December 2023

NEWS TO KNOW

FTA Publishes Calendar Year 2024 Drug and Alcohol Random Testing Rates

On Nov. 30, FTA published a notice in the Federal Register to announce the calendar year 2024 Drug and Alcohol Random Testing Rates for transit employers. The minimum random drug testing rate will remain at 50 percent and the random alcohol testing rate will remain at 10 percent. FTA requires drug and alcohol testing for transit employees performing safety-sensitive functions and for employers to submit annual drug and alcohol testing reports by March 15 of each year.

Section 5310 Subrecipients

FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Virtual Training – Part 382 on Jan. 11, 2024 - Click to enroll

Enrolled attendees, use this link to access the webinar. Section 5310 transit agencies that have vehicles that are 16 passenger or more (including the driver) can attend this training.

Drug and Alcohol Management Information System (DMIS) Reporting Changes

On Jan. 1, 2024, DOT’s Drug and Alcohol Management Information System (MIS) will be utilizing Login.gov to access the DOT’s drug and alcohol MIS. For more information, please see Change is Coming to How Users Access the DOT’s Drug and Alcohol Management Information System (MIS) (govdelivery.com). As the reporting timeframe gets closer, MoDOT will provide login information to those this change is applicable to.

2024 Federal Transit Program Workshops - Registration Opens on Dec. 26, 2023

Greetings MoDOT Partners,

It is that time again for MoDOT’s annual required training!

As you know, when an agency accepts Federal Transit Administration (FTA) assistance under a transit grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) to fund capital projects, such as a bus/van, or for public transit operating assistance, there are grant contract terms and conditions (federal requirements) that continue for the life of the project. FTA requires MoDOT to ensure compliance with these requirements. Therefore, MoDOT will be holding its annual subrecipient workshop the week of Feb. 5, 2024, in Jefferson City.

WHY ATTEND?

This year, we want to welcome you all home to our headquarters location to hear what’s new in our transit and oversight program.

Come hear about MoDOT’s expectations promulgated by the new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) passed by Congress in 2021 and the impact on your transit program.
Come meet your MoDOT Transit team that work with you daily to navigate your transit program needs.
For agencies scheduled for a comprehensive oversight review, come meet your review team and get priority selection for your review date.

WHEN AND WHERE TO ATTEND?

All workshops will be held in Jefferson City, the week of Feb. 5, 2024. There will be five opportunities to attend the workshop. Select only one day to attend.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Each agency will be restricted to two attendees. When determining who will represent your agency, please ensure that the individual has responsibility for administering your transit program. For example:

Individual is responsible for managing the transportation program.
Individual has regular interaction with the MoDOT program manager.
Individual files required reimbursement requests and/or program reports with MoDOT.
Individual administers program requirements, such as drug and alcohol compliance.

If you are unsure who should attend, please contact your MoDOT program manager for assistance.

We look forward to seeing you in February!

AGENCY SPOTLIGHT

Cape Girardeau County Transit’s (CGCTA) announces new executive director

Ginny Smith has been named executive director of Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority (CGCTA) and started in her new position on Friday, Dec. 1, succeeding the retired Tom Mogelnicki.

CGCTA’s five-member board of directors selected Ginny, who for the past eight years has worked at Southeast Missouri Transit Service (SMTS) as Chief Operations Officer and prior as the Director of Operations/Safety Management. She brings extensive leadership in the transit industry in southeast Missouri and is active in community service.

Ginny is a graduate of Mineral Area College, and a member of the community involvement committee of Cape Girardeau-based United Way of Southeast Missouri.

In a recent news release by CGCTA, Ginny stated, “I’m elated at the opportunity to serve as the newly appointed executive director of Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority. I look forward to working alongside current CGCTA employees, leaders from the community and our riders to improve the public transit system. While change doesn’t always happen quickly, I’m committed to improving the current service for every citizen of Cape Girardeau County.”

