Practical AI: A Hands-On Workshop for Transportation Leaders at OTE 2026

Transportation leaders across North America have started using AI, but while some have already discovered how transformational it is, many still haven't yet. In this workshop, we demystify AI to teach you the real skills that are already transforming the ability of transportation professionals to fulfill their missions.

Bring your laptop to this hands-on workshop, where you'll learn to apply AI tools to real transit challenges — and you'll practice doing it before you leave the room.

You'll leave with a practical framework for applying AI tools to strategic work, and the confidence to start using them that very night.

Together, we'll complete a strategic analysis of a transportation challenge that impacts us all: reducing operations downtime. During the session, we'll turn noise from a real maintenance dataset into actionable insights.

The method transfers to any domain. Whether you work in maintenance or school bus operations, the three-part research-to-execution framework you'll learn applies to everyone.

The workshop is structured in three parts, with 10-minute breaks in between to catch your breath and reflect on what we've covered.

In the first hour, we build a knowledge foundation using AI-powered Deep Research tools. You'll learn how to brief an AI on your agency's context, ask the right strategic questions, and synthesize findings into a format your team can actually use. We'll use real transit maintenance scenarios so that everyone in the room can recognize their own job in the research.

Tools used: NotebookLM, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT, CoPilot, WisprFlo

In the second hour, we build on the research we have uncovered by turning raw data into strategic insight. We'll upload a real maintenance dataset, use AI to identify patterns and risks, and build a structured analysis that could go straight to your leadership team. This is the "wow" moment - where the tool stops feeling like a toy and starts feeling like a strategic advantage.

Tools used: Claude, Gemini, CoPilot, WisprFlo

Now for the fun part: attendees get to vote on what to build with AI. Do you want to draft a board-ready memo? An internal educational video surfacing the analysis insights? Or even an infographic? Whatever you decide, you'll walk out understanding exactly which tools excel at what deliverables, and the confidence to execute this yourself.

Every attendee will be entered to win one of three free Claude Pro subscriptions ($20/month value). Winners will be drawn at the end of the session.

- General Manager, West Virginia

- Senior Transit Director, Maine

- Attendee, West Virginia

- Attendee, National RTAP

- Senior Delivery Manager, Georgia

Stephen Kuban is the founder of KTS (Kuban Transit Solutions) and author of the TransitGPT newsletter, where he writes about practical AI applications for the transit industry. With 10+ years in transit technology, operations, and planning, Stephen brings a unique combination of industry knowledge and hands-on AI expertise. This engaging workshop has been delivered for transit associations and agencies across the U.S. and Canada.

Event Details

Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Time: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT

Location: Mississauga Room, 655 Dixon Rd, Toronto, ON

What to bring: A laptop with internet access

Price: $95 CAD

Note: This workshop is a separate add-on session held in partnership with the Ontario Public Transit Association (OPTA) as part of the Ontario Transportation Expo (OTE) 2026.

YOU MUST BE REGISTERED FOR OTE to attend this workshop.

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Host or Publisher KTS (Kuban Transit Solutions)