National RTAP eNews - November 26, 2019

eNews - November 26, 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.

Upcoming National RTAP Webinar on Reasonable Suspicion Training for Supervisors

Reasonable Suspicion Training for Supervisors is a National RTAP eLearning course for front line supervisors responsible for making reasonable suspicion drug/alcohol testing referrals of employees who perform safety-sensitive job functions. National RTAP staff and Diana Byrnes, CSAPA, CUTR will provide an overview of the training module and discuss how it fulfills federal training requirements. The webinar will be held on December 18, 2019, from 2:00-3:00 PM ET.

We have also updated our Reasonable Suspicion Training for Supervisors technical brief, which provides an overview of the topic and explains how to use the training.

New National RTAP Intercity Transportation Technical Brief

Since the 1980s, intercity bus services such as Greyhound, Jefferson Lines, Express Arrow, Indian Trails, and Barons Bus have worked with the states and rural operators to expand rural passenger transit opportunities. This new National RTAP Intercity Transportation technical brief, which builds on the retired Partnering with Greyhound technical brief, includes information on intercity transportation eligible activities and use of in-kind match under Section 5311(f), insurance requirements, fares, interlining ticketing options, and other topics.

Travel Washington Grapeline Intercity Bus

Image of Travel Washington's Grape Line courtesy of Washington State Department of Transportation.

Featured Resource

Resources and Events

National RTAP Tribal Transit Peer Roundtable Tomorrow

Join National RTAP and fellow Tribal Transit providers on November 27, 2019 between 3:00-4:00 PM ET to talk about the status of your programs and any challenges that you're currently facing. No pre-registration required. Join the Roundtable at the time above through GoToMeeting.

Send us an email with questions or RSVP for an email invitation.

2021 National RTAP Conference Local Host RFP

National RTAP is requesting proposals for a location for our 5th biennial rural and tribal technical assistance conference in fall 2021. See the 2021 National RTAP Conference Local Host RFP for full details. We will hold a Local Host RFP Q&A Webinar on Thursday, December 19 at 2:00 PM ET to provide information and answer questions about the 2021 conference and RFP. Learn more about the webinar and register here.

National RTAP Solicits Nominations for Review Board Members

For spring 2020, National RTAP is soliciting nominations for two state transit officials and one rural or tribal transit operator for our Review Board. The nominations from this solicitation will be used to fill vacancies in fall 2020 and into 2021. The term is three years starting with the member's first meeting. More information and the nomination form are available here. The deadline is January 31, 2020.

National RTAP/CTE Rural Transit Zero-Emission Vehicle Deployments: Collaborating with your Electric Utility Webinar Questions and Answers Posted

We've posted the questions and answers addressed during the National RTAP/Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) webinar held on November 5, 2019. Panelists discussed strategies to help electric utilities and transit agencies build and maintain partnerships.

U.S. DOT and FTA Updates

U.S. DOT has awarded 50% of $900 million FY 2019 Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) transportation discretionary grant funding to projects located in rural areas. The funding has been awarded to 55 projects in 35 states.

FTA has recently developed a number of helpful guides for safety training and planning, such as Guide to Developing the Safety Risk Management Component of a Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan and Safety Training Resources for Bus Transit Agencies.

U.S. DOT published a State and Local Government Data Analysis Tools for Roadway Safety notice of funding opportunity that will help build the capacity of state, local, and tribal governments to use innovative data tools to improve roadway safety. Tools developed will demonstrate deployment through technical assistance and peer exchanges. On December 3, 2019 at 2:30 PM ET, a webinar will provide an overview of this funding opportunity.

The cross-referenced FTA/FHWA Management and Monitoring Systems regulation (Part 614 of Title 49 and 23 CFR Part 500) was rescinded effective November 5, 2019. Areas covered by the initial rule, including public transportation facilities and equipment and intermodal transportation facilities and systems, are now covered by other rules.

U.S. DOT announced University of Central Florida (UCF) as the winner of the Solving for Safety Visualization Challenge on November 21, 2019. UCF’s tool uses advanced analytics, including machine learning and artificial intelligence to predict elevated crash risk and suggest countermeasures.

FTA has launched a Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) Community of Practice. The Community includes at PTASP Technical Assistance Forum and a State Safety Oversight PTASP Forum. Examples of questions answered on the forum include, "What is the definition of a close call for a bus-only system?" and "Can you please clarify the difference between PTASP, ASP, and SMS?"

