2006 Alaska Community Transportation Conference and North Star Maintenance Forum October 23-27, 2006 Hotel Captain Cook Anchorage, AK On behalf of the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, I welcome you to the 2006 Alaska Community Transportation Conference and North Star Maintenance Forum! This year’s conference theme is “Connecting Alaska.” The conference will feature several tracks: ·          Innovative Transit Solutions: featuring the latest in transit technologies ·          General Operations: featuring key elements for making public transportation service successful such as training, vehicle insurance, budgeting, regulatory compliance, and mobility management ·          Customer Service: featuring training for meeting and exceeding customer expectations ·          Transportation Coordination: featuring coordinated service planning, funding sources, brokerages, and more. Also included will be an interagency task force on coordinated transportation, and much information on available and potential funding sources, changes in grant programs, and new initiatives. We are featuring a variety of excellent hands-on training sessions for mechanics and service personnel in the North Star Maintenance Forum. There will be an array of speakers and trainers who will make the conference an excellent and fun learning opportunity for all participants.  We look forward to seeing you at the conference! J. Eric Taylor Manager, Transit Programs Division of Program Development