40 Years of ACT + A Big Win for Team RideFinders!
RideFinders News
Recently, Team RideFinders attended the 40th Annual Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) International Conference in Philadelphia, represented by Executive Director Cherika Ruffin and Account Executive Brigitte Carter.
The conference kicked off for them with the Carpool Action Summit, an in-depth day focused on strengthening carpooling as a core Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategy through research, technology, behavior change, incentives, data, policy, and collaboration.
Throughout the conference, they continued learning and exchanging ideas through workshops and conversations focused on what’s next for TDM. Highlights included:
- How TDM Helps MPOs — exploring how TDM can support long-range transportation planning by improving access to jobs and essential services, increasing transportation options, reducing congestion, and supporting regional economic activity.
- Suburban Marketing Strategies: Making Every Dollar Count — practical approaches for reaching dispersed audiences, making the most of limited marketing resources, and framing TDM around personal benefits, convenience, and reliability.
- History of TDM: Lessons Learned and How to Apply Them — a look at how TDM has evolved and how lessons from past successes and challenges can strengthen today’s programs.
The conference also offered the ACT Chesapeake Chapter meeting, networking with TDM professionals from across the country, and plenty of opportunities to exchange best practices and bring new ideas home to our region.
A special conference moment was hearing a keynote address from Andy Boenau, Director of Transportation for the City of Richmond, bringing a Richmond region voice to the national stage.
To close out the conference, RideFinders’ Commuter Assistance Program Strategic Plan was named the 2026 TDM Plan of the Year! The recognition reflects the work behind a plan designed to position RideFinders as a regional Mobility Manager, strengthen data-driven outreach, expand partnerships, and turn strategy into measurable regional impact.
Forty years of ACT, and RideFinders excited to be part of what comes next for TDM. They returned to the Richmond region with new ideas, stronger connections, and plenty of inspiration to keep moving greener mobility forward.
In the photo (left to right): David Straus, Executive Director of ACT, Brigitte Carter, RideFinders, Cherika Ruffin, RideFinders, and Courtney Reynolds, President of ACT.