Mpact: Mobility, Community, Possibility

06/11/2026

Showcase your company this September at Mpact Transit + Community, North America's top conference on mobility and transit-oriented development. Thanks to these sponsors and exhibitors who already are signed up to be there. Join them by June 30 to ensure full benefits – mpactmobility.org/sponsorexhibitor

The local hosts for the 2026 Mpact Transit + Community conference are Metrolinx , Infrastructure Ontario , the City of Toronto and Toronto Transit Commission.

06/09/2026

During last week's National Steering Committee (NSC) meeting in Minneapolis, the NSC took an amazing tour of the American Indian Cultural Corridor along Franklin Avenue.

We heard from Mary LaGarde, Executive Director of the Minneapolis American Indian Center and learned about the recent renovation of this space. We learned the history of the corridor from Sam Olbekson, an architect and founder of Full Circle Indigenous Planning + Design, and Robert Lilligren, President and CEO of the Native American Community Development Institute - NACDI. Lilligren also is a member of the Metropolitan Council.

We then saw first hand some of the newer projects:
- The under-construction Native American Community Clinic (building new housing over a new clinic while the existing clinic stays open)
- The Indigenous Peoples Task Force's new Mikwanedun Aduisookon Center for Art and Wellness, a beautiful space built with climate-resilient earth block walls.
Thanks to Mike Neumann, Project Coordinator and Agroecology Coordinator at the Indigenous Peoples Task Force for sharing the project with us.

We also saw 2-way cycle tracks on 24th Avenue, learned about Little Earth and its unique history as a HUD site, saw Mino-Bimaadiziwin, a mixed-use fully-affordable development that also includes ground floor space for the Red Lake Nation Embassy. We heard about planned renovations to the Franklin Avenue LRT station from Allison Waukau, Tribal Liaison at the Metropolitan Council and Liz Morice, Project Coordinator at Metro Transit.

Thank you to all of the speakers mentioned above, to Angela Conley Hennepin County Commissioner District 4 for welcoming us to her district, and to Ryan Kelley for his support in organizing this tour!

06/05/2026

Welcome to Mpact Partner, Community Streetcar Coalition! 🚃 The Community Streetcar Coalition supports the advancement of streetcars as part of the effort to expand mobility options and build more livable communities.

We're grateful to the Community Streetcar Coalition, and to all Mpact Partners, for the experience and perspectives they bring to Mpact and the National Steering Committee.

06/04/2026

Earlier this week, Mpact’s National Steering Committee (NSC) met in Minneapolis to finalize sessions for the 2026 Mpact Transit + Community conference in Toronto this September. The two days were super-productive and full.

Hennepin County Commissioner kicked off the meeting with an inspiring welcome. She emphasized the important connections between transit, civic life and public health. Metropolitan Council Chair, Robin Hutcheson, also kindly stopped by, sharing how her time on the NSC influenced the trajectory of her career. Huge thanks to these leaders for taking time to talk with us.

The NSC took an amazing tour of the American Indian Cultural Corridor along Franklin Avenue. They heard from American Indian leaders about the evolution of the corridor and efforts to preserve and convey identity and heritage in design and land use. NSC members also learned about Hennepin County’s multiple investments in the neighborhood and Metro Transit’s LRT station reconstruction.

Throughout, the NSC worked on confirming speakers and making final adjustments to sessions for this year’s conference. Get ready for a lot of learning and serious fun in Toronto! Registration is now open for – mpactmobility.org/registernow

A huge thank you to Mpact Partner, , and to their staff for hosting us. A special shoutout to NSC member, Ryan Kelley, for all his help in organizing this week, including the tour of the American Indian Cultural Corridor, and making the magic happen! And thanks to the , an Mpact Partner, and and NSC member, Michael Krantz.

05/28/2026

Registration is Open for the 2026 Mpact Transit + Community Conference in Toronto! ➡️ mpactmobility.org/registernow ⬅️

Conference registration covers 50+ sessions, plenaries and networking events over 4 days, including the Welcome Reception and Wednesday night's PK Slam, a signature Mpact event!

Registration also is open for more than 30 Mobile Workshops and Pre-Conference Events. Space is limited and separate fees apply. Mobile Workshop fees are set on a cost-recovery basis to cover expenses such as transportation, snacks, water and audio equipment.

