OHIO NEEDS TRANSIT CONFERENCE & OPTA EXPO 2021 | Education & Networking




OHIO NEEDS TRANSIT CONFERENCE 2021 includes Feature Presentations, twenty-four Panels and Topic Discussions, Industry Track Sessions, Networking and Social activities and the vibrant OPTA EXPO 2021.
OHIO NEEDS TRANSIT CONFERENCE 2021 provides continuing education credit sessions presented by the National Transit Institute – NTI.
NATIONAL TRANSIT INSTITUTE – NTI PRESENTS
Wednesday, September 15
9:30 - 3:30 pm
Growing Your Ridership by Welcoming Older Riders (details)
REGISTRATION REQUIRED TO ATTEND | LIMITED SEATING AVAILABLE
INDUSTRY TRACK SESSIONS
Wednesday, September 15
9:30 am – 3:30 pm
Maintenance Track & Luncheon
​
9:30 am – 12 Noon
Educational Vendor Presentations
Cummins Diesel Engines Update:
Best Maintenance Practices and Campaigns
Cummins Hydrogen Fuel Cell and Battery Electric Systems
​
12 Noon – 1 pm
Luncheon & Networking
​
1 pm – 3:30 pm
Preteckt “Predictive” Maintenance Analytics
Trapeze Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) – Asset Management, Maintenance and Inventory Software for Transit
Trapeze “Next Gen” Maintenance with Yard Management & Vehicle Intelligence
REGISTRATION REQUIRED TO ATTEND
Wednesday, September 15
9:30 am – 3:30 pm
Mobility Management Track & Luncheon
​
9:30 am – 12 Noon
Medicaid Transportation 101
Best Practices When Transitioning to Regions
​
12 Noon – 1 pm
Luncheon & Networking
​
1 pm – 3:30 pm
Mobility Managers Fall Roundtable
Hosted by the Ohio Department of Transportation
REGISTRATION REQUIRED TO ATTEND
Wednesday, September 15
11:00 am - 3:30 pm
Marketing Industry Track & Luncheon
​
11:00 – 11:45 am
Story-Pitching to News Outlets
Radio, Print & Television Panelists
​
12 Noon – 1 pm
Lunch & Learn
Crisis Management, Crisis Communications and Social Media (details)
1 pm – 3 pm
Marketing Annual Meeting
REGISTRATION REQUIRED TO ATTEND
NETWORKING & SOCIAL EVENTS
Wednesday, September 15
OPTA Member Celebration
Akron Art Museum
Presented by

Thursday, September 16
OPTA Celebrates Transit
Canal Park Stadium
Akron RubberDucks vs Somerset Patriots
Presented by

PANEL & TOPIC DISCUSSIONS
24 Panel & Topic Discussions will be presented on a variety of topics.
Diversity & Inclusion • Funding • Growing Ridership
Human Resources & Leadership
Legal • MaaS • Marketing • Mobility Management • Vehicle Maintenance
Thursday, September 16 | 8:15 – 9:15 am
6 sessions total
Dayton, Ohio: Birthplace of North American MaaS | Maas Track (details)
The Four Congruent Skills of Intuitive Leaders | Human Resources & Leadership Track (details)
​
​
30 Legal Questions Answered in 60 Minutes | Legal Track (details)
​
Service Expansion During a Pandemic | Growing Ridership Track (details)
​
Transit’s Role in Vaccination: Promotion & Marketing | Marketing Track (details)
Thursday, September 16 | 9:30 – 10:30 am
6 sessions total
Partnering for a New Strategy - Part 1 | Human Resources & Leadership Track (details)
​
Is Microtransit the Key to Unlocking Transit for All? | MaaS Track (details)
​
A Tale of Two Levies | Funding Track (details)
​
Contactless Ticketing Across Ohio | MaaS Track (details)
​
The Impact of Legalized Marijuana | Legal Track (details)
​
Navigating the “Me-Too” Movement in Transit | Diversity & Inclusion (details)
Thursday, September 16 | 10:45 – 11:45 am
6 sessions total
Gold Star Grantees: How to Apportion & Manage Federal Funding Effectively and Efficiently at State, Regional, and Local Levels | Funding Track (details)
​
Women in Transit Panel Discussion | Diversity & Inclusion (details)
​
A New Dawn of Transit in Greater Cincinnati | Growing Ridership Track (details)
​
Partnering for a New Strategy - Part 2 | Human Resources & Leadership Track (details)
​
Digital Transformation in Public Transit | MaaS Track (details)
​
Friday, September 17 | 11 am – 12 Noon
6 sessions total
OTPP Grant Guidance and Application Showcase | Funding Track (details)
​
Social Media: Why it is Quickly Becoming Your #1 Advertising Tool | Marketing Track (details)
​
On-Demand Microtransit, Paratransit and Bus in Central Ohio | MaaS Track (details)
​
Getting to Know COMTO | Diversity & Inclusion Track (details)
​
The Plan-Pay-Ride Revolution: Towards Rider-Focused Mobility | MaaS Track (details)
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus Adoption in Ohio | Vehicle Maintenance (details)
Thank you to our
OHIO NEEDS TRANSIT & OPTA EXPO Committee!
Denisa Baba, PARTA
Daron Brown, Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority
Katherine Conrad, Ohio Transit Risk Pool
Elle Decot, CHW Advisors
Matt Dutkevicz, Butler County RTA
Marcia Fletcher, PARTA
Andy Hodovan, Ohio Transit Risk Pool
Claire Merrick, METRO RTA
Angela Neeley, METRO RTA
Jessica Olson, Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority
Julia Schick, Laketran
Blair Taseff, TESCO
Tom Wagner, GILLIG
Shannon Webster, Greene CATS Public Transit
Ohio Public Transit Association
605 N. High St., #175
Columbus, OH 43215
​
Elle Decot, Administrator
937.537.0625
CONNECT
JOIN OPTA NOW! Visit our Member Center for details on the work statewide that the leadership and members are doing and how your business can benefit. The Association provides leadership, resources, training, government relations and advocacy services to public and private transit agencies and transit service providers across the state.
GET INVOLVED
If you work in – or just love transit – there are many ways to get involved with a passionate group of state-wide leadership who are working to transform mobility and redesign the future of transit.
NAVIGATE: