National RTAP eNews - April 18, 2019

eNews - April 18, 2019

National RTAP is a program of the Federal Transit Administration dedicated to creating rural and tribal transit solutions through free training materials, technical assistance, and partner collaboration.

Registration Open for National RTAP Technical Assistance Conference!

The National RTAP Conference Committee is excited to announce that registration is now open for our 4th Technical Assistance Conference: Charting New Trails for Rural & Tribal Transit, to be hosted in Portland, Oregon on September 15-18, 2019.

The conference will feature hands-on trainings, round-tables, and presentations focused on compliance and practical solutions for rural and tribal transit. The final conference program will be released this summer, but you can view the overview agenda on the conference website.

Register now and receive early-bird pricing to reserve your spot in one of the pre-conference trainings or TransportationCamp. Then book your room at the conference hotel, the DoubleTree by Hilton at our discounted rate. We can't wait to host you this fall in Portland!

Participating and cooperating organizations include the Federal Transit Administration, Oregon Department of Transportation, Oregon Transit Association, the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center, and the National Center for Mobility Management, and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a).

New National RTAP Technical Brief - Guidance for Rural and Tribal Transit Agencies During a Government Shutdown

Guidance for Rural and Tribal Transit Agencies During a Government Shutdown is a new National RTAP technical brief to help rural and tribal transit agencies better understand the activities that can and cannot take place during a full or partial government shutdown. The brief also provides guidance on what transit agencies should expect and actions they can take before and after a shutdown to minimize the impact.

Featured Resource

Resources and Events

Upcoming National RTAP Tribal Transit Peer Roundtable

Join National RTAP staff and fellow tribal transit managers for a Peer Roundtable on April 30, 2019 at 3:00 PM ET. Join the Roundtable via GoToMeeting (no registration required). Some of the topics we'll be discussing are training and funding for tribes, and tribal partnerships with human services programs.

National RTAP/CTE Zero-Emission Transition Chat Summary Posted

A summary has been posted of the National RTAP and the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) #ZeroEmissionTransition Twitter Chat that took place on April 10, 2019. Discussion ensued on issues in Zero-Emission Bus (ZEB) charging, funding, signaling and sound making.

Upcoming National RTAP Two Variable Cost Allocation Calculator Webinars

A series of two webinars will introduce National RTAP's Access and Excel versions of the Two Variable Cost Allocation Calculator developed by Texas A&M Transportation Institute for National RTAP. Presenters and developers of this application are Todd Hansen, Assistant Research Scientist at Texas A&M Transportation Institute and Rich Garrity of RLS & Associates, Inc. Register for the Excel version webinar, which will take place on May 14 from 12:30 PM-1:30 PM and/or the Access version webinar, which will take place on May 15 from 2:00-3:00 PM.

Upcoming National RTAP Webinar: On-Ramps, Intersections, and Exit Routes: A Roadmap for Transit Agencies to Prevent and Disrupt Human Trafficking

Register for a webinar on May 14, from 2:30 PM-3:30 PM that will demonstrate ways our industry can make fundamental shifts to prevent, detect, and disrupt human trafficking.

Panelists:

Kristen Joyner, Chair, Human Trafficking Awareness Protocols and Policies Sub Committee for the Secretary of Transportation and Executive Director, SWTA
Annie Slovik, Program Director, Buses on the Lookout (BOTL)

U.S. DOT and FTA Updates

U.S. DOT will be holding a public meeting of the Department of Transportation Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking on May 16, 2019, from 10:00 AM - 4:45 PM ET at U.S. DOT headquarters in Washington, DC. Meeting goals are to compile recommendations on actions U.S. DOT can take, and develop best practices for combating human trafficking.

FTA released a report that evaluates transit cost estimates versus bid pricing from 1995 to 2015, FTA Market Conditions Research Recommendations for Improving Transit Industry Cost Estimation. The research is significant because it identifies and creates guidance for improving project cost estimation.

On May 1 from 1:00-3:00 PM, TRB will hold a webinar on U.S. DOT’s interstate rule - Understanding Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Interstate Certification. This webinar will focus on the details of the rule to enable State DOTs, DBE firms, and other parties better understand the rule's purpose. Presenters will discuss review options, allowable supporting documentation, and grounds for good cause denial determinations.

FTA has requested comments to the National Transit Database (NTD) Reporting Changes and Clarifications. Proposed changes include a new type of service classification for demand responsive service provided by transportation network companies; and a new data element to identify automated vehicles Comments on the proposals are due by June 10, 2019. Changes will be effective beginning September 2019.

FTA and APTA are hosting a webinar on Communicating TAM Compliance and Programs on April 25 from 2:00-3:15 PM ET. The webinar will help agencies move forward with implementing transit asset management processes and creating an asset management culture through communication.

Publications

NCHRP's Analyzing Data for Measuring Transportation Performance by State DOTs and MPOs summarizes what data State DOTs and MPOs are using and how they are measuring transportation performance. This report will help transportation organizations learn about effective data analysis practices.

BTS released their latest edition of Transportation Economic Trends. Data includes Data includes transportation costs, employment characteristics, household spending, and government revenues and expenditures.

TRB has created a new Snap Search on Demand Responsive & Innovative Transportation Services. Some of the resources and projects it lists include Best Practices in Rural Regional Mobility and Opportunities for State DOTs (and Others) to Encourage Shared Use Mobility Practices in Rural Areas.

Webinars and Training

Register for a TRB webinar on Dialysis Transportation: The Intersection of Transportation and Healthcare, to be held on May 13 from 2:00-3:30 PM ET. Presenters will describe practices and strategies for transit agencies and the healthcare industry that address challenges in dialysis-related transportation.

National Transit Institute is providing training on Quality Assurance and Quality Control in Transit

on April 25-26 in Dayton, OH. The course will instruct on strategies to implement quality processes in at least one of the following areas: capital development, operations, management, and vehicle acquisition

New National RTAP NEMT Resource Guide

We created a Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) Resource Guide in April 2019. The resource guide includes national and state major web pages with information about non-emergency medical transportation. Many of the web pages listed are for Medicaid recipients, but there are other resources listed too. The guide is part of National RTAP's Assisting People with Finding Transportation web page in our Find Anything Toolkit.

Opportunities

TRB is accepting proposals for the 2019 Transit Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) funding. The program provides support of up to $100,000 for early stage development and testing of innovative and unproven concepts and methods for advancing transit practice. Proposals are due May 1, 2019.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is offering new Rural Communities Opioid Response Program Implementation grants. May 06, 2019 is the application closing date.

Tribal-Researcher Capacity Building grants are available from the National Institute of Justice and U.S. Department of Justice to support research involving federally recognized tribes and tribal-based organizations on issues of crime and justice. Research priorities for funding include alcohol, opioids, other substance abuse, and violent crime. The application deadline is May 13, 2019.

Nominate a company, individual, or project creating great walkable places and demonstrating public leadership to advance smart growth development for a Smart Growth America LOCUS Leadership Award. Nominations are due by May 16, 2019.

Submit a Student Poster to the National RTAP Conference

Students who already have a poster completed or who have ideas may consider submitting a research poster to the 4th National RTAP Technical Assistance Conference: Charting New Trails for Rural & Tribal Transit. Students can share original studies on transportation with top industry leaders at a national conference. Winners receive awards.

Calendar of Upcoming Events

TRB

Mobility Management: Public Participation Event Part 1

April 18, 9:00 AM-12:00 PM