TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Linda A. Nemeroff, District Secretary
SUBJECT: Travel Authorization
ACTION ITEM
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Consider authorizing Director Peeples to attend the Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) 100th Annual Meeting on January 24-28, 2021 in Washington, D.C.
Body
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE:
Goal - Convenient and Reliable Service
Initiative - Service Quality
The TRB 100th Annual Meeting program will cover all transportation modes, addressing topics of interest to policy makers among others, with a number of sessions and workshops focusing on the spotlight theme for the 2021 meeting: Launching a New Century of Mobility and Quality of Life.
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
Estimated costs:
Conference Fee (For members) $790.00
Airfare $480.00
Lodging (6 nights @ $225.00/night) $1,350.00
Per diem (7 days @ $76.00/day IRS rate) $494.00*
Ground Transportation (7 days @ $30/day) $210.00
Total $3,284.00
*Reduced amount for first and last days of travel; excludes conference provided meals included in the registration fee.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
Pursuant to Board Policy 155, all out-of-state travel for Directors and Officers to attend a conference or a meeting related to District business and at District expense, shall be approved by action of the Board of Directors prior to incurring expenses. In addition, the policy allows for the pre-payment of conference registration, airfare and hotel costs in an existing fiscal year for travel that occurs or is scheduled to occur in the next fiscal year. This travel authorization has been prepared in accordance with Board Policy 155.
The Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) 100th Annual Meeting will be held in Washington, D.C. on January 24-28, 2021. The program is expected to attract 13,000 transportation professionals from around the world and covers all transportation modes, with more than 5,000 presentations in nearly 800 sessions and workshops addressing topics of interest to all attendees-policy makers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, and representatives of government, industry, and academic institutions.
A number of sessions and workshops will focus on the spotlight theme for the 2021 meeting: Launching a New Century of Mobility and Quality of Life. As details on the workshops and sessions will not be available until the fall of 2020, a sample of the session index from the 2020 Annual Meeting is provided as Attachment 1 to this report.
Pursuant to Board Policy 155, Directors are to provide a brief oral or written summary of their activities and/or information learned during the trip not later than the next Board meeting, upon return from the trip.
In accordance with Policy 155, the Board is asked to authorize out-of-state travel to the 2021 TRB 100th Annual Meeting, January 24-28, 2021 in Washington, D.C.
ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:
TRB’s Annual Meeting is the most extensive educational forum for public transportation officials and professionals in the industry. The impact on the District of sending Directors to the annual meeting would be entirely positive.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS:
There are no practical alternatives to the course of action recommended in this report.
PRIOR RELEVANT BOARD ACTION/POLICIES:
Board Policy 155 - Travel and Meeting Expense Reimbursements for Directors and Board Officers.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Sample Annual Meeting Session Index (2021 schedule not available.)
Prepared by:
David Low, Administrative Specialist
Approved by:
Linda A. Nemeroff, District Secretary