The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently held its joint Council on Public Transportation and AASHTO Transit Management annual meeting in Detroit, October 14 & 15.
[Above photo by AASHTO]
That meeting brought together leaders from state department of transportation transit divisions, officials from the Federal Transit Administration, and transit industry partners for a series of roundtable discussions, panel presentations, and keynote remarks focused on state DOT public transit program developments and policy priorities.
In particular, the 2025 annual meeting – hosted by the Michigan Department of Transportation and sponsored by B2Gnow-BlackCat – focused on transit safety, access, and mobility; innovative technology and data management; and the state DOT role in coordinating with partners and stakeholders to make public transportation systems more accessible and effective.
As part of these conversations, attendees reviewed a number of technology applications available in the transit space, such as Mobility-as-a-Service and microtransit pilot projects; the FTA’s “Low-No Program” for acquiring low-emission buses; and an artificial intelligence or AI pilot application.
Attendees also shared best practices on developing service networks that expand access and mobility opportunities for communities, from local services to the intercity bus network, as public transportation is key to connecting people to jobs, education, medical providers, and their wider communities.
Featured guest speakers at the annual meeting included Bradley Wieferich, Michigan DOT director; Ben Stupka, executive director for the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan; Kathryn Snorrason, associate chief mobility officer for the Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification; and Jim Tymon, AASHTO’s executive director.
During this meeting, the AASHTO Transit Management Program awarded its 2025 Outstanding Service Award to Shoun Reese, deputy director of transit at the Illinois Department of Transportation for her dedication to the public transportation programs and initiatives of both her state DOT and AASHTO.
While in Detroit, AASHTO coordinated with Michigan DOT, the City of Detroit, and the team at the Michigan Central campus to organize a transit tour of the Michigan Central Station – a building first established in 1913 and which is being revitalized for modern transportation services.
Attendees also toured the Newlab facility, an innovative center that brings people together to solve the world’s mobility challenges and discover new technology – a tour that included a ride on The Connect AV Shuttle Service, Detroit’s fully electric and wheel-chair accessible autonomous vehicle pilot program that is free to all riders and operates in a loop around Downtown Detroit.
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