Overview

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2026 National Regional Transportation Conference

July 20-22, 2026

(Monday-Wednesday)

Grand Hyatt Buckhead
3300 Peachtree Road, NE
Atlanta, GA 30305

From Monday, July 20 to Wednesday, July 22, transportation practitioners from across the country are invited to attend NADO and RPO America’s 2026 National Regional Transportation Conference for three days of keynote addresses, best practices presentations, trainings, mobile workshops, and networking. Participants will hear from national experts, engage in practical discussions, and share lessons learned on topics ranging from multimodal planning and infrastructure investment to emerging challenges and opportunities facing regions of all sizes.

“I enjoyed the mobile tour as it allowed for a hands-on look at the project and conversations with the staff. Additionally, the conference presentations and the networking with fellow transportation planners was very valuable.”
“I left the conference feeling encouraged to keep working hard on our own projects that have stalled. Hearing successes from other organizations has motivated me to keep pushing toward overall end goals."
“We have already been able to continue successful connections with others that started during networking at the conference. I also learned quite a lot about NADO and the work they are doing in transportation, of which I wasn't aware, and have used some of those resources already since."
“I really enjoyed the networking opportunities that the National Regional Transportation Conference provided. Every attendee took advantage of the chances to talk with one another.”
“All of the sessions at the conference were useful. I found that even the sessions that weren’t typical transportation-related topics were also incredibly valuable and applicable to my work.”
“I am thankful for the National Regional Transportation Conference as there are no other organizations offering education and training that is so closely aligned with our rural transportation work.”

Registration

Registration Type Registration Rate
Early Bird (on or by June 24, 2026)
$499
Regular (after June 24, 2026)
$565
RPO America Subscriber**
$465
Mobile Workshop Add-On: Path400 Walking Tour
$35
Mobile Workshop Add-On: Transportation Technology
$50
EDA Atlanta Conference Add-On
$175

**If your organization paid an RPO America Subscription for 2026, you are eligible for a discounted registration rate of $465! Email Kar’ron Grant at [email protected] to take advantage of this perk or for more information on becoming an RPO America Subscriber.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Registrants who cancel their registrations by Friday, July 10, 2026, will receive a refund minus a $150 administrative fee.

Grand Hyatt Buckhead
3300 Peachtree Road, NE
Atlanta, GA 30305
Room rate: $182 + tax

Hotel Reservation Cut-Off Date: Friday, June 19, 2026.*

*This rate is guaranteed until June 19. After this date, rooms and rates are subject to availability. Additionally, this rate applies only until our reserved room block is full, which could happen prior to June 19. We recommend making your reservation as soon as possible to secure this rate.

Program

The National Regional Transportation Conference will begin on the morning of Monday, July 20, and continue until midday on Wednesday, July 22. 

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Presentations

Available presentations from the 2026 National Regional Transportation Conference are linked in either the session’s title or presenter’s name below.

Monday, July 20
8:45 am – 10:00 am
RPO America Annual Business Meeting and RPO Council Meeting & NADO Policy Update
 
10:15 am – 11:45 am
Conversation Café Facilitated Networking Session
 
1:00 pm – 2:15 pm
Opening Plenary: State and Regional Partnerships

2:20 pm – 4:45 pm
Transportation Technology Mobile Workshop

2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Connecting State & Regional Planning

2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Identifying, Ranking, and Tracking Project Priorities
3:45 pm – 5:00 pm
Tuesday, July 21
9:00 am – 11:15 am
Path400 Walking Tour Mobile Workshop
 
9:00 am – 10:15 am
Emerging Issues in Transportation Safety
9:00 am – 10:15 am
Measuring What Matters: Designing Metrics to Impact Transportation Systems in Communities
11:45 am – 1:00 pm
Plenary Luncheon: National Transportation Updates
  • Elijah Sharp, Deputy Executive Director, New River Valley Regional Commission
  • Owen Morgan, U.S. Department of Transportation
1:15 pm – 2:45 pm
1:45 pm – 3:30 pm
Making Connections, Creating Change: New Tools to Support Collaboration
  • Nicole McCall, Team Lead, Cambridge Systematics
  • Kristen Jud, Transportation Planner, Fairpointe Planning
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Transportation Listening Session
  • Bret Allphin, Associate Director, Data & Research, NADO
  • Kevin Adam, NADO
Wednesday, July 22

9:00 am – 10:15 am
Transportation Reconnection

  • Ray Smith, Lewis County Economic Development Authority
  • Chase Milner, Rural Planning Organization Coordinator and Planner, First Tennessee Development District
  • Jerry Merrill, Mayor of Rexburg, Rexburg Regional Transportation Planning Organization (ID)
9:00 am – 10:15 am
GIS and Regional Planning
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Closing Plenary: Collaborating to Advance Transportation and Economic Development
  • Nicole McCall, Team Lead, Cambridge Systematics
  • Kristen Jud, Transportation Planner, Fairpointe Planning
  • Rohan Thompson, Regional Planner & RPO Coordinator , Southeast TN Development District
  • Kansha Tiwari, Senior Planner, Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission
  • Rick Green, Government Services Director, Upper Savannah Council of Governments (SC)

Thank you to this year’s sponsors and exhibitors!

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