As you would hope, UITP appear to be aware of the peak oil context. The text on their web page calling for papers sets the scene:

No city today can function efficiently without public transport. Indeed the development of public transport is a prerequisite for sustainable urban development. It is all the more critical in the light of some recent megatrends:

• Galloping urbanisation, congestion and the threat of traffic paralysis;
• Air quality concerns;
• Peak oil production and use;
• The pressing need to take action to mitigate permanent and damaging climate change;
• The need to maintain or improve the quality of urban life for citizens.

The stated aims of the Congress are to:

• Review the available options with their advantages and drawbacks;
• Review all parameters to take into account;
• Provide participants with a broad view of the issues and a framework for analysis, enabling them to take the best possible decisions for the short, medium and long term.

The deadline for submitting an abstract is 30 June 2008. You can get more details at the UITP Conference Web Page.

Sometimes it seems that events are moving so quickly that it is hard to justify preparing papers for a conference more than a year away. But a year goes by quickly whatever is happening. I prepared and presented a peak oil paper for the Australasian Transport Research Forum in Melbourne last year. The paper titled "Peak Oil: A Turning Point for Transport" referenced the Ghawar analysis presented here early last year and now allows me to cite my own peer reviewed peak oil paper, which certainly helps when communicating with Government agencies.

So what would you tell a public transport audience about the 'right mobility choices'? Is there any point preparing papers for a conference in June 2009 or is TOD the only way? Perhaps by testing and developing the core of your proposals here for inclusion in a paper we can combine the best of both worlds.