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Conferences
Fall 2011 - Beyond 'Butts in Seats' - The Business of Forecasting, Attracting and Counting Ridership
October 17-18, 2011
    [REGISTER NOW]
While forecasting ridership is not strictly a finance function in many agencies, as transit agencies continue to deal with funding shortfalls, accurately predicting ridership, inducing more demand and accurately collecting and counting the fare revenues derived from riders play a key role in ensuring that the agencies fare revenues are maximized.
This workshop will concentrate on 1) how agencies develop ridership forecasting models and the assumptions used; 2) how agencies can induce demand for ridership; and, 3) what fare collection methodologies are being put into place at different agencies.
   Location: Location: Hotel Palomar Dallas, Dallas, Texas
Address: 5300 Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, Texas 75206
   Housing: Website: http://www.hotelpalomar-dallas.com/ Phone 214-520-7969 or 800-618-1090 and ask for the DART room block to get the following rates. Reservations must be made on or before September 29, 2011 to receive these group rates. GUESTROOM RATES (Single Rate) King Deluxe Room $107.00 Double Deluxe Room $107.00
   Fees: The registration fee for the workshop is $125.

For more information regarding refund, complaint and program cancellation policies, please contact Irene Demers at 214-749-2630.

To complete your registration, mail a check for $125 per participant to:
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Attention: Sharon Leary
POBox 660163
1401 Pacific Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75266-7243

Make check payable to "TFLEx", or use PayPal (PayPal account not required) - link for PayPay at www.tflex.org


Transit Finance Learning Exchange

Advancing the Training and Development of Transit Professionals in Finance

Beyond "Butts in Seats" - The Business of Forecasting, Attracting and Counting Ridership
(Field of Study: Finance)

October 17-18, 2011

October 18, 2011 - Business Meeting
Location: Hotel Palomar Dallas, Dallas, Texas

Program Content/Learning Objectives
While forecasting ridership is not strictly a finance function in many agencies, as transit agencies continue to deal with funding shortfalls, accurately predicting ridership, inducing more demand and accurately collecting and counting the fare revenues derived from riders play a key role in ensuring that the agencies fare revenues are maximized.
This workshop will concentrate on 1) how agencies develop ridership forecasting models and the assumptions used; 2) how agencies can induce demand for ridership; and, 3) what fare collection methodologies are being put into place at different agencies. After attending this conference, participants will be able to:

  • Understand how transit agencies develop ridership forecasting models and the assumptions used in those models.
  • Learn ways agencies are using different tools to induce demand for ridership.
  • Learn how Dallas Area Rapid Transit is developing customer satisfaction touch points to drive ridership.
  • Receive updated information on new fare collection practices being contemplated throughout the transit industry.
  • Identify and share best practices through "Needs & Leads

Group-Live Delivery Method
Program Level: Advanced
Pre-Conference Reading Material Provided
No Prerequisites*
Earn 10 CPE credits

* This program is at an advanced level of continuing education. Although no prerequisite course or work experience is needed to participate in this program, working knowledge of finance and transportation practices and policies is required, as well as knowledge of the program topic.

To register for this course, contact, Irene Demers, at 214-749-2630 or visit our Web site, www.tflex.org. For more information regarding refund, complaint and program cancellation policies, please contact Irene Demers at 214-749-2630.

Transit-Finance Learning Exchange (T-FLEx) is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.learningmarket.org

Workshop Agenda (Draft 7/26/2011)

Day One - Monday, October 17, 2011 - 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

  • Welcome and Review of Meeting Objectives - Terry Matsumoto, DART representative
  • Ridership modeling - how are they done and why are they so often wrong? - Presentation from Transystems; Panel - David Yale, Deputy Executive Officer for Regional Programming, LA MTA
  • Learn how customer touch point analysis can potentially be used to drive ridershipDavid Leininger, Irene DeMers, DART
  • What can an agency do to induce new demand? (Pricing, fare policy, other methods?)
    • How can agencies get new ridership when they need them (i.e. off peak)? - Grace Gallucci, Joe Costello, RTA Chicago
    • End of senior free ride program - Carol Kissal, WMATA
    • Using peak pricing to manage demand - Matt Raymond, LA MTA (invited)
    • Communications and Marketing strategies

During lunch will have an Economic Update speaker.

