Transit executives from across the U.S. convened in Washington, D.C., for the 2026 National Transit Performance Summit, hosted by TransDASH and TransPro.

Over two days, TransDASH member agencies, industry leaders, and performance management experts discussed the future of public transportation performance management and introduced a national approach to measuring transit performance.

Boosting Performance

The summit focused on improving customer outcomes, advancing innovation, and strengthening accountability across the industry. The event also included the presentation of the 2026 TransDASH Performance Awards.

A centerpiece of the summit was the unveiling of the TransDASH National Performance platform, an outcomes-based performance management platform developed specifically for public transit agencies. Developed through a collaboration among transit agencies across the country, the platform combines nationally consistent definitions with flexibility for agencies to measure priorities specific to their communities.

Unlike traditional reporting systems that emphasize operational inputs such as vehicle miles, fleet size, or capital expenditures, the platform is designed to focus on outcomes including customer experience, safety and security, and community value. Organizers said the approach is intended to support benchmarking, peer collaboration, and data-driven decision-making.

“The summit was an opportunity for transit agency leaders from across the country to come together and prioritize how they intend to measure the value of transit for their customers, employees, and the communities they serve,” said TransPro Principal Matt Webb. “The next generation of performance management must measure what transit delivers for customers and for their communities. When transit agency leaders understand meaningful performance outcomes, they can make better decisions, improve service, and demonstrate the true value of public transportation.”

Key Themes

Throughout the two-day event, agency leaders discussed ways to move beyond compliance reporting toward performance management frameworks designed to support continuous improvement.

Among the recurring themes were:

• Measuring outcomes rather than activities, with customer satisfaction, community value, and safety serving as key indicators.
• Aligning performance measures with U.S. Department of Transportation priorities, including safety and security, family access, and efficiency and effectiveness.
• Establishing common national definitions and methodologies while maintaining flexibility for individual agencies.
• Providing actionable data that can support more timely operational improvements.
• Building a culture of benchmarking, collaboration, and continuous improvement across the industry.

Summit Highlights

The program brought together transit leaders from across North America for two days of discussions and collaboration, including:

• Executive roundtables and panel discussions.
• Federal policy discussions focused on family-friendly transit.
• Best-practice exchanges among participating agencies.
• Workshops on outcomes-based performance management.
• Demonstrations of the TransDASH National Performance Dashboard.
• Recognition of agency performance and innovation.

The summit also highlighted collaborative efforts among transit agencies to establish common outcome definitions and performance methodologies. Organizers said the approach is intended to support consistent national benchmarking while allowing agencies to account for local priorities.

2026 TransDASH Performance Awards

The summit concluded with the 2026 TransDASH Performance Awards, recognizing agencies for performance, improvement, and innovation in customer-focused public transportation.

Top Performer Awards

• Safety & Security: Lane Transit District
• Customer Experience: VIA Metropolitan Transit
• Community Value: Capital District Transportation Authority
• Financial Stability: VIA Metropolitan Transit
• Employee Engagement: RTD – Denver
• Environmental Stewardship: Long Beach Transit

Most Improved Awards

• Safety & Security: Long Beach Transit
• Customer Experience: RTD – Denver
• Community Value: Capital District Transportation Authority
• Financial Stability: Cherriots
• Employee Engagement: Cherriots
• Environmental Stewardship: Long Beach Transit

The awards recognized both agencies with top performance and those demonstrating the greatest improvement, reflecting the summit's emphasis on benchmarking, collaboration, and continuous improvement.