Put it in your calendar now: AltCarExpo — or The Alternative Energy and Transportation Expo — comes back to Santa Monica later this month. More importantly, I’ll be on one of the transit panels at the expo — and will be judging futuristic buses!
When: September 26 and 27, 10 am – 5 pm
Where: Civic Auditorium, 1855 Main St., Santa Monica
Cost: FREE! Yes, there will be free bike valet at the Expo.
All the stuff I’m involved with’re collective called the “Bus of the Future” event, and will take place on Friday, September 26 from 10 am to 12:30 pm while most of you’re at work.
I knew I’d be a judge for a while, but I found out about this panelist dealio when Big Blue Bus sent out a press release naming me as one of the “Transforming Transit” panelists. Fun!
I’ll be joining people from the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE, a couple eco-car company people, and a guy who wrote a book on car design — so I hope the panel goes beyond just personal car stuff to cover public transit issues as well. Luckily, Martha Welborne, Managing Director of the Grand Avenue Committee, will also be on the panel; I assume she’ll talk a bit about the effort to get streetcars in downtown LA.
The futuristic bus designs should be v. exciting to see. Stop by, and you’ll also “be able to meet the project team, view large-scale representations of the futuristic designs, view a motion graphic presentation, vote for their favorite vehicles and see a special video chronicling the life of the project.” The schedule’s as follows:
>> 10:00 – 10:45 AM Bus of the Future Multimedia Presentation
>> 10:45 – 11:15 AM Judging at Booth by Transit and Design Experts
>> 11:15 – 12:15 PM “Transforming Transit” Symposium
>> 12:30 PM Awarding of blue ribbons based on judging results
Aforementioned “special video” appears to be in production now, because I got an email earlier today about doing an interview for said video. Hopefully I can put this off until the end of the week because I need to have thoughts ’bout the designs (I haven’t finished reviewing them yet!), and the video guy says “I’d ask a few introductory questions about your job” (What job?!)….
Lastly, a note to the AltCarExpo people: You prolly wanna fix this header — “Bus of the Future Unavailing and Judging.”
Update, 9/27/08: I got free bus rides to and from AltCarExpo
Deep LOL on “unavailing” – it sounds like they’re getting reading to cut bus service again. Someone notify the Bus Riders Union!
Comment by Joe Linton — September 8, 2008 @ 9:33 pm
Ha! They fixed the text :)
Comment by Siel — September 14, 2008 @ 10:26 pm