I am pleased and proud to report that the 32nd annual conference of the International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR) in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, was a resounding success! Our conference was attended by transportation professionals from around the world and the networking, events, program and ratings from attendees was off the charts! In our latest membership survey, conference attendees were overwhelmingly satisfied, with 59% saying the overall conference was excellent, 15% saying it was very good, and 18% saying it was either the best conference they ever attended at IATR – or during their lifetime.
As we enter the remaining weeks of 2019, we are encouraging everyone who is interested in the IATR to take advantage of an end-of-year discount program for membership, expiring December 31, 2019, for 2020 membership, and for early discounted sponsorship packages and registration rates for our 33rd annual conference in Memphis, Tenn. from Sept. 21-24, 2020. Membership benefits include immediate access to all videos, PowerPoint presentations, papers and other information from the Calgary conference, as well as access and participation in year-round webinars, committee meetings/calls, weekly newsletters and model regulations projects.
In order to take advantage of these discounts and to learn more about becoming involved, renewing membership or making plans to attend our 2020 conference, visit www.iatr.globaland/or reach out to our IATR membership director, Monica Fainshtein, at mfainshtein@iatr.global.
Day 1: IATR’s 3rd Annual Boot Camp
In keeping pace with the City of Calgary’s slogan, “Be part of the energy,” the IATR kicked off its 32nd annual conference with an action-packed day of boot camps – and our conference attendees did not disappoint. In fact, our attendees broke the record for the number to attend the boot camp sessions! To help bridge the information gap between American and Canadian laws and regulations, the IATR curated its program to incorporate experts and speakers from both the U.S. and Canada.
Our first training session concerned transportation law enforcement, where regulators from Chicago, Rhode Island, Calgary and Burlington discussed the different methods of regulation in their jurisdictions. For our driver training session, we were joined by regulators from Montreal, who discussed ways to implement effective training programs and ensure that accessibility issues are addressed. For our training session on meter regulation, we were joined by representatives from the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Flywheel Technologies, and the Records & Licensing Services in King County, Wash.
We concluded the first day of our conference with the highly-anticipated transportation insurance primer, where experts from the New York City Black Car Fund, the Canadian-based insurance firm, HUB International Insurance Brokers, inDriver, and a representative on behalf of the Institutes Griffith Insurance Education Foundation introduced the basic industry, economics, legal, policy and regulatory concepts, and built upon recent trends in the U.S., Canada and beyond.
IATR President Matthew W. Daus, Esq. introduces the Transportation Insurance Primer Panelists from Left to Right: Ira Goldstein (New York City Black Car Fund), David Pooser (on behalf of the Institutes Griffith Insurance Education Foundation), Sasha Ozeran (inDriver), Ramy Dasuki (HUB International Insurance Brokers)
Day 2: Smart & Equitable City Workshop
Following our Sunday line-up of boot camp sessions, our conference attendees gave a warm welcome to our keynote speaker, Councilor Diane Colley-Urquhart, who has served on Calgary’s City Council as a Ward Councilor, City-wide Official and Deputy Mayor for nearly 20 years, serving in her seventh term in office as an elected official. Councilor Colley-Urquhart champions initiatives to improve the lives of Calgarians and has made wellness, prevention, community safety and security hallmarks in her elected role.
Left to Right: Richard Hinse (City of Calgary), Carlton Thomas (IATR Board Chair), Carmen Hindson (City of Calgary), Diane Colley-Urquhart (Calgary City Councilor and Keynote Speaker), Matthew W. Daus, Esq. (IATR President), Abdul Rafih (IATR 2019 Conference Host)
We then launched into a panel of officials from the city of Calgary, who presented the history and current status of transportation mobility governance, regulations and issues affecting passengers and industry stakeholders. Then, representatives from Houston, Edmonton and Seattle – Calgary’s sister cities – joined the panel to provide feedback and advice for Calgary’s “Smart City Plan”.
Our Sister City Panelists from Left to Right: Kayla Matteotti (City of Edmonton), Nikki Cooper (City of Houston), Mary Mitchell (City of Seattle)
In the afternoon, we hosted our “Innovative Regulatory Frameworks – The Future of Mobility” panel. Representatives from the City of Chicago, the City of Mississauga, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), and the Responsible Hospitality Institute (RHI) discussed the definitional lines between services (e.g., limo versus bus), public-private partnerships with public transit agencies for first-and-last-mile, paratransit and mobility as a service (MAAS) initiatives, and the introduction of nightlife district management by cities (including Nighttime Mayors). They also addressed partnerships which challenge the ability of fragmented regulatory leadership to plot a course for the future. In light of these challenges, the panelists focused on various international approaches to reconciling or working around the increasingly diverse series of regulations to serve all people, safely, equitably and efficiently, taking into account mobility plans and innovative approaches to getting all modes to work together.
