Transit associations

Introduction

There are many regional and national associations for transit agencies, consultants, and individuals. Membership in various organizations promotes the sharing of transit-related ideas much like TransitWiki. This is an incomplete listing of associations and organizations which may be helpful for professionals in the transit industry. If you know of other organizations which should be included here, please contribute.

National

• American Public Transportation Association (APTA): Perhaps the largest and most well-known membership organization, APTA conducts research, develops resources, advocates for public transportation funding, and assists in drafting transit legislation. APTA holds a major national conference every three years, and many other specialized events annually.
• Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA): CTAA provides resources, networking, research, and transit advocacy to America with a focus on smaller agencies (especially rural and small communities) where one might argue APTA tends to focus on large urban systems. CTAA holds an annual EXPO event.
• Young Professionals in Transportation (YPT): YPT has chapters in many American cities including Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay area, Phoenix, Austin, Denver, Boston, and others. YPT provides professional development and networking opportunities across the spectrum of transportation topics.

Regional Associations

California

• The California Transit Association advocates for public transit legislation. In 2013 they provided a "Transit 101" course at the State Capitol educating new policymakers about public transit issues in the state. It is envisioned to be a biannual event. The 2013 version of the presentation is available on their website.