The
American Public Transportation Association is a non-profit organization which serves as an advocate for the advancement of public transportation programs and initiatives in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Since its founding in 1882, APTA has educated the public about the benefits of public transportation through organized
busA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
,
light railLight rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
,
rapid transitA rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
and other programs. It lobbies the U.S. Congress and local government bodies in favor of public transportation improvements and new developments.
APTA holds an annual convention and a triennial
expositionA trade fair is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and examine recent market trends and opportunities...
called APTA Expo; the location of these events varies from year to year. The APTA Expo is the world's largest
trade showA trade fair is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and examine recent market trends and opportunities...
for the public transportation industry. APTA also oversees the annual International Bus Roadeo. APTA publishes a biweekly news magazine, called
Passenger Transport.
Effective January 1, 2000, the organization's name was changed from American Public
Transit Association to American Public
Transportation Association. As of January 1, 2010, APTA has nearly 1,400 member organizations.
, the Elected Chair of APTA is Michael Scanlon, who is also the executive director of
SamTransSamTrans is a public transport agency in and around San Mateo, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It provides bus service throughout San Mateo County and into portions of San Francisco and Palo Alto...
in
San Mateo County, CaliforniaSan Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...
.