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National RTAP Peer Call: Preparing for your State Management Review

Are you interested in sharing your approach to preparing for a State Management Review (SMR) or hearing from your peers about their experience?  If so, join us for our next Peer Call which will now be held on Wednesday, August 3 from 2:30-3:30pm ET. 

During this call, National RTAP Review Board Members Michele Nystrom, Georgia DOT and Curtis Sims, South Carolina DOT will share their approaches to surviving and thriving before, during, and after their SMR.

Discussion questions for the Peer Call include: --How do you work with your subrecipients in preparation for the SMR? --When do you start organizing information for the visit and reviewing your documentation? --What do you do when the SMR report comes in?

Register now  to join in the discussion, share your tips and tricks, and get new ideas from your peers on how to make the SMR process better for your program! 
National RTAP Website Builder Overview Webinar

Join us Thursday, August 11 at 2:00-3:30pm ET for a webinar about National RTAP's Website Builder application and hosting service.  

Since the new version launched in 2014, the system has been updated and a few new features have been added.   This webinar will provide an overview of Website Builder, highlights of the system changes and additional modules, and solutions to common issues users have had.  

Register now and send any questions you would like covered during the webinar to support@nationalrtap.org.  
National RTAP Photo Contest -- Deadline Extended

The theme of this year's photo contest  is  Rides to _____: What is public transit used for?   Photos should reflect the ways public transit is utilized in your community, for example:
  • Rides to wellness/healthcare
  • Rides to work
  • Rides to school
  • Rides to shopping/groceries
  • Rides to recreation
  • Rides for socialization on the bus
The deadline has been extended to Friday, July 29.  First prize is a top-of-the-line digital camera and the runner up receives a $250 gift check. To view photos from past contests, visit our Facebook page!
Federal Transit Administration and US DOT Updates

FTA is seeking nominations for individuals to serve two-year terms on the Transit Advisory Committee for Safety (TRACS). Nominations are due August 31.  Learn more in the  Federal Register  notice .

FTA is hosting a  National Online Dialogue  on preventing and mitigating transit worker assaults until August 31 (extended). A webinar recording is now available to help individuals navigate the conversation and to provide an overview of some of the topics.

The NCMM Mobility Management Information Practices (MMIP) Database
  • Are you interested in finding management practices that you can implement in your community?
  • Do you want to learn about the resources it takes to implement these practices?
  • Will Information about evaluating mobility  management practices help you in your work?

Visit the free, interactive database that describes mobility management strategies.

 


For questions, please contact Judy Shanley at jshanley@easterseals.com
Resources and News

Opportunities

National Aging and Disability Transportation Center Section 5310 Webinar Archives Now Available!   NADTC has posted the archived webinars for the June 30 Section 5310: The Federal Perspective and July 7 Section 5310: The State DOT Perspective.  Listen to the presentations, download the webinars, or read transcripts online.

FHWA posted its Tribal Transportation Program Safety Funds NOFO. These funds are available to assist with developing safety plans and addressing safety issues.

Publications

TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 186: Economic Impact Case Study Tool for Transit. The report is intended to inform future planning efforts for transit-related projects, and to support better multi-modal planning. 

TR News May-June 2016: The Intercity Bus Rennaissance.  TR News explores bus transportation in the United States. Read the full issue!
Ethics Survey for Transit Managers

Transit managers/CEOs are encouraged to complete a brief, confidential  online survey  conducted by North Dakota State University about the ethics of transit agency board members. 

Ethics is especially important in public transportation because of the public trust placed in agencies as taxpayer-funded public services. Survey results will help identify areas of strength, as well as areas needing additional attention for training and policy development. 

The survey will take 5-10 minutes to complete and responses will be confidential. Please email jill.hough@ndsu.edu
with any questions.
Surveillance Program Best Practices Article

Read our new Best Practices Spotlight article on the topic of installing onboard cameras for safety and security benefits, financial benefits, training opportunities, and more.

The article highlights the Southern Nevada Transit Coalition's new Safety Assurance and Award Program, which uses surveillance for a safety program that also involves training and staff appreciation. 

Also check out our previous articles, with best practices for Fuel Efficient Driving, Travel Training, Safety, Employee Wellness Programs, and more!
July 21st, 2016
Events
WVPTA
Annual Conference
July 27-29
Wheeling, WV

National RTAP
Peer Call: Preparing for your SMR
August 3
2:30-3:30pm

PPTA
2016 Summer Conference & Roadeo
August 5-8
Scranton, PA

CTAA
Small Urban Network (SUN) Conference 
Denver, CO
August 10-12
Conference

National RTAP
Website Builder Overview
August 11
2:00-3:30pm

AASHTO/APTA/CTAA
Midwest Transit and
State Public Transportation Partnerships Conference
August 14-16
Kansas City, MO

CTAV
Expo & Conference
August 16-18
Virginia Beach, VA

NCRRS
National Working Summit on Transportation in Rural America
September 7-9
Denver, CO

Tri-State Transit
Annual Conference
September 7-9
Woodstock, VT

DTA
Roadeo and Fall Conference 
September 10-14
Spearfish, SD
Conference

TRB
National Conference on Rural Public and Intercity Bus
October 2-5
Asheville, NC

For a listing of all National RTAP and other national events, view our  Calendar . If you'd like to submit an event, please email info@nationalrtap.org.

All event times listed as Eastern Time
Resource Spotlight
Don't have your route and schedule data in GTFS?

Check out National RTAP's new  Why GTFS? Technical Brief , or dive right in with our free  GTFS Builder software !
National RTAP is a program of the Federal Transit Administration dedicated to creating rural and Tribal transit solutions through technical assistance, partner collaboration and FREE training materials.

Contact us:
Main:  5 Wheeling Avenue, Woburn, MA 01801, 888-589-6821
Washington, D.C.:  50 F Street NW, Suite 7020, Washington, DC 20001