  • Using ridership data in Finance - David Yale, Deputy Executive Officer for Regional Programming, LA MTA; Long term revenue modeling in the Los Angeles area.
  • Needs & Leads
  • Monday night the attendees will be attend a group dinner (always a highlight of the workshop!).

Monday night the attendees will be attend a group dinner (always a highlight of the workshop!).

Day Two - Tuesday, October 18, 2011 - 8:30 a.m. to noon, business meeting from 1:30 - 3:45 p.m.

  • Welcome and Review of Meeting ObjectivesTerry Matsumoto
  • Update on Fare Collection ProcurementsCarol Kissal, WMATA; David Leininger, DART; Karen Walker, CTA; John McGee, SEPTA (invited)
  • Review of new technologies in fare collectionCraig Roberts, University of Texas at Arlington (invited); New Jersey Transit
  • Discussion about new open payments fare collection groupCarol Kissal, WMATA; Karen Walker, CTA; John McGee, SEPTA (invited); Craig Roberts, University of Texas at Arlington (invited)

Lunch will be provided for all attendees, ending at 1:30 p.m.

In the afternoon, from 1:30 - 3:45 p.m., each property is requried to have one member stay and attend the TFLEx business meeting.


Registration Information

Don't miss out. Make your reservations now to attend the TFLEx Fall Workshop in Dallas Texas, to be held October 17-18, 2011. The workshop hosted by DART will be held at the Hotel Palomar Dallas. Website: http://www.hotelpalomar-dallas.com/

Address: 5300 Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, Texas 75206

Phone 214-520-7969 or 800-618-1090 and ask for the DART room block to get the following rates. Reservations must be made on or before September 29, 2011 to receive these group rates.

GUESTROOM RATES (Single Rate) King Deluxe Room $107.00 Double Deluxe Room $107.00


Workshop Registration

    [REGISTER NOW] or visit http://www.tflex.org/conferences.asp

Workshop Fee

The registration fee for the workshop is $125.

For more information regarding refund, complaint and program cancellation policies, please contact Irene Demers at 214-749-2630.

To complete your registration, mail a check for $125 per participant to:
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Attention: Sharon Leary
POBox 660163
1401 Pacific Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75266-7243


Make check payable to "TFLEx", or use PayPal (PayPal account not required)


TFLEx Accomplishments

Bi-Annual Workshops

TFLEx members meet twice annually to share best practices and "needs and leads," learn from industry experts and work together to develop and maintain the ongoing TFLEx Business Plan. These are facilitated workshops where all members are able to participate in roundtable discussions.

Training and Professional Development

TFLEx members identified a need to educate finance staff in the field of transit without extensive costs. Transit 101 was developed as a web-based instructional tool to bring information regarding the transit field to the desktops of staff members whether in finance or other departments. Modules deployed to date include Federal, State, and Local Funding; Procurement; Paratransit Operations: Fare Policy; and Regulatory Framework. Others are in development with a total of 26 planned.

Financial Operations Best Practices

Sharing management tools such as benchmarking, activity-based costing, process mapping, balanced scorecard, key performance indicators, and best practices has been an ongoing activity of members attending the bi-annual workshops. Transit systems taking the lead in these practices share their successes and "opportunities" with their fellow members.

Website Services

Membership in TFLEx provides access to entire TFLEx website. Here members share such information as:

  • Posting of templates for finance policy and procedure manuals, RFPs, MOUs, etc.
  • "Needs and leads" forum, members post questions that they are researching and request any available information from other members.
  • Workshop agendas and presentations.
  • Information directory of all TFLEx member contracts.
  • Members have access to the complete website, while visitors may only view certain areas.

TFLEx Membership

TFLEx has a goal of 30-35 members. While membership is filling up fast, we still have room for additional members. Annual membership dues are determined by agency size

Membership includes attendance at the twice yearly workshops for a nominal fee. Click here for more information on how to join.





Sharepoint website is available for members use

TFLEx has created a new website in Sharepoint for its members. It is located at https://tflex.securespsites.com/ (Password required)
At this time, we are not creating new accounts on the old site. If you are requesting a new account, visit New Account Registration (Sharepoint) to request an account on the new site.

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