From book launches to tech demos and cookies: Highlights from APTA TRANSform 2024
From a book launch to product demonstrations and tasty cookies, the Vontas booth was a standout highlight of APTA 2024 TRANSform, held in Anaheim, California, from September 29 to October 2.
Check out our APTA TRANSform interview with Paul Comfort, where Peter Aczel, Richard Blackburn, and Zac Herness discuss what’s new at Vontas!
As attendees entered the exhibition floor, they were welcomed by an engaging booth featuring live product demos, Vontas-branded cookies, and exciting book signings. The conference kicked off Sunday with a signing reception for Paul Comfort, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer, who unveiled his new book, *The New Future of Public Transportation*. A long queue quickly formed, and every copy was snapped up, reflecting strong interest in Comfort’s industry insights.
The energy continued into Monday as Comfort hosted a panel featuring five prominent transit agency CEOs. Discussions spanned leadership experiences to how agencies like Hong Kong’s manage operations without subsidies.
The panel included:
- Andy Lord, Commissioner at Transport for London
- Dottie Watkins, CEO of CAPMetro (Austin)
- Dwight A. Ferrell, CEO of Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (Detroit)
- Shawn M. Donaghy, MPA, CEO of North County Transit District
- Adam Leishman, Executive Chairman, Ascendal Group (Hong Kong)
The lively exchange drew a crowd around the Vontas booth, eager to hear directly from industry leaders.
Showcasing innovation through demonstrations
The product demos spotlighted the latest advancements in Vontas technology, including OnCall, OnRoute, and OnSite.
Vontas OnCall is the result of integrating Orion’s Push-to-Talk (PTT) capabilities with the OnRoute CAD/AVL system. This unified platform boosts communication and incident response, supporting real-time updates and reinforcing passenger and operator safety.
Learn more about
Orion’s Push-to-Talk solution and the
Vontas OnRoute platform.
The OnRoute and OnSite demos also featured new functionality, including a powerful integration with
Swiftly and Transit. This enhancement enables real-time service updates for riders, even during unexpected delays, and facilitates smoother data flow across platforms.
Celebrating collaboration at the rooftop Happy Hour
Monday evening brought a relaxed celebration at the Rise Rooftop of the Westin Anaheim, overlooking Disneyland. Co-sponsored by Swiftly and Transit, the Happy Hour event highlighted the value of partnerships in shaping a better transit experience for all. It provided space for deeper connections and ongoing collaboration among industry peers.
Learning from shared experience
Beyond the booth, APTA TRANSform featured a robust lineup of informative sessions tailored to transit agencies.
One standout, *Mobilizing Millions: Optimizing Transit for Mega Events*, explored how agencies can prepare for global-scale events like the 2028 Olympics and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Another compelling session, *Taking Stock of the ZEB Transition*, took an honest look at the operational and logistical hurdles in shifting to zero-emission buses. Experts discussed the realities of deploying battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
Finally, *Ridership Trends: More Than What Meets the Eye* provided an insightful look at post-pandemic ridership patterns. Speakers from Calgary Transit, Metro Transit, and SORTA shared lessons on rebuilding trust and adapting service to evolving needs.
Looking ahead
All in all, APTA TRANSform 2024 was a remarkable success—demonstrating how innovation and collaboration continue to shape the future of public transit. We’re already looking forward to what next year brings.
