[International Report Draft for FTA (CY 2005)]{.underline}

[Last Updated: 02/16/06]{.underline}

**Under Heading 2: Opening International Markets for Transportation
Services**

**b. Asia-Pacific**

[February \[China\]]{.underline}: FTA explored trade opportunities in
Chongqing, China with a visiting delegation from Chongqing. The
delegation was headed by Chongqing Deputy General Secretary Mr. Zhang
Minshu and included Ms. Zou Xiaoping, Deputy Director of the Chongqing
Foreign Trade & Economic Relations Commission, Division Chief, Mr. Guio
Qiang, of the Liaison Division. A subsequent delegation from Chongqing
and other major cities in China participated in a reverse trade mission
that included the APTA Expo in Texas during September 2005.

[June \[Korea\]]{.underline}: FTA staff initiated discussions with the
Korean Ministry of Construction and Transportation that addressed
potential joint US-Korean projects. The projects being considered would
demonstrate and evaluate the use of RIAS technology and would also study
and demonstrate ITS technologies. Both the US and Korea are active
participants in the APEC Transportation Working Group.

**d. Europe**

[June \[Italy\]]{.underline}: FTA organized a US Pavilion at the UITP
World Exposition in Rome. FTA has organized successful US Pavilions at
two previous UITP expositions in London in 2001 and Madrid in 2003. The
Pavilions provide US companies with high visibility\--at moderate
cost\--at major international transit trade events and lead to
significant market opportunities for the participants. Eight US transit
suppliers participated in the event. With the assistance of the US and
Foreign Commercial service in Rome, FTA staff met with representatives
of Italian transit agencies and companies to discuss possible contracts
with US firms and the development of business partnerships.

**Under Heading 3: Promoting Harmonization of Transportation Standards**

**f. Multilateral**

[Fall \[Multilateral\]]{.underline}: FTA has been participating in
meetings with Working Group #8, "Public Transport/Emergency Services" of
the ISO Technical Committee #204, "Intelligent Transport Systems" to
develop international transit standards. This multinational working
group develops international public transportation standards that
address fare media, vehicle area networks, and traveler information
services. The results of the working group are presented to the full
Technical Committee and subsequently to the ISO leadership for adoption.
Participation in this working group promotes the development of transit
standards that are favorable to the US transit industry.

**Under Heading 4: Technical Assistance and Technology/Data
Cooperation**

**a. Western Hemisphere & Caribbean**

[May \[Ecuador\]]{.underline}: The FTA helped to fulfill the request of
the Mayor of Cuenca, Ecuador, and the Rector of the University of Cuenca
to help develop the human resources needed to support a new BRT system
in the city. Cuenca, one of the oldest cities in the Americas and a
UNESCO World Heritage site, hopes to implement a BRT system that will
leave the historical character of the city intact. FTA hosted a
three-person delegation from Ecuador that visited Washington, DC to
identify specific resources that were available. During their visit, the
delegation discussed possible human capacity building initiatives with
FTA staff and met with US public and private sector transportation
organizations that could assist them in meeting their public
transportation needs. FTA and the City of Cuenca expect to organize a
BRT conference there in June 2006.

[June \[Mexico\]]{.underline}: As part of the assistance to the Faculty
of Engineering of the University of Nueva Leon, Mexico, the FTA IMTP
identified and chose two speakers for the University's Second
International Seminar on Public Transportation Best Practices held in
Monterrey, Mexico. Richard Hodges, Technology Development Manager for
UTA presented UTA's experiences to choose a light rail system over other
modes of public transportation. Alberto Parjus, Director of Bus
Operations for Miami Dade Transit Authority, discussed issues related to
choosing BRT as a mode of transportation.

**c. Africa**

[June \[Rwanda\]]{.underline}: FTA worked with GWI and TSI to host a
delegation from Rwanda FTA to discuss a mass transportation project in
Rwanda. GWI and TSI are under contract to the Government of Rwanda to
provide technical assistance and buses for a new public transportation
system in the capital, Kigali. The delegation asked FTA and NTI to work
with KIST to provide training for the local personnel who will regulate,
operate, and maintain the system. TSI expects to ship \$10 million in
buses to Kigali, and possibly more as the project is replicated in other
African cities. Former US Ambassador to Nigeria Jetter is working with
GWI on the project.

[November \[South Africa\]:]{.underline} Representatives from the FTA
IMTP initiated discussions with representatives from the South African
Department of Transport and the South African Bureau of Standards to
plan for a technical scanning tour in 2006 and a possible trade mission
and reverse trade mission that would support the 2010 World Cup in South
Africa. FTA worked closely with the FHWA by building upon an existing
FHWA cooperative agreement with the CSIR. A joint highway-transit
technical assistance strategy was developed that will serve as an
outline for the scanning tour and possible missions.