Congratulations Ginny and looking forward to working with you in your new role at CGCTA!

HOT TRANSIT TOPIC

Volunteer Driver Programs – Things You Need to Know!

Volunteer drivers can provide a cost-effective way to provide transportation in areas with limited options. However, when embarking on a volunteer driver program, there are things you need to know and be prepared to address. First of all, volunteers are employees you don’t pay. As such, they need to be held to many of the same standards as paid employees. A volunteer driver program needs organizational structure in order to succeed. In the coming issues we will be discussing many of the questions/issues surrounding these programs. Questions to ask yourself include:

What types of personnel policies should be in place?
What type of insurance is needed to limit financial exposure related to risk?
Do you have passenger payment and/or donation policies?
Are volunteers reimbursed?
What type of training do volunteer drivers need?
Will they be driving our vehicles or their own and how do we manage vehicle operations?
Will volunteers drive your vehicles?
Will volunteers drive their own vehicles?
How should vehicle equipment and maintenance be addressed?
How do you handle incidents, accidents, and collisions?
How do you ensure the safety of your passengers?
Driving records
Criminal background checks
Safety policies (such as prohibition of cellphones while driving)
What procedures need to be in place for record keeping?
What type of records need to be kept?
Driver records
Vehicle records (for personally owned vehicle operations)
Trip requests
Trip reports
Reimbursement requests
Match documentation (driver time sheets)

Watch future newsletters for more information on volunteer driver programs!

FEDERAL ACTIONS & UPDATES

NOFOs

FTA Rail Vehicle Replacement Program – Dec. 18 deadline. About $197 million is made available this year to replace aging railcars improving reliability, safety and accessibility on the nation’s rail transit systems.

FTA Accelerating Advanced Digital Construction Management Systems (ADCMS) Program – Feb. 12, 2024, deadline. About $5.1 million is made available for an organization to promote digitally based systems that integrate every step of a capital project – from planning through asset management – to ensure projects stay on schedule and on budget. FTA will hold a NOFO webinar on Oct. 26, 4 p.m. ET – register here.

FTA Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility (ICAM) Grants – Feb. 13, 2024, deadline. About $4.7 million is made available for projects that improve access to vital services for older adults and people with disabilities, and in low-income communities. FTA will hold a NOFO webinar on Dec. 14, 3 p.m. ET – registration to be opened.

EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Program – Apr. 1, 2024, deadline. EPA announced a $4.6 billion competitive grant program to address GHG emission reduction strategies. GHG reduction strategies through transit measures are eligible for funding in this program. The full NOFO and guidance can be downloaded as a PDF on grants.gov. Page nine of the NOFO includes an illustrative list of example eligible measures from the transportation sector, many of which involve transit.

NOFO: GHG Reduction Measure Examples

Electrification requirements for state transit equipment fleets.
Policies to expand transit use, such as van-pool programs, ridesharing, transit fare subsidies.
New or expanded transportation infrastructure projects to facilitate public transit.

FTA Proposed Rules-Seeking Comment

FTA currently has published two proposed rules seeking public comment:

NPRM: Public Transportation Safety Certification Training Program (PTSCTP) – response deadline

Dec. 26. FTA proposes changes to requirements for the PTSCTP for rail transit agency safety professionals to add administrative requirements for recipients subject to SSO training requirements. The intent is to streamline communication processes and clarify voluntary PTSCTP participation and refresher training requirements. FTA’s Nov. 8 NPRM webinar recording and presentation are now available.

ANPRM: Transit Worker Hours of Service and Fatigue Risk Management – response deadline Dec. 29. FTA is considering proposing minimum safety standards to provide protections for transit workers to reduce fatigue-related safety incidents. FTA seeks input on hours of service and fatigue risk management programs.

New NPRM: State Safety Oversight revisions – response deadline Jan. 16. FTA proposes revisions to the State Safety Oversight (SS) regulation to implement new requirements of the IIJA, remove outdated references, and simplify notification requirements.