Newsletter - November 2022 | |
2022 Annual Membership Meeting Awards | |
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FTA Urban Award presented by Federal Transit Administration
Adrienne Collins, Rock Region Metro, North Little Rock
Gail Lyssy, FTA Region 6 Administrator, Fort Worth, Texas
5310 Award presented by ARDOT
April Washington, ARDOT, Little Rock
Michael Johns, Carelink, North Little Rock
Steven Roberts, Carelink, North Little Rock
5311 Award presented by ARDOT
Johnna Thomas, ARDOT, Little Rock
Kenneth "Smitty" Smith, Eureka Springs Transit, Eureka Springs
President's Award presented by Arkansas Transit Association
Greg Nation, ARDOT, Little Rock
Adam Waddell, ATA Board President, Razorback Transit, Fayetteville
President's Award presented by Arkansas Transit Association
Georganna Huddleston, AEDD, Little Rock
Adam Waddell, ATA Board President, Razorback Transit, Fayetteville
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Razorback Transit Testing Articulated Bus
The U of A began testing an articulated bus on Razorback Transit routes Tuesday, Oct. 25. Articulated buses are commonly used vehicles for public transportation, featuring two sections that are linked together to provide additional capacity. Nova Bus, a member of the Volvo group, is conducting the proof-of-concept demonstration.
"We have been exploring a number of options to address our ongoing capacity constraints," Razorback Transit Director Adam Waddell said. "This demonstration will help us evaluate a potential capacity solution, as well as the effectiveness of the bus managing our routes, meeting our passengers' needs and more."
The articulated bus seats an additional 19 passengers compared to the seating capacity in Razorback Transit's current fleet, and is about 20 feet longer. Based on the findings from the proof of concept, the U of A Transit and Parking Department will determine the long-term feasibility of permanently adding articulated buses to the fleet.
"We are incredibly pleased that the University of Arkansas agreed to test our bus for a few weeks and for the opportunity to demonstrate its reliability and strength," said Mylene Tassy, vice president of marketing and sales at Nova Bus. "Our buses are present on several campuses across the country, and we are happy the U of A will consider integrating this 60-foot articulated bus to its fleet. We are looking forward to contributing to the expansion of their bus service for the benefit of the university's students and workforce in Fayetteville."
Razorback Transit also recently announced updated route schedules to provide more reliable trip times for passengers.
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METRO Connect Conway Public Microtransit Service
Launched on Oct. 24
Rock Region METRO, on behalf of the City of Conway, will launch the METRO Connect Conway public microtransit service zone Monday, Oct. 24. The service, which will operate Monday-Saturday, 6 a.m.-8 p.m., is the first modern-day public transit service offered in Conway. METRO Connect Conway service offers on-demand, point-to-point trips within the city with an easy-to-use ride-booking interface, real-time vehicle information, reasonable wait and travel times, and affordable fares.
“After a lot of hard work and planning, we are thrilled to be offering this service to Conway residents,” said Mayor Bart Castleberry. “Employing microtransit service, which is a relatively low-cost transit service, allows us to maximize federal funding to improve mobility options for all of our residents, helping to connect them to health appointments, educational opportunities, jobs and more.”
METRO Connect Conway offers shared rides throughout the planned service zone, which covers most areas within the Conway city limits and was designed with input from city staff; various data sources and metrics, such as Traffic Analysis Zones, population density, employment density and land use zones; and feedback from local representatives within the health, education, employment and social services sectors. METRO’s professional transportation planning firm, Foursquare ITP, lead the service planning task for the agency.
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All times Central Time
Introduction to Paratransit Management and Operations
Webinar
National Transit Institute (NTI)
November 14-17, 2022, 12:00-4:00 p.m.
December 12-15, 2022, 12:00-4:00 p.m.
Title VI and Public Transit
Webinar
National Transit Institute (NTI)
November 14-17, 2022, 12:00-3:30 p.m.
December 12-15, 2022, 12:00-3:30 p.m.
Project Management for Transit Professionals
Webinar
National Transit Institute (NTI)
November 14-17, 2022, 12:00-3:30 p.m.
December 12-15, 2022, 12:00-3:30 p.m.
December 19-22, 2022, 12:00-3:30 p.m.
