The National School Transportation Association announced that Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood will speak during next month’s annual convention in Baltimore.
LaHood will speak at the NSTA Convention on July 19 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. In a statement, NSTA said attendees were in for “an elightening talk” from LaHood “who is very familiar with school bus issues and the important role this industry plays as the safest meants of transportation.”
The industry has made advances developing a stronger relationship inside the U.S. Department of Transportation over the past couple of years by utilizing the American School Bus Council. Last year, LaHood agreed to a request to petition Congress to utilize existing NHTSA discretionary funds for a national public awareness campaign on school bus safety, including the role the 480,000 yellow vehicles play in getting 24 million students to and from school each day and how increased student ridership can help reduce traffic congestion in communities nationwide.
The awareness campaign is scheduled to begin this fall and will utilize print ads, radio PSAs, op-eds published in local and national newspapers, and social networking outlets. ASBC was finalizing the content this summer.
In February, LaHood also appeared at an ASBC “Love the Bus” event and spoke with students at an elementary school in Takoma Park, Md., just outside of Washington, D.C.
In Baltimore, LaHood will join Rep. Tim Scott (R-SC), who will be a keynote speaker on July 18 at 11 a.m. Eastern.