Our Innovative Frameworks Panelists from Left to Right: Jim Peters (Responsible Hospitality Institute), Matthew W. Daus, Esq. (IATR President), Jarvis Murray (LADOT), Michael Foley (City of Mississauga), Rosa Escareño (City of Chicago), Abdul Rafih (IATR 2019 Conference Host)
We rounded off the second day of our conference with our “Regulator Star Trek – The Next Gen of Mobility Management Professionals” panel. Representatives from the District of Columbia, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, the City of Portland Bureau of Transportation and SunLine Regulatory Administration presented innovative reforms and initiatives that their agencies were working on. Topics included taxicabs for low-income veterans and foster child transportation, as well as the Transport DC grant program and accessibility initiatives, Montgomery County’s new taxicab-paratransit program with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WAMATA), Portland’s legislative attempts to preempt local TNC jurisdiction, and SunLine Regulatory Administration’s new regulatory frameworks and reciprocity issues based on the passage of California State law 1069.
Our Regulator Star Trek Panel from Left to Right: Michael Tietjen (Government District of Columbia Department of For-Hire Vehicles), Matthew Erickson (City of Portland), Carlton Thomas (Moderator and IATR Board Chair), Matthew Daus, Esq. (IATR President), Michal Brock (SunLine Regulatory Agency), Hannah Henn (Montgomery County DOT), Abdul Rafih (IATR 2019 Conference Host)
Day 3: Automated Mobility Kick-Off – Who is Doing What to Prepare for Shared Automated & Connect Vehicles
Leaders from UC Berkeley, the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), Airport Ground Transportation Association (AGTA), Ford Smart Mobility, the University Transportation Research Center (UTRC) and SAE International discussed a wide-range of issues affecting their constituents and the future of mobility in a fast-changing business environment. These panelists discussed the socio-economic and regulatory impacts of automated and connected vehicles and identified the outline of issues to be addressed in the IATR’s Model Regulations for Automated Transportation.
Our Automated Mobility Panel from Left to Right: Abdul Rafih (IATR 2019 Conference Host), William Gouse (SAE International), Ray Mundy (Airport Ground Transportation Association), Jon Coleman (Ford Smart Mobility), Camille Kamga (University Transportation Research Center), Jaspal Singh (International Association of Public Transport), Adam Cohen (UC Berkeley), Matthew W. Daus, Esq. (IATR President)
Following the panel, our attendees joined different breakout groups to develop a plan for innovative multi-modal integration and preparation for the future implementation and introduction of shared automated and connected vehicles. The benchmarking and best practices blueprint from this day-long session and workshop will be used to formulate the IATR’s Model Regulations for Automated Transportation – which will result in the drafting of such regulations before the 2020 IATR conference, during which there will be an international public hearing to provide final comments.
Day 4: It’s All About the Drivers!
Our final “It’s All About the Drivers” panel discussed the major changes that the gig economy transportation workforce is undergoing. This panel explored how we got to this stage of unrest, what the drivers want in terms of work expectations, wages and benefits, as well as new revenue streams and entrepreneurship opportunities (i.e., advertising, food delivery/messenger services). A discussion also ensued about new apps that are entering the marketplace – to either help manage existing TNC options, or totally new TNCs offering different business opportunities for drivers.
We concluded our conference with our Technology and Innovation, Canadian Regulators, Accessible Transport, Safety, and TNC Working Group committee meetings. Exclusive presentations about new technological advancements in the transportation industry were delivered by representatives from Athena Insights and RedRoute.
IATR 2019 Award Recipients
Hack-A-Thon Winners, Regulator & Driver of the Year Awards
Left to Right: Matthew W. Daus, Esq. (IATR President), Monica Fainshtein (IATR Membership Director), Adam Cohen (UC Berkeley), Assel Dmitriyeva (Hack-a-Thon Winner), Carlton Thomas (IATR Board Chair), Reuben Juster (Hack-a-Thon Winner), Camille Kamga (University Transportation Research Center), Avi Itzhakov (Curb Mobility), Athan Rebelos (Curb Mobility), Abdul Rafih (IATR 2019 Conference Host)
The winners of IATR’s 4th Annual Hack-A-Thon were Assel Dmitriyeva, and Reuben Juster, who traveled from Kazakhstan and New York City, respectively, on behalf of New York University (NYU). Their “smart city proposal” focused on how Calgary and other cities could decrease the negative impacts of TNCs without limiting peoples’ mobility options. They ultimately proposed a Dynamic Ride Sharing System, which encouraged riders with the same origin to pair their trips if both can be conveniently served with one vehicle. The team concluded that this solution can be easily implemented, will decrease the number of vehicles on the road and will better utilize curb space.
