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THE TRANSIT FORWARD SYMPOSIUM IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY

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Learn. Share.
Change our Community.

​What is the Transit Forward Symposium and why should I attend?

 

Because we bring together an impressive array of experts -- including YOU.  

That's right -- maybe you are a professional engineer or architect who has a knack for human-centered design, maybe you are a transit maven who only gets around by bus or train, maybe you have dedicated your life to working with churches and non-profit organizations providing for those who have great need in our community, or maybe you are a community organizer and understand the unique needs of your neighborhood -- no matter your expertise, your professional knowledge and lived experience forms a unique perspective that can help us shape policy that works for people like you.

This think-tank-style event uses crowdsourcing that enables a diverse network of thinkers to find creative solutions for real and pressing challenges in our community.

We will focus our conversations around what it takes to create a Transit-Supportive Environment In Tarrant County. Industry experts kick off the Symposium with a series of presentations and panel discussions to give us all a baseline understanding of the issue, and then we let the participants take it from there. This is a first-of-its-kind attempt at knocking down silos, rolling up our sleeves and really diving deep into the issues.

At the end of the symposium, a report will be developed that will be shared throughout Tarrant County with political leaders, community organizations, advocates, riders, and everyone else.

COMPLETE SCHEDULE

The Breakdown of the Symposium Day on October 7, 2021

9:30 AM

Welcome & Introductions

Find out why are we here today

9:45 AM

Panel Presentations

Hear from industry experts from across the nation to get a better understanding of where we are today, and where we are headed

Presentation: What makes a Great Transit System?

Christof Spieler

Presented by Christof Spieler - Author: "Trains, Buses, People" & Vice President and Director of Planning at Huitt-Zollars

Presentation: The Creation of Livelier, More Economically Sustainable Places

Eric S. Bosman

Presented by Eric S. Bosman - Vice President at Kimley-Horn

Presentation: Transit Justice & Equity in our Community

Oni Blair

Presented by Oni Blair - Executive Director of ACLU

Presentation: Regional Trends

Shannon Stevenson

Presented by Shannon Stevenson - Senior Program Manager, Transit Management & Planning at the North Central Texas Council of Governments

Presentation: Peering into the looking glass: The social, environmental, and economic trajectories

David Beurle

Presented by David Beurle - CEO of Future iQ

11:00 AM

Panel Discussion + Q&A

Eric S. Bosman

Hear industry experts have a discussion with each other where they break the issues down further.
Moderated by Eric Bosman.

11:30 AM

Break for Lunch

Enjoy a light lunch where you will be able to begin thinking through some of the main questions and tasks. In-Person attendees can order a boxed lunch from TTA, or enjoy lunch in Downtown Fort Worth.

12:30 PM

Policy Think-Tank Introduction

Learn more about the policy think-tank concept and break into groups

12:40 PM

Issue Mapping

Break into groups to determine what are the most pressing challenges we face today when creating a transit-supportive environment

1:25 PM

Create groups around interests

Determine which issues are the most interesting to you

1:55 PM

Think-Tank tools onboarding & Ideation

Produce as many solutions as possible and select the top choice as a group to pitch to the room

2:50 PM

Pitch

Pitch your ideas to the room, the ideas are grouped and will be published in a final paper

3:30 PM

Symposium Ends

A brief thank you before we head to the post-symposium happy hour!

Following Symposium

Happy Hour

Enjoy light refreshments and cocktails after the symposium to continue to talk through issues and ideas, and celebrate a successful first Symposium

Full Schedule
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