Public transportation training center opens registration at Rutgers

Officials announced the opening last week of registration for the first courses to be held at the International Association of Public Transport’s (UITP) new North American Regional Training Center, which is supported by a partnership with NJ Transit and Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT).

In March, as NJBIZ reported, the three organizations announced a partnership to establish UITP’s first Regional Training Center in North America on the campus of Rutgers University.

UITP, the only worldwide network dedicated to bringing together all public transportation stakeholders, currently has such training centers around the world. This first North American RTC in Piscataway aims to provide transportation training through the establishment of uniform standards and best practices for all areas of sustainable transportation, featuring training sessions that will provide a worldwide network of data and catalogs of programs driving innovation within rail, bus, and more.

NJ Transit is leading the regional partnership by committing to sponsoring four training programs annually, providing guest speakers for programs, while leveraging its experienced as a public transportation leader in the area.

Rutgers CAIT will act as a key partner by coordinating with NJ Transit and UITP to provide necessary logistics and administrative support and assisting in the marketing of training courses and by hosting the sessions.

The training courses will bring together public transportation professionals from across North America and internationally to hear and share best practices and learn new strategies on a wide range of topics.

This year, courses will be offered in July, September, October and November at Rutgers CAIT. Those four training programs include:

• Public Transport Fundamentals for North America – July 10-12, 2023
• Electric Buses: Fleet & Infrastructure Planning, Operations, and Maintenance for North America – Sept. 27-29, 2023
• Rail Operations and Maintenance for North America – Oct. 2-4, 2023
• Ticketing and Fare Management for North America – Nov. 6-8, 2023

“This is an exciting time for everyone involved in public transportation, not only in New Jersey, but across our country,” said New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner and NJ Transit Board Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti. “The training sessions will bring together some of the leading worldwide voices across all facets of our industry. NJ Transit is proud to be a partner in this landmark program.”

“NJ Transit marks the beginning of a new era in public transit training in the United States, with the opening of registration for four new courses this year,” said NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin Corbett. “We’re proud to partner with UITP and Rutgers CAIT to establish UITP’s first Regional Training Center in North America, providing a unique opportunity to access the expertise and insights of UITP’s network of trainings from the top transit agencies around the world.”

UITP Secretary General Mohamed Mezghani said that the organization is delighted to open the registration for these courses, along with its partners.

“This range of training has been developed to bring comprehensive topics and insights to a wide audience of professionals working in, or interested in, the public transit sector,” said Mezghani. “All program information and registrations are easily accessible on the UITP website, with all courses open to participants across the globe.”

“Rutgers CAIT is excited to welcome the inaugural cohort of transit professionals to campus this summer as part of the UITP North American Regional Training Center,” said CAIT Director Ali Maher. “From fundamentals of public transport to managing and maintaining fleets of electric buses, these courses will connect practitioners in North America to an international network of data, best practices, and expertise. Education is a critical first step in building a sustainable transportation system and developing a skilled workforce to address the pressing climate, economic and equity challenges of the 21st century.”

More information on the training programs and how to register is available here.