eNews - April 13, 2023
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.

Newsletter Highlights
National RTAP Review Board Transitions
Upcoming Webinar on Understanding the Entry-Level Driver Training Requirements
U.S. DOT NOFO for the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Program
First U.S. DOT and FTA Tribal Transit Symposium
National COVID-19 Emergency Ended
National RTAP Review Board Transitions

National RTAP held our Spring 2023 Review Board meeting in Washington, DC on March 28-30, 2023. Participants guided National RTAP's projects, products, and events for the upcoming year.

We welcomed the following new members to our Review Board:
  • Stephanie Bushong, Transit Manager, Ketchikan Gateway Borough, AK
  • Marianna Hanefeld, Transportation Planner/RTAP Manager, Washington State Department of Transportation
  • Jessie Schmitzer, RTAP Manager, Ohio Department of Transportation, Office of Transit
  • Kevin Wassom, Compliance Analyst, Michigan Department of Transportation

Deborah Bach, Rural Transit Programs Supervisor, New Mexico Department of Transportation, Transit and Rail Division, became our next Chair. Jeremy Bell, Director, Choctaw Transit Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, became our Vice Chair.

We recognized Past Chair Angie Jones, Regional Transit Coordinator, Region 5, ODOT Public Transportation Division, with a plaque to honor her service.

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.
Upcoming Webinar on Understanding the Entry-Level Driver Training Requirements

National RTAP and NADTC are co-hosting an Understanding the Entry-Level Driver Training Requirements webinar on May 8, 2023 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET. This webinar will outline the requirements and introduce resources from FMCSA, National RTAP, and Minnesota DOT to help you successfully navigate the rules.
Upcoming National RTAP Events

In support of the forthcoming National Transit Database (NTD) reporting requirements for General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) for fixed and deviated fixed route service, National RTAP is offering free, live GTFS support Thursdays between 1:00-1:30 PM ET. Meet with our instructor, share your screen, and ask questions. Use this link to join the Zoom meeting – no preregistration is needed. GTFS support is also available Mondays through Fridays from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM ET by contacting info@nationalrtap.org.

Our third #ClimateTransit Twitter chat on April 21, 2023, from 2:00-3:00 PM ET, will discuss how climate change could impact rural communities and transit agencies. Learn how transit agencies can prepare for the potential effects of a changing climate and tackle emissions to mitigate potential climate impacts. The chat will be moderated by Kate Mason, Communications Manager, Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE), and Harrison Carpenter-Neuhaus, Communications Associate, Climate Nexus. RSVP for an invite.

National RTAP and AASHTO MTAP are holding a Succession Planning 101 webinar on May 9, 2023, from 2:00-3:00 PM ET. Learn from an expert panel of transit agency and State DOT managers about the components and steps to a successful succession plan. View National RTAP’s new eLearning course on succession planning, which includes customizable templates.

National RTAP will hold a How to Find (Almost) Anything in Transit with the Find Anything Toolkit webinar on June 13, 2:00-3:00 PM ET. The Find Anything Toolkit was thoroughly updated and streamlined in 2023 to make it even easier to find anything and everything. Join United Community Action Program/Cimarron Transit Director Laura Corff and National RTAP Knowledge and Resource Manager Cara Marcus for an interactive tour of the Toolkit.

On June 29, 2:00-3:00 PM ET, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI) Transit Mobility program will lead a Challenges and Successes with Shared‐Use Mobility in Rural, Frontier, and Tribal Areas Virtual Workshop focused on needs for transportation in rural, frontier, and Tribal areas along with ideas and examples for solutions to service challenges. The session is co-hosted by National RTAP and SUMC.

Our next State RTAP Manager Peer Roundtable will be held on July 18, 2023, 2:00-3:00 PM ET. This is an informal session for State RTAP Managers to meet with their peers for a discussion of issues of interest to them. One issue we will be discussing will be the implementation of and training on the new NTD GTFS requirements.

The next Learn about TACL training will be held on August 17, 2023, 2:00-3:00 PM ET. TACL, the Transportation Technical Assistance Coordination Library, helps rural and tribal transit agencies access information about public transportation coordination. The session will include a Resource Feature by Al Benedict and Nate Seeskin on SUMC's The Path to Mobility Interoperability.

Our Books in Transit Discussion Group has selected I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman as our next book to read. A mother and daughter travel in a bus full of strangers for a college tour all along the east coast. Register for our meeting on August 22, 2023, 2:00-3:00 PM ET. The author will be joining us!
National RTAP Participation in Upcoming Conferences

We're presenting and exhibiting at the following conferences and meetings:

National RTAP Funding Topic Guide Updated

National RTAP continues our annual Topic Guide updates with our Funding Topic Guide. New resources include:

This topic guide was previously located in our Find Anything Toolkit and is now located on our Topic Guide page.