Transitioning From Frontline Employee to Frontline Supervisor
Webinar
National Transit Institute (NTI)
November 14-17, 2022, 12:00-4:00 p.m.
December 5-8, 2022, 12:00-4:00 p.m.
Transportation Planning Process
Webinar
National Transit Institute (NTI)
November 14-17, 2022, 12:00-4:00 p.m.
December 5-8, 2022, 12:00-4:00 p.m.
Crisis Communications for Transit Managers
Webinar
National Transit Institute (NTI)
November 15-16, 2022, 12:00-3:30 p.m.
December 13-14 2022, 12:00-3:30 p.m.
Using Federal Charging Funds Equitably & Effectively
Webinar
FORTH
November 15, 2022, 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Optimization of Transit Networks and Service Areas to Improve Equity and Service Efficiency
Webinar
National Institute for Congestion Reduction (NICR)
November 17,2022, 11:00 a.m.-12:00p.m.
Operators in Crisis: Strategies for Hiring & Retaining Transit Workers
Webinar
TransitCenter
November 17,2022, 2:00p.m.
Q'Straint / Sure-Lok Wheelchair Securement Training
Webinar
Q'Straint/Sure-Lok
November 17,2022, 11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Enhancing Your Transit Asset Management Program with Lifecycle Management
Webinar
National Transit Institute (NTI)
November 28th - December 1, 2022, 12:00-2:30 p.m.
December 5-8, 2022, 12:00-2:30 p.m.
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise
Webinar
National Transit Institute (NTI)
December 5-8, 2022, 12:00-4:00 p.m.
Language Matters – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Lunch & Learn
Webinar
National Transit Institute (NTI)
December 7, 2022, 11:00 a.m.
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Volunteer Driver Recruitment Materials
The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC) has developed a new campaign to help volunteer transportation programs around the country recruit volunteer drivers. The fully customizable volunteer recruitment materials include:
- Flyers
- Postcards
- Social Media Graphics
- A Social Media Toolkit
All of the campaign materials offer designated spaces for your organization’s logo and information, enabling you to customize them for your community. NADTC will provide you with the individual PDF, JPEG, or InDesign files of the materials for your use.
Transit Worker Recruitment Campaign Toolkit
In an effort to help transit agencies more effectively recruit drivers and other workers, the Transit Workforce Center has released a new Transit Worker Recruitment Campaign Toolkit. This is a free, regularly updated resource.
FREE Online Basic Cybersecurity Training
Would you like to learn more about cybersecurity and how to protect your organization against cybercrime? The Arkansas Small Business & Technology Development Center, UA Little Rock, and U.S. Small Business Administration have teamed up to offer a free, online, on-demand basic cybersecurity training course. Cyber Safe: Cybersecurity for Small Business covers:
- Access Control
- Passwords
- Media Protection
- Physical Security
- Protecting Network Boundaries
- Vulnerabilities
The course is directed at agency managers, directors, and IT staff, and takes less than 1.5 hours to complete.
Battery Electric Bus (And Other Electric Vehicles) Fundamentals Training Modules
The Transportation Learning Center is providing free access to three training modules to help technicians, mechanics, and fleet managers gain an understanding of the fundamentals of battery electric bus (BEB) technology. Though the modules focus on battery electric transit buses, many of the principals discussed apply to other types of battery electric vehicles that are already or will soon be on the market (e.g., passenger and paratransit vehicles). You can (1) watch the pre-recorded on-demand webinars that include Q&As with industry experts or (2) download the slides (includes presenters’ notes, tests, and test answers) to use in a group training session. Topics include:
- Module 1: BEB Overview (Fundamentals of BEB Technology, Preventative Maintenance & Diagnostics, and Battery Management & Cooling)
- Module 2: High Voltage Safety (Overview of BEB High Voltage, High Voltage Risk & Safety, Worker Protection, and High Voltage Required Skills & Knowledge)
- Module 3: Charging Considerations (Charging Overview; Charging Considerations & Technology; Charging Standards, Maintenance, & Safety; and Facility & Operations Considerations for BEBs)
Transit Workforce Center On-Demand Webinar Series on Recruitment, Retention, Mentoring, and Development of New and Existing Frontline Transit Workers
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620 West Broadway Street
North Little Rock, AR 72114
501-372-8900
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