U.S. DOT is accepting comments on the Tribal Transportation Self-Governance Program proposed rule through December 2, 2019. The Federal Register notice provides information about the proposed rule, including how to submit comments.

The November edition of FTA's Transit Safety and Oversight Spotlight has been published. The issue includes information about Collision Avoidance Technology Safety Research and Demonstration Projects and a data spotlight focusing on collisions between people and vehicles.

Webinars and Training

National Transit Institute (NTI) provides training on many transit topics in cities across the country. Some of their upcoming offerings include Paratransit Management and Operations and Introduction to Transportation Conformity. Visit their course listings for more information.

Save the Date for National RTAP #Succession2Transit Twitter Chat

National RTAP is planning a Transit Succession Planning Twitter Chat

on January 28, 2:00-3:00 PM with Dr. Mike Mowery of Strategic Government Resources. Join us as we learn together about best practices, pitfalls to avoid, and practical tips to prepare the next generation of transit leaders. RSVP for an email invite.

RIBTC 2020 Call for Abstracts

The call for abstracts has been posted for the TRB 24th National Conference on Rural Public and Intercity Bus Transportation (RIBTC), which will be held in Charleston, South Carolina on October 17-21, 2020. Routes center around planning, design, research, policy, funding, finance, mobility, Tribal transportation, and technology. Submissions are due January 3, 2020.

Opportunities

TCRP is soliciting nominations for panel members to oversee individual TCRP research projects. Individuals may nominate themselves or someone else. Nominations are due January 24, 2020.

Agencies may apply for funding under the National Rural Health Information Clearinghouse Program. The purpose of this program is to serve as a national clearinghouse for information on rural health to support access to healthcare and improve population health in rural communities. Applications must be received by December 2, 2019.

AASHTO is surveying users on the quality of their communications through their 2019 Communications Survey. The survey will be collecting responses through the end of November.

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) is accepting applications for a Return on Investment Learning Opportunity focused on expanding management competencies to plan and execute multi-sector partnerships. Applications are due by December 2, 2019.

The Rural Health Network Development Planning Program is soliciting applications for funding to assist in the development of an integrated health care network, specifically with network participants who do not have a history of formal collaborative efforts. The deadline to apply is November 29, 2019.

Publications

The TRB Transit Cooperative Research Program's TCRP Research Report 206: Guidance for Calculating the Return on Investment in Transit State of Good Repair addresses transit agency, user, and social costs and benefits of SGR investments. The guidance walks through the steps for calculating the ROI for a potential investment or set of investments.

The Shared-Use Mobility Center's learning module on Rural and Small Town Transportation includes sample planning documents, federal, state, and local policies, and public agency partnerships and initiatives working toward improving mobility options for residents in rural and small communities.

NCHRP's Management and Use of Data for Transportation Performance Management: Guide for Practitioners provides guidance data life-cycle stages and the critical choices that need to be made. The report contains checklists to assess agency capabilities and identify opportunities for improvement.

FHWA has a Virtual Public Involvement web page, where they provide examples of successful virtual public involvement techniques.

Legislation

FMCSA announced the publication of a proposed rule to reduce regulatory costs by $74 million per year by removing an information collection burden for commercial buses. Applicants must submit proposals through Grants.gov by January 6, 2020.

CATA Goes Live on Google Maps

Crawford Area Transportation Authority (CATA) General Manager and National RTAP Review Board member Tim Geibel announces that CATA now offers online trip planning. Chelsea Youngs, CATA Data Analyst, fine-tuned and updated stop locations and schedule details that will now be more precise based on in-house GTFS Builder data management. Read more about CATA's GTFS Builder endeavor.

Rural Substance Use Disorder Twitter Chat Recap

National RTAP participated in a Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) #RuralSud Twitter Chat on November 20, 2019. Some of the many resources shared included:

Rural Health Information Hub's Rural Prevention and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders Toolkit
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service's Administration's (SAMHSA) Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network
HRSA's Rural Communities Opioid Response Program

New Transit Technical Assistance Center Launched

CTAA launched the National Center for Applied Transit Technology (N-CATT). N-CATT will deliver technical assistance to transit agencies and organizations in rural and small urban areas to use or develop transit technologies and innovations.