Left to Right: Matthew W. Daus, Esq. (IATR President), Kurt Enders (President and Owner of Checker Cabs), Jass Tatla (2019 Driver of the Year), Abdul Rafih (IATR 2019 Conference Host), Carlton Thomas (IATR Board Chair)
The IATR’s 2019 International Driver of the Year was awarded to Mr. Jass Tatla, a well-respected driver from Checker Transportation Group. Mr. Tatla has been licensed with livery transport services since 2009. During the last 10 years, he has displayed a high level of professionalism by always being sincere and polite to his passengers, possessing a great positive attitude, and ensuring that he delivers the best possible service to the traveling public.
Left to Right: Matthew W. Daus, Esq. (IATR President), Jarvis Murray (IATR’s 2019 Regulator of the Year), Carlton Thomas (IATR Board Chair), Abdul Rafih (IATR 2019 Conference Host)
The IATR awarded its 2019 Regulator of the Year award to Jarvis Murray of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT). Since 2016, Mr. Murray has been the Taxicab Administrator for the City of Los Angeles. As part of his role, Mr. Murray is tasked with directing policy for the for-hire industry and working with stakeholders to develop partnerships, improve technology, and manage a regulatory overhaul that is expected to raise the level of service while bringing the for-hire industry into the future. His accomplishments include overseeing a Taxicab Study along with his colleagues at LADOT: Ms. Seleta Reynolds, General Manager, Brian Bass, Senior Management Analyst, and Irene Sae Koo, Senior Management Analyst.
The team began the process of determining the best framework for regulating taxis, TNCs, microtransit, and all forms of for-hire transportation services under a single regulatory framework that aligns with the Department’s strategic implementation plan.
Calgarian Festivities
The IATR also organized a site visit to the picturesque Town of Banff, where attendees had the opportunity to explore the shops and take a gondola ride in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The annual awards night and party took place in the Kananaskis Ranch, where our attendees got a taste of authentic Calgarian barbecue and a live performance from the spectacular Side One band.
Our attendees spent the afternoon exploring the beautiful Canadian Rocky Mountains in the Town of Banff.
’ Regulator Matt Daus heats up his guitar over the fire pit during a guest performance with the Side One band at the Kananaskis Ranch.
IATR Gets Ready to Rock the Regulatory World in Memphis
The IATR is excited to announce its 33rd Annual Conference in Memphis, Tenn. Please join us at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis from September 21-24, 2020. The “Home of Blues, Soul and Rock’n’Roll” is the perfect city to host our “Rocking Regulators” conference. Named after the ancient Egyptian city meaning “Place of Good Abode,” the good will exemplified by our conference hosts has already excited the IATR base, with thoughts of Elvis and Beale Street already percolating.
The theme of the 33rd Annual IATR Conference will be “Rockin’ Regulation!” The “Birthplace of Rock’n’Roll” is the perfect place to celebrate a “rebirth” of new policy and governance approaches that are rocking the regulatory landscape. The changed world of regulation and the many new IATR members with diverse modal responsibilities will be on full display, with a nod not just to legacy industry regulation, but also to futuristic modes and the next round of disruption to come.
The program for the 2020 Memphis Conference will include:
- NEMT (Non-Emergency Medical Transport) Disruption:The taxicab industry and TNCs are both disrupting the health care transport field, including both public and private paratransit businesses and brokerage models, and an exploration of the latest technological and business developments will be coupled with NEMT duty of care and certification programs.
- Urban Air Mobility:Yes, that’s right, flying taxis are coming, and they are real! Some suggest that the various pilot programs already underway show the most promise for future mobility and may be implemented more easily and quicker than autonomous vehicles.
- Micro-Mobility – The Management of Sustainable Modes: More and more IATR members are responsible for micro-transit, bike share programs (docked and dockless), scooters, pedicabs and other modes. The governmental administration and oversight process for managing, franchising and licensing these new modes can be daunting, and experienced regulators will share their insight with industry participant input.
- AVs & CVs:The IATR will hold an International Public Hearing to receive public comments and input on proposed Model Regulations for Automated & Connected Vehicles, and will explore deployment, testing and implementation paradigm options and new regulatory frameworks.
- Global Regulator Spotlight:The IATR will present an international overview of every continent, including regulatory challenges, technological developments and the state of regulation in all hemispheres as part of Regulatory Star Trek 3.0 – The Next Generation.
In addition, the results of the 5th Annual IATR Hack-A-Thon, the theme of which was “Micro-Transit” – a jointly sponsored event with the Transportation Alliance (formerly TLPA), will fit nicely into the micro-mobility frameworks panel.
Also, our 4th Annual Boot Camp will be back, with the following topics under development: Transportation Data Mining & Analysis; Public & Media Relations 101 – Stakeholder Management; and Mobility-As-A-Service.
