President, New York).
Other highlights of the conference included:
the release of the final version of the Model Regulations for Accessibility: http://www.windelsmarx.com/resources/documents/IATR%20Accessibility%20Model%20Regs%2012.11.15%20(11157211).pdf;
review and discussion of the "One Standard for All" report by the City University of New York on best practices for driver criminal background checks:http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/pubs/Background%20Check%20Report.pdf;
the first ever Summit of Canadian Regulators to discuss transportation regulation issues north of the border; and
the release of major regulatory reforms by Transport for London, announced at our conference during the "Leveling of the Playing Field" panel discussion by Helen Chapman: https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/tph/private-hire-proposals/user_uploads/private-hire-proposals-sept-2015.pdf.
IATR Driver of the Year David Tuffs of Chicago (second from right) is joined by, left to right, Felix Shtayner (Head of Public Vehicle Operations at Chicago Medallion Management Co.), Rupal Bupat (Chicago regulator), Tom Drischler (IATR Board Chair, New York), Mohamed Darwish Al Qamzi (Abu Dhabi regulator), and Matt Daus (IATR President, New York).
IATR attendees were delighted to spend time in such a dynamic and exciting city as Montreal, where we celebrated its unique culture, history, and outstanding culinary and entertainment options. Among our networking and educational activities, we experienced, first hand, Canadian pride in the sport of ice hockey by holding our welcoming reception at the Montreal Forum. Our attendees faced off in a shoot out with a live goalie, while sporting their favorite hockey team jerseys on what used to be the ice rink where the Montreal Canadians played for decades.
Live Montreal entertainment and cocktail events included an outstanding blues/soul/rock performance by the Sylvie Desgroseilliers quartet, and our grand finale gala dinner at Cirque Éloize at the Gare Dalhouise, included performances by contortionists and acrobats. At our gala event, the IATR Board was pleased to present its annual Regulator of the Year award to Tina Paez of Houston, Texas who has been a strong and influential transportation regulator. She was originally introduced to the IATR via a scholarship. She held the line on public safety by ensuring that TNC drivers undergo criminal background checks via fingerprinting.
The IATR Board was also delighted to present its annual International Driver of the Year award to David Tuffs of Chicago, Illinois, for his exemplary service in providing wheelchair accessible service to disabled passengers. It was a conference to remember and an informative time was had by all.
The City of San Francisco is the birthplace of the technology transportation movement, the home of Silicon Valley and all things high tech, and a world leader in shared mobility, sustainable transportation and mobility management. As the host of IATR's 29th Annual Conference, the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Agency (SFMTA) will serve as our hub, showcasing its unique multi-modal transit management and regulatory approach.
After almost five (5) years of unprecedented smartphone transportation technology disruptive events, IATR regulators will return to the West Coast and Ground Zero of the Transportation Network Company (TNC) genesis.
The theme of IATR's 29th Annual Conference is "21st Century Transportation Regulation - A Vision for Shared Mobility, Multi-Modal Integration & Governance." The SFMTA has proven to be a successful experiment in the integration of taxicab regulation into a larger agency that manages multiple transit modes, including buses, subways, bicycles, and traffic management.
A true transportation hybrid entity, the SFMTA was ahead of the curve in terms of being ready for the sweeping technology changes that have brought regulatory approaches and competing or diverse transit modes together under one planning and management roof. SFMTA, at this critical time in transportation history, is the perfect host and case study for new and future regulatory models.
This conference is expected to center on high technology developments central to the evolution of 21st century taxicab and for-hire vehicle services. Topics will include the replacement or metamorphosis of the taximeter, autonomous and connected vehicles, Vision Zero safety technology developments, and on-board diagnostics. The use of smartphone technology platforms, aggregation services and integrated technology solutions will be examined, and the most current developments shared with conference attendees.
The establishment of the City of San Francisco involved mining for gold by 49ers searching for riches and fortune as part of the Gold Rush. In the 21st century, we have turned from mining for iron ore gold, to theoretical Silicon Valley gold - the collection and use of data. To this end, the 29th Annual Conference will focus extensively on open transportation data platforms by government and the private sector. It will include the IATR's first ever Hack-A-Thon, where technology experts will seek to solve service issues or problems through the analysis of SFMTA taxi and related data, in an exercise that will be shared during the conference.
The IATR's international footprint continues to grow exponentially, as the transportation technology disruption movement knows no borders. The varied regulatory responses in other parts of the world will be explored, on TNC and other topics. IATR will hold sessions that are dedicated to various continents and countries to highlight and focus on approaches to regulation, including separate sessions for Canadian, European, Asian and Australian regulators.
Former 2014 IATR Regulator of the Year (far left) Carlton Thomas of Austin, Texas, helps present the 2015 Regulator of the Year Award to Tina Paez of Houston, Texas (second from right).
Finally, this conference will focus on the developing concept of shared mobility in terms of environmentally sustainable modes of transportation, such as:
Leading academics, experts and practitioners will share information and knowledge about how transportation professionals are approaching 21st century multi-modal transit planning. They will examine, as well, where taxicabs, TNCs, limousines, and other for-hire vehicles fit in.
Merci beaucoup Montreal, and let's get ready for San Francisco!
