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Student Posters Selected for the 2017 National RTAP Conference

For the first time ever, we have invited undergraduate and graduate students to display their rural and Tribal transit research posters during the National RTAP 2017 Technical Assistance Conference:  Transportation at the Center  in Omaha, NE on Tuesday, October 31 at 9:15-10:00 AM. 

We have selected three posters to display at the conference:
  • Bench-marking Case Studies for Mobile Application of Public Transit in the U.S. 
  • Mobility Management: How to Measure the Performance of Mobility Management Programs? 
  • Nebraska Pupil Transportation
We hope that you will visit the poster session and meet the students who created them. 

Still need to register for the conference? Register here  today!
FTA and U.S. DOT Updates

U.S. DOT will be offering a webinar on Elements of a Transportation Asset Management Plan: Financial Plans and Investment Strategies
on  October 11, 2017, 2:00-3:30 PM ET.

The FY 2017 Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER program )  funds projects which emphasize improved access to reliable, safe, and affordable transportation for communities in rural areas, such as projects that improve infrastructure condition, address public health and safety, promote regional connectivity, or facilitate economic growth or competitiveness. The deadline is October 16, 2017.

FTA  is accepting expressions of interest from eligible nonprofit entities to participate in  the Pilot Program for Nonprofit Cooperative Procurements through October 23, 2017. The program is designed to address the high purchasing costs attributable to the relatively small size of the procurements for rolling stock and related equipment, particularly for small urban and rural public transportation providers.

FTA just released a  Manual on Pedestrian and Bicycle Connections to Transit , t o improve safety and mobility for transit users who bicycle or walk considerable distances to transit stations.

The Office of Transit Safety and Oversight slides from the State Public Transit Partnerships Conference in August are available. 
Resources and News

Training

FMCSA made the recorded webinar "Hours of Service: How Familiar Are You?" available .  Hours of Service regulations address the number of hours that a commercial motor vehicle driver may be on the road/on duty before a required period of rest. 

On October 24, a webinar will be held to present the NCHRP 20-65/Task 69  research results on  consolidation of rural transit services. The project team will share experiences and insights of the transit provider and state DOT partners involved in four consolidation case studies. No preregistration required. J oin the webinar at 2:30 PM ET, Meeting Number: 740 178 440, Password: 2065task69 , and call (866) 668-0721, Code: 9083170422. 

Below are upcoming NTI courses. See the NTI Website  f or details and the full calendar: 
  • Orientation to Transit Procurement, Brooklyn, NY, October 30-November 3
  • Public Involvement in Transportation Decisionmaking, New York, NY, October 31-November 2
  • Transit Maintenance  Leadership Workshop - New Orleans, LA,  December 4-8
Resources

The Safety Center is launching a new study that will specifically focus on local and Tribal transportation agencies to identify strategies to increase access and use of training resources by those agencies to improve safety decision making. The self-assessment tool  is now ready for data collection.

FHWA's Strategic Highway Safety Plan  Database  was launched to provide information about data-driven approaches States are using to reduce roadway fatalities and serious injuries.

Publications

SURTC's study on Aging in Place in Small Urban and Rural Communities  quantified the costs for residents to live at home and ride public transportation versus moving to an assisted living facility. The research showed that seniors and their families can potentially save thousands of dollars annually by remaining at home and utilizing public transportation services.

TRB's Advancing Automated and Connected Vehicles: Policy and Planning Strategies for State and Local Transportation Agencies   assesses strategies at state, regional, and local levels on private-sector automated vehicle (AV) and connected vehicle (CV) choices. The report assists agencies with actions that might increase the likelihood that AV and CV will reduce crashes, congestion, pollution, and improve mobility. 

Legislation

NHTSA issued the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Electric-Powered Vehicles: Electrolyte Spillage and Electrical Shock Protection  Final Rule  on September 27, adopting electrical safety requirements to protect against direct and indirect contact of high voltage sources during operation of electric-powered vehicles.
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We only need 25 more likes to reach our goal of 250! Like our Facebook page and stay up-to-date on resources and opportunities between editions of eNews.   We recently posted  photos  from the 2017 National Tribal Transportation Conference in Tucson, where  Neil Rodriguez,  National RTAP Project Manager, presented.  Check it out! 
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Can't get enough of our National RTAP news? We've just launched a new Twitter Handle: @nat_rtap so you can stay even more up-to-date.  Please follow us for the latest tweets about new products, training, and industry news.
Look For Us at These Upcoming Conferences!
  • National RTAP Technical Assistance Conference, Omaha, Nebraska, October 29-November 1, 2017
  • TRB Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., January 7-11, 2018
October 5, 2017
Events
APTA 
Expo
October 9-11
Atlanta, GA

U.S. DOT
Elements of a Transportation Asset Management Plan Webinar 28: Financial Plans and Investment Strategies
October 11
2:00-3:30 PM 

FTA
Effectively Managing Transit Emergencies 
October 17-20
Chicago, IL
Training - Please contact  Radonna Snider  for further information 

Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals
Designing Transit & Active Transportation 
October 18
3:00-4:00 PM 

EasterSeals Project Action
Transportation and the ADA Workshop
October 18-19
Houston, TX

National Center for Rural Road Safety
A Public Health Approach to Rural Transportation Safety
October 18
11 AM-12:30 PM
U.S. DOT
National Transit Database: Annual Reporting for State DOTs
October 19
2:00 PM-3:30 PM 

U.S. DOT
National Transit Database: Annual Reporting for Indian Tribes
October 24
2:00 PM-3:30 PM

TRB
NCHRP 20-65 Task 69: Consolidation of Rural Transit Systems
October 24
2:30 PM 

National RTAP 
2017 Technical Assistance Conference
Omaha, NE
October 29-November 1

ITS 
World Congress
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
October 29-November 2

NTI
Orientation to Transit Procurement
Brooklyn, NY
October 30-November 3

For a listing of all National RTAP and other national events, view our  Calendar . To submit an event, email 
 info@nationalrtap.org.

All event times listed as Eastern Time
Resource Spotlight
National RTAP Resource Catalog

National RTAP updated its Resource Catalog in August 2017, which includes descriptions of our training modules, technical briefs, toolkits, and web apps.  We've made it easier to find what you're looking for by color-coding products and alphabetizing resources within sections.  Download the catalog from the Download button at the bottom right of the Resource Library page.
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.:  718 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001