Last week, I was privileged to join Scott Bogren and the CTAA crew in St. Cloud, Minnesota, for the annual Small Urban Network (SUN) Conference. I was genuinely blown away by the caliber of leadership that surrounded me, leaving me inspired about the future of transportation in America’s heartland communities.
If you lead a small urban network and haven’t attended, I strongly urge you to consider joining next year. If you’re a YES to these three questions, this conference a no-brainer:
- Are you passionate about serving your community? It might sound cliché, but it’s true: the people here are passionate. Learning about the work in Frederick, Maryland, done by Roman and Jamie truly blew my mind—they’ve transformed their small urban system with an empathetic leadership style that’s yielding incredible results. Or consider what Barb and Chris are achieving with CyRide in Ames, Iowa. They’re being lauded by FTA Administrator Marc Molinaro as the number two transit system in the U.S., second only to New York City Transit. These people genuinely care about their communities, and that’s exactly the type of people you want to surround yourself with if you yourself are passionate about your community.
- Do you believe challenging the status quo with innovative ideas works? If so, you’ll be inspired by what people are accomplishing. Just look at what Ryan Daniel has pulled off at Metro Bus in St. Cloud, Minnesota ( our gracious hosts) with their state-of-the-art travel training facility. It’s one of only five in the country with a dedicated 1,500 sqft facility, featuring a built-in bus, traffic lights, uneven platforms, and every material imaginable. During our tour, I watched everyone’s eyes light up as they realized the possibilities and the opportunities for their own infrastructure projects.
- Do you believe in leading by example? I don’t just mean following, but the premise of both. These transit executives are pushing the limits of what’s possible, redefining transportation in their communities. They openly share their achievements and methods in a way that can’t help but inspire. As a consultant, now even I want to build a bus facility like Mike’s in Manchester or Elaine’s in West Virginia. This forum offers leaders the opportunity to demonstrate what they’ve accomplished and inspire others to join their journey.
If you answered yes to these three points, then you should be at the conference next year.
Ultimately, the SUN Conference is about the people transforming transportation. It’s about connecting with peers who are making significant waves and pushing boundaries. It’s about sharing laughs as a former bus driver entertains us with stand-up comedy. And it’s about seeing the same friendly faces year after year, knowing they’re bravely embracing challenging projects, and that they’ll be back next year to share their lessons so we can all learn from them.
Transportation is about moving people. And this week, these people moved me.
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