Congratulations to Dinero’ Washington and the SporTran Team on a Major Transit Innovation Milestone

What an exciting day for public transportation in SWTA Nation!

The South West Transit Association congratulates Dinero’ Washington and the entire SporTran team following today’s unveiling of EVOLVE, Shreveport-Bossier’s first autonomous public transit initiative.

SWTA Executive Director Heather Dalmolin was in Shreveport, Louisiana, on August 27 to celebrate the milestone alongside transportation leaders and community partners and to support Washington, SporTran’s CEO and General Manager and SWTA Immediate Past Chair.

The EVOLVE event brought federal, state, and local transportation leaders together at Riverview Hall for an up-close look at the technology, including a live autonomous vehicle demonstration and interactive displays showcasing the future of mobility in Northwest Louisiana.

Louisiana Leads

The celebration marked an important milestone in SporTran’s work to explore how autonomous mobility can improve transportation, accessibility, connectivity, and the rider experience.

EVOLVE introduces autonomous and supervised autonomous transit technology to the Shreveport-Bossier community. The initiative is part of SporTran’s broader work to prepare both its system and workforce for emerging transportation technologies.

The project was supported by nearly $1 million awarded to SporTran through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s SMART Grants Program in 2024. That investment has supported workforce training, curriculum development, and operational preparation related to electric and autonomous transit technologies.

Today’s celebration demonstrated what can happen when innovation, leadership, partnerships, and a willingness to explore new solutions come together.

Celebrating Leadership Within SWTA Nation

For SWTA, the day was especially meaningful because the leadership behind this milestone comes from within our own association.

Dinero Washington serves as CEO and General Manager of SporTran and as Immediate Past Chair of SWTA. His continued leadership within SWTA and at SporTran reflects the innovation and commitment to public transportation found throughout SWTA Nation.

Dalmolin’s attendance provided an opportunity for SWTA to celebrate not only an exciting technological achievement, but also the accomplishments of a member agency and association leader who continues to help move the industry forward.

The event also brought together leaders from multiple levels of transportation, including federal and Louisiana transportation officials, demonstrating the collaboration behind the initiative.

Congratulations, SporTran!

Today was a proud moment for SporTran, Shreveport-Bossier, Louisiana, and SWTA Nation.

Innovation in public transportation doesn’t happen without people willing to lead, collaborate, test new ideas, and imagine what mobility can become.

Congratulations to Dinero Washington and the entire SporTran team on the successful launch of EVOLVE and this incredible milestone for public transportation.

SWTA is proud to celebrate alongside you—and we can’t wait to see where you go from here.