December 29, 2017
In Transit
Colorado Association of Transit Agencies December 29, 2017
Happy New Year! from the CASTA Staff to everyone out there in TransitLand!
  • Breckenridge Free Ride Hits 1 million Rides
  • Is your New Year's Resolution to Develop Professionally? Look to CASTA for all your training needs.
  • Public Engagement Webinar - coming soon!
  • Legislative Session - Send us your ideas.
  • CASTA Members Get Reduced Rate for SWTA Conference Registration
  • Meeting ADA Requirements for the Complaint Process and Using It to Improve Transportation
  • Colorado and the FTA State Safety Oversight Certification
  • Last Change to be Heard - CASTA 2017 Membership Survey Link
  • 2018 Colorado Transit Conferences
  • Thanks to our Sponsor - MCI
Save The Date

Mobility Webinar
Trainer: Easter Seals
Date: January 10, 2018
Time: 2:00-3:30pm MST
Topic: Public Engagement and the Regional Planning Process
Registration: Click Here!
Cost: Free!

Emerging Leaders Retreat
Date: January 26, 2018
Trainer: Dawn Block (confirmed), Amy Ford (requested)
Time: 12:30pm-6:00pm
Registration: Coming soon!
Cost: $50

Seizure Awareness Webinar
Trainer: Easter Seals
Date: January TBD
Time: 2:00-3:30pm MST
Registration: Coming soon!
Cost: Free!
The Perfect Gift for Breckenridge Transit
Congratulations Breckenridge Free Ride!

Last week, the Breckenridge Free Ride completed one million rides in the 2017 year and celebrated with the local community members with a bus to work day which included giving out breakfast and coffee to commuters in the morning, and with a bus ribbon cutting ceremony which awarded the community members above with a free ride through the ribbon to celebrate reaching one million rides. The above riders each received a gift card for their time and commitment to the Breckenridge Free Ride service.

With the perfect gift to the town of Breckenridge and especially to the Free Ride staff arriving just in time for the holidays, we are excited to see what you can accomplish in 2018! Way to go!
Is your New Year's Resolution to Develop Professionally? Look to CASTA for all your training needs.
01/10/2018: Public Engagement in the Regional Planning Process

This webinar provides instruction on using 21st century techniques to reach out to stakeholders, passengers, and other members of the traveling public. Public involvement in transportation planning, including service planning, is critical to achieving successful outcomes. Participants will learn how to avoid the classic error of rolling out a new service plan without providing the opportunity to participate in its development, and how to create public input techniques that are accessible to everyone, such as accessible meeting locations, effective communication and using video-and teleconferencing to your advantage. In addition to techniques for gaining public input, the workshop will cover best outreach practices for getting information disseminated to the public at large and traditional stakeholders. The workshop will include time for questions, comments and stories about public involvement processes already in place for sharing best practices among participants.

Trainer: Donna Smith, Senior Director, Easterseals Project Action Consulting

To register for this training, please

Easterseals Webinars are being added to the CASTA website as they are complete. Please click here to find a the webinar you are looking for.
Hey all you policy wonks! The first 2018 Colorado State legislative session will being in January with the start of the new year! We want to know what you are thinking about pursuing legislatively in the coming year. Send us your ideas as we start planning for the upcoming session!
Your CASTA membership PAYS!
Thinking of joining other transit professionals from the region at the SWTA conference this coming March? Your CASTA membership can help YOU save money . All CASTA members receive the special rate of $351/attendee with one easy step!

  1. Follow the registration link below. Choose non-member, fill everything out, then add the discount code **CASTA** at the end of the process. All SWTA members already receive the discount and cannot double up.

Still looking for ways to make SWTA training affordable ? Try the SWTA Earn While You Learn rebate program. It will allow an agency to get a rebate check of up to $300 by visiting with exhibitors. See the link here for more information,  https://www.swta.org/news_events/details/rebate-program .

** FTA Region 8 is providing specialized training at the annual conference for small urban, rural and tribal transit providers. See the attached flyer for more information to send to your members. FYI - we received confirmation that FTA Acting Administrator Jane Williams will speak on Monday, March 5.**
Meeting ADA Requirements for the Complaint Process and Using It to Improve Transportation
While most transit agencies have either a formal or informal complaint process, Federal Transit Administration audits have found that in many cases the process is not adequate, and they urge transportation providers to establish a more robust and complete complaint process. No one likes to hear complaints or criticism regarding our work, but if handled appropriately, an effective complaint process will help to build a stronger transportation program and one that is perceived by its customers as being responsive to their needs. This article addresses complaints file with regard to the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, but the information is relevant to any complaints a transit agency may receive.

To read more, follow the CASTA blog!
Colorado and the FTA State Safety Oversight Certification
In November 2017, Ohio was the first of 30 states in the nation to receive FTA certification of its  State Safety Oversight (SSO) Program  that provides for the highest level of safety for the state’s rail transit riders and workers. If a state fails to meet a statutory deadline requiring that rail transit systems establish an FTA-certified State Safety Oversight (SSO) Program by April 15, 2019, FTA is prohibited by federal law from obligating any funds to any public transportation agency in that state until  certification  is achieved. By federal law, the deadline cannot be waived or extended. Since November, both Utah and Minnesota have joined the ranks of certified state programs.

In Colorado, the State Safety Oversight Authority (SSOA) is the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The PUC's Rail & Transit Safety Section Chief, Pamela Fischhaber, Ph.D., P.E. says "We're on-target for Colorado to receive certification before the deadline." The Colorado PUC plans to complete its submission by April 15, 2018, a full year ahead of the deadline. FTA will then review the submission, possibly requiring additional documentation, and will notify the PUC of any deficiencies in the application, or will certify the PUC's program after full review.

The purpose of the State Safety Oversight program is to oversee safety at rail transit systems. The SSO program is administered by eligible states with rail transit systems in their jurisdiction. The Regional Transportation District (RTD) in the Denver metro area is the only rail transit system currently subject to oversight by the Colorado PUC. 
How can CASTA Serve you better? Please complete this short membership survey so that we can serve you better. This is your last chance in 2017 to provide us feedback!   It's a 5 question survey to answer, no need to log in-just click below and share a few thoughts with us.

​Wishing you and your families a wonderful holiday season and a new year filled with health, happiness, and safe transit trips!

Ann & Elena
Many thanks to this this newsletters' sponsor, Motor Coach Industries!
CASTA: Working towards safe, convenient, affordable, and accessible transportation for all Colorado residents and visitors. 
CASTA | Colorado Assocation of Transit Agencies | 303.839.5197 | 303.832.3053 | info@coloradotransit.com | www.coloradotransit.com