**d. Europe**

[January \[Germany; France; Netherlands\]]{.underline}: FTA staff headed
a delegation that explored European markets of ITS bus guidance systems.
The delegation visited Paris, France; Rouen, France; Essen, Germany; and
Eindhoven, Netherlands. The resulting higher capacity will allow
increases in overall transportation mobility for an urban environment.
FTA worked with stakeholders to develop a trip report that will be used
in the development of the business case and program plan for the VAA
Tier I Exploratory Initiative.

[March \[France\]]{.underline}: FTA established an internship with the
French Ministry of Transportation. This action was the culmination of
meetings with Nicolas Guathier, Transportation Attaché with the French
Embassy, and Aude Vermot-Gaue of the French Ministry of Transportation
who met with FTA staff to discuss areas of mutual cooperation, including
a renewal of a MOC between France and the US. The internship that was
established allowed Mr. Sebastien Renaud from the French MOT to work
with the FTA for a two-year period. Mr. Renaud began working with the
ITS research team in June 2005. FTA is also discussing updating its MOC
with the MOT. The current MOC covers advanced bus technology, ITS, BRT,
electronic payment systems, and public/private partnership.

**f. Multi-Lateral**

[May 10 \[Multi-national\]]{.underline}: FTA conducted an International
Webinar on increasing transit ridership that was developed in close
cooperation with APTA. Webinar participants included representatives of
ALAMYS, CUTA, ANTP, UITP, and RATP.

**[Acronyms]{.underline}**

+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| **Acr   | **Full Title**                     | **First Appearance** |
| onyms** |                                    |                      |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| ALAMYS  | Latin-                             | Heading 4, Section f |
|         |                                    |                      |
|         | American Association of            |                      |
|         | Underground Networks and Subways   |                      |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| ANTP    | Associacao Nacional de Transportes | Heading 4, Section f |
|         | Publicos, Brazilian counterpart to |                      |
|         | APTA                               |                      |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| APEC    | Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation  | Heading 2, Section   |
|         |                                    | b, Paragraph 2       |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| APTA    | American Public Transportation     | Heading 2, Section   |
|         | Association                        | b, Paragraph 1       |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| BRT     | Bus Rapid Transit System           | Heading 4, Section   |
|         |                                    | a, Paragraph 1       |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| CSIR    | Council for Scientific and         | Heading 4, Section   |
|         | Industrial Research                | c, Paragraph 2       |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| CUTA    | Canadian Urban Transport           | Heading 4, Section f |
|         | Association                        |                      |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| DTT     | Direction des Transports Terrestes | Heading 4, Section   |
|         |                                    | d, Paragraph 1       |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| FHWA    | Federal Highways Administration    | Heading 4, Section   |
|         |                                    | c, Paragraph 2       |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| FTA     | Federal Transit Administration     | Heading 2, Section   |
|         |                                    | b, Paragraph 1       |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| GWI     | Good Works International, Inc.     | Heading 4, Section   |
|         |                                    | c, Paragraph 1       |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| IMTP    | International Mass Transportation  | Heading 4, Section   |
|         | Program                            | a, Paragraph 2       |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| ISO     | International Standards            | Heading 3, Section f |
|         | Organization                       |                      |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| ITS     | Intelligent Transportation Systems | Heading 2, Section   |
|         |                                    | b, Paragraph 2       |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| KIST    | Kigali Institute of Science and    | Heading 4, Section   |
|         | Technology                         | c, Paragraph 1       |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| MOC     | Memorandum of Cooperation          | Heading 4, Section   |
|         |                                    | d, Paragraph 1       |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| MOT     | Ministry of Transport (France)     | Heading 4, Section   |
|         |                                    | d, Paragraph 1       |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| NTI     | National Transit Institute         | Heading 4, Section   |
|         |                                    | c, Paragraph 1       |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| RATP    | Paris Public Transport Authority   | Heading 4, Section f |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| RIAS    | Remote Infrared Audible Sign       | Heading 2, Section   |
|         |                                    | b, Paragraph 2       |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| TSI     | Transit Sales International, Inc.  | Heading 4, Section   |
|         |                                    | c, Paragraph 1       |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| UITP    | International Union of Public      | Heading 2, Section d |
|         | Transport                          |                      |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| UNESCO  | [United Nations Educational,       | Heading 4, Section   |
|         | Scientific and Cultural            | a, Paragraph 1       |
|         | Org                                |                      |
|         | anization](http://www.unesco.org/) |                      |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| UTA     | Utah Transit Authority             | Heading 4, Section   |
|         |                                    | a, Paragraph 2       |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+
| VAA     | Vehicle Automation and Assist      | Heading 4, Section   |
|         |                                    | d, Paragraph 1       |
+---------+------------------------------------+----------------------+