National RTAP eNews - October 29, 2020

eNews - October 29, 2020

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: What is Microtransit and How Can It Help Rural Mobility?

Microtransit can mean many things: flexible transit, on-demand transportation, demand-responsive transit, mobility-on-demand, app-enabled transportation service, and more.

Learn about recent successful microtransit projects in rural areas that expand mobility options for their residents.

Join us for a webinar on November 18, 2:00-3:00 PM ET. This webinar will feature microtransit best practices from panelists Rodger Lentz, Chief Planning and Development Officer for the City of Wilson, North Carolina, and Olivia Blahut, Partnerships Lead at Via Transportation, who have launched a successful pilot program using app-enabled on-demand public transportation.

National RTAP Welcomes Two Review Board Members and Honors Outgoing Members

National RTAP is pleased to announce our newest Review Board members, whose terms began at our fall meeting held virtually on October 21-22, 2020:

Jeremy Bell, Interim Director, Choctaw Transit Mississippi, Band of Choctaw Indians, Choctaw, MS (photo above left)
Tyler Bender, Compliance Officer, Ohio Department of Transportation, Columbus, OH (photo above right)

The National RTAP Review Board provides in-depth expertise and local perspectives to ensure that National RTAP products and services are of the highest quality, easily accessible, and useful for local transit operators and state RTAP managers.

Outgoing Review Board members were honored with plaques:

Glen Bahm, Transit Coordinator, Standing Rock Public Transit. Fort Yates, ND
Julia Castillo, Executive Director, Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Authority (HIRTA), Urbandale, IA
Tim Geibel, Executive Director, Crawford Area Transit Authority (CATA), Meadville, PA
Neil Sherman, Director of Statewide Transit Programs, Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, Richmond, VA

Learn more about our Review Board.

Resources and Events

Rural Transit Heroes Twitter Transcript and Summary Available

National RTAP hosted a Twitter Chat on #RuralTransitHeroes on October 20, 2020, moderated by Julia Castillo, Executive Director, HIRTA Public Transit, and Kari Banta, Section 5304 Program Manager, TX DOT. Participants talked about who inspired them to enter the field of transit, heroic acts by rural transit agencies and staff, unsung heroes behind the scenes, and traits that embody rural transit heroes. Access the Chat transcript and summary.

Demystifying Trip Planner Licensing Agreements Presentation and Recording Available

National RTAP held a webinar on trip planner licensing agreements on October 27, 2020. The webinar included information about National RTAP's General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) Builder tool. Access the webinar recording and slides.

U.S. DOT and FTA Updates

On October 14, 2020, FTA added new questions and answers to their COVID-19 FAQ page, with information about extensions for single audit reports and delaying of biennial physical inventory.

The period of availability is extended to September 30, 2021 for FTA grant program funds:

FY 2018 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities (Section 5310)
FY 2018 Formula Grants for Rural Areas, Tribal Transit Formula Program, and Rural Transit Assistance Program (Section 5311)
FY 2017 Tribal Transit Competitive Program (Section 5311)
FY 2017 State of Good Repair (Section 5337)

On October 5, 2020, U.S. DOT posted an Agency Response to Petition for Rulemaking in Regulations.gov. The petition asked U.S. DOT to promulgate a regulation mandating that passengers traveling with DOT-regulated commercial transportation providers wear masks or face coverings. U.S. DOT emphasizes the consideration of non-regulatory solutions.

FTA's October 2020 Transit Safety and Oversight Spotlight newsletter was published. The issue published new FAQs about Agency Safety Plan approvals and certifications and a data spotlight on hurricanes and other natural disasters

Webinars and Training

Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) launched a new online training platform. Courses include Understanding Passengers Who Have Experienced Trauma, Volunteer Driver Safety, and others. Some courses are available for free.

Publications

Small Urban and Rural Center on Mobility's (SURCOM) Rural Transit Fact Book was updated in September 2020. Data include travel behavior, demographics, and financial and operating statistics for agencies receiving 5311 funding. Statistics are presented by state, FTA region, Tribe, and mode as well as nationally. The 2020 edition includes data from the National Transit Database (NTD) and data from the American Community Survey and National Household Travel Survey.

National Center for Mobility Management's (NCMM) Statewide Mobility Management: Factors Affecting the Creation and Success of Networks presents research findings about statewide mobility management programs and the individuals who lead them. The research identifies common challenges and concludes with recommendations for building the ideal mobility management network.

The latest National Transportation Knowledge Network (NTKN) blog post, written by National RTAP and Montana DOT staff, features Montana and Missouri DOT's Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Systems LibGuide. The LibGuide includes projects like Florida DOT's use of drones to improve traffic crash site assessments and Oregon DOT's study of driving distraction due to drones.

NCHRP's A Physical Security and Cybersecurity Primer for Transportation Agencies provides information about security and cybersecurity risk management, countermeasures, workforce planning, and infrastructure protection and resilience.

COVID-19 Information

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Healthcare Resilience Working Group created a PPE Preservation Planning Toolkit. The toolkit provides guidance on reusing or repurposing personal protective equipment, such as gloves, masks, etc. The toolkit includes a guide with step-by-step instructions and a dynamic tool to enter and analyze data and interpret the output.

Indian Health Service published a COVID-19 Pandemic Vaccine Draft Plan. Transportation workers are considered Tribal essential workers as priority populations in regard to vaccination.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has redefined "close contact" in terms of COVID-19 as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period* starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.

CDC also published Interim Guidance on Wearing of Face Masks While on Public Conveyances and at Stations, Ports, and Similar Transportation Hubs. This guidance provides a strong recommendation for wearing of masks by passengers on and operators of conveyances to prevent spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. The guidance applies to people traveling on, boarding, or departing from public conveyances, and provides categories where mask use may be exempted.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has launched a Save Small Businesses Initiative. The web page lists federal, state, and private financial assistance, and additional resources.

National RTAP Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Topic Guide Updated

National RTAP is continuing to update our series of Hot Topic Guides in our Find Anything Toolkit. Our hot topics are chosen based on questions asked to our Resource Center over the past year and answers to our Transit Manager's Survey. Disadvantaged

Business Enterprise (DBE) was a topic in previous years, but not in 2019. We've posted the guide again and updated it with:

Opportunities

Indian Health Service is soliciting applications through December 15, 2020 for the Community Opioid Intervention Pilot Projects grant program. Applicants are encouraged to develop and submit a plan that emphasizes cross-system collaboration.

Shared-Use Mobility Center (SUMC) established the Accelerating Innovative Mobility National Network (AIM-NNet) through a cooperative agreement with FTA. AIM-NNet will provide technical assistance to projects advancing innovations in public transportation.

Calendar of Upcoming Events

All event times listed in Eastern Time. Subtract 1 hour for Central Time, 2 for Mountain Time, 3 for Pacific Time, 4 for Alaska, and 6 for Hawaii.

TRB

Sustainability and Emerging Transportation Technology (SETT) Conference and Virtual Forums

October 29 and November 5, 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

Virtual Conference

Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI)

How Prepared Is Transit for a Cyber Attack?

October 29, 1:00-1:30 PM