Between June 10 and 14, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Rail Conference attendees made several excursions out to the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum during the annual gathering. The trips were organized in partnership with Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) as part of their PRT Legacy tours.

Conference attendees were transported to the Museum by PRT bus. On the way to Washington, riders were able to view transit history along Pittsburgh’s Carson Street and the West Busway. At the Museum, the bus operators were kind enough to position the vehicles for several photo opportunities!

Upon arrival at PTM, attendees were treated to a 4-mile ride aboard a historic streetcar and a guided tour of the Trolley Display Building. APTA members were also invited to step inside the new Welcome and Education Center for a behind-the-scenes visit with volunteer Larry Lovejoy, the project director and transit industry professional, and an update on the construction progress.

Most of the APTA attendees who visited PTM were rail agency staff, mid-level and executive management, board members, government agency staff, suppliers, consultants, and contractors from all rail modes – urban, commuter, high-speed, and intercity. The APTA Rail conference features sessions on technology, operations, maintenance, safety & security, planning, finance, capital projects, workforce development, and more.

PTM’s Manager of Public Programs and Outreach Kristen Fredriksen presented a brief Pennsylvania Trolley Museum project update alongside past chair Eric Sitiko during Sunday’s Streetcar Subcommittee meeting.  The APTA Streetcar Subcommittee promotes streetcar services in urban centers and the exchange of information among individuals or organizations promoting, planning, funding, designing, building, operating, and maintaining such services. This is done by organizing forums for the dissemination of best practices and the experience of practitioners; by assisting in the development of appropriate safety and technical standards and by providing guidance to regulators in setting sensible and reasonable regulatory measures.

We thank APTA and PRT for organizing these opportunities.