Get the most out of Toronto! Your options for Mobile Workshops start on Sunday, September 13 and continue through Thursday, September 17. There's also an option to start your conference with a Mobile Workshop in Buffalo, NY! Browse all the details at mpactmobility.org/schedule

Note: Information about conference plenaries and sessions coming soon!

05/20/2026

TCRP Survey Collecting Responses through June 5 – Innovative Partnerships for Enhancing Rural Public Transportation

The Transit Cooperative Research Program - TCRP is conducting a synthesis study on the topic of innovative partnerships for enhancing rural public transportation. The research team is conducting a survey of rural transit agencies, state DOTs, and other rural transit professionals to gather information on their experiences with forming and sustaining partnerships to better deliver and meet the goals of rural public transportation.

Sound like you? Share how your organization has formed and maintained partnerships to enhance the provision of rural transit by June 5:

05/19/2026

Check out the map of Toronto's 72 km (44.7 mi) Loop Trail consisting of the Martin Goodman, Humber River, Finch Hydro Corridor, and Don River trails. And learn about the gaps and efforts to fix them.

https://spacing.ca/toronto/2026/05/08/a-different-kind-of-cycling-campaign/

We're sharing stories from Spacing.ca as one way to get to know Toronto in advance of the 2026 Mpact Transit + Community conference there this September. Thanks Spacing!

Toronto Walking OP-ED: Yonge Street deserves pedestrianization Other cites have done it, we can do it too, says Shane Gates By Shane Gates I live near the intersection of Yonge and Dundas Streets, where, according to the city’s own data published in 2021 (PDF), 76% of road users are pedestrians de...

05/13/2026

Dive into a conversation about the Future of Transit in the May and June Coffee Chats, hosted by the Mpact Innovators ☕️

Looking for some reading material ahead of the next Mpact Innovators' Coffee Chat? Check out our blog with resources on the future of transit, transit funding, and climate resiliency: https://www.mpactmobility.org/blog/exploring-the-future-of-transit-funding-and-climate-resiliency/

Register for each using these links 👇

⭐️ May 29, 10-11 am Central: Innovative Funding Policies and Programs – https://bit.ly/CoffeeChatMay2026
⭐️ June 26, 2-3 pm Central: Climate Resilient Infrastructure and Sustainability – https://bit.ly/CoffeeChatJune2026

05/12/2026

Meet Marty Ziech! An Mpact National Steering Committee member, Marty works at Mpact Partner, Valley Metro, in Phoenix, AZ. Learn more about Marty, his work and his thoughts on transit-oriented communities.

🌞 Tell us about yourself.
I’m the Capital Planning Manager at Valley Metro. My team works on projects that help improve the transit experience for riders in the Valley of the Sun. We currently are working on two rail expansion projects (that would, combined add 15 miles of rail service to our growing system) and on improving our existing rail network and existing infrastructure. As an almost daily transit user myself, I bring my experiences and conversations with fellow riders into my work to ensure that we’re building what the community wants. I also am constantly looking for ways to improve our transit network, especially to address the major challenges that come from being in the hottest major city in the US.

🧠 What one phrase captures why you’re involved with Mpact?
Knowledge exchange.

🚇 Tell us about your favorite transit-oriented development or space.
I used to live near subway-surface trolley line 34 in Philadelphia. I loved how unique the subway-surface system is. It’s integrated so well into the communities that it serves, and the 40th St portal (where most trolley lines converge to enter a century old tunnel going directly into Center City) is a great transit space. SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) is about to upgrade the entire subway-surface system, and I am excited to see what the new version of that service will look like.

🏘️🚶🚏 In your opinion, what is the biggest benefit of transit-oriented communities?
In the context of my region (metro Phoenix), transit-oriented communities provide new options for people to live multimodal lifestyles that hadn’t really existed other than select historic neighborhoods. The spaces that have been built around our rail lines teem with local businesses, services, and a level of pedestrian activity that is harder to find in other parts of the Valley. These spaces are inclusive, and through thoughtful planning by our member cities, are growing with both market rate and affordable housing options.

05/11/2026

📢 FTA NOFO: Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development Planning 📢

Federal Transit Administration announced grants are available through their Transit-Oriented Development program. Deadline to apply is July 10.

Learn more at

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