Articles Citing National RTAP

The following recently published scholarly publications referenced and cited National RTAP:

ProcurementPRO Now Includes the Date of the Last Update

National RTAP ProcurementPRO, a free technology tool that provides rural and Tribal grantees and State DOTs with the required FTA clauses and certifications that must be included in procurement documents, now includes the date of the last update on its Dashboard. Updates to ProcurementPRO are related to federal changes.

Call for Presentations and Student Posters are Open for the National RTAP 2023 Conference

The Call for Presentations is now open for our 5th Rural and Tribal Transit Technical Assistance Conference: Navigating the Tides of Change, which will take place on December 3-6, 2023 in Myrtle Beach, SC. The deadline to submit a presentation proposal is April 30, 2023. Students are also invited to submit a poster by October 6, 2023. Students must be able to present their posters in-person on December 3, 2023.
U.S. DOT and FTA Updates
On March 23, 2023, FTA published a Dear Colleague Letter to inform recipients about increased federal support for certain planning activities under the Metropolitan Planning Program and the State Planning and Research Program. The expanded support is intended to increase mobility through expanded access to public transportation in rural areas with a lower population density or a lower average income than in surrounding areas.

The U.S. DOT Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary program with $5 billion in appropriated funds over 5 years. The SS4A program funds regional, local, and Tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. The Notice of Funding Opportunity is open through July 10, 2023.

U.S. DOT and FTA are holding the first Tribal Transit Symposium on May 24-25, 2023. The Symposium will be held from 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM ET. This two-day hybrid event will include information and guidance on submitting U.S. DOT and FTA grant applications, technical assistance for Tribal Transit Programs, and input opportunities at a Listening Session focused on the Tribal Transit Program. National RTAP staff are participating.
Webinars and Training
A recent podcast on Trapeze Group's Transit Unplugged series features Kendra McGeady, Director of Pelivan Transit and volunteer reviewer for National RTAP, who discussed Creating a Dynamic On-Demand Transit System in Oklahoma.

Easterseals Project Action (ESPA) offers a comprehensive certification program for travel training instructors. Certified through the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at the University of South Florida, the program provides travel trainers of all experience levels with the Certified Travel Training Instructor (CTTI) credential.
Publications
TRB's Snap Search on Social Equity & Underserved Populations was recently updated. Resources include Resource Guide for Improving Diversity and Inclusion Programs for the Public Transportation Industry, Insights, Inclusion, and Impact: Framing the Future for Women in Transportation, and Fare Capping: Balancing Revenue and Equity Impacts.

FHWA's Shared Micromobility and Equity Primer defines micromobility and shared micromobility and provides case examples of how shared micromobility can advance transportation equity, such as implementing discounted fare structures and offering adaptive devices.

The University of Florida Transportation Institute's Southeastern Transportation Research, Innovation, Development and Education Center's (STRIDE) Emerging Mobility Services for the Transportation Disadvantaged focuses on the travel characteristics of and use of emerging mobility systems by transportation disadvantaged populations. The researchers found that individuals in a household with personal vehicles and higher-income households were less likely to travel actively compared to carless households.
Databases and Tools
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) recently updated several of its tables in the National Transportation Statistics, including U.S. passenger miles, transportation accidents by mode, energy intensity by passenger mode, and additional data.

allconnect offers a Speed Test that lets users test the Internet speed in their area. The webpage also provides a searchable database to compare user area Internet speed with national averages.

FHWA provides a Screening Tool for Equity Analysis of Projects (STEAP). Users can choose a city on an interactive map, select roads or draw a line, and the tool will create a buffer analysis with detailed data on population by race and ethnicity, housing data, and other metrics. The FHWA Database for Air Quality and Noise Analysis (DANA) is a tool created by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to combine traffic data from existing data sources into a single database.
Opportunities
Transit Workforce Center (TWC) hosts a curated collection of Funding Opportunities to assist stakeholders engaged in transit workforce development. For example, a funding opportunity currently included in this database is the Notice of Funding Opportunity: State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula grant program.

The Volpe Center requests ideas or suggestions for topics individuals would like its Software Project Management Experts to cover or areas that are challenging for software development in the government space.

Forth is providing technical assistance and grant writing to select communities to help them gain access to Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grants funding for communities around the country.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service invites applications under the Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) program. Funds will provide financial assistance for innovation centers and job accelerator programs for distressed rural communities to create high wage jobs, accelerate the formation of new businesses, and help rural communities identify and maximize local assets. Applications are due April 20, 2023.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service is also soliciting competitive grant applications for the Socially-Disadvantaged Groups Grant (SDGG) program. This program provides technical assistance to Socially-Disadvantaged Groups in rural areas. Eligible applicants include Cooperatives, Groups of Cooperatives, and Cooperative Development Centers. Applications are being accepted through May 16, 2023.

The USDA Community Connect Grant Program provides financial assistance to eligible applicants that will provide service at or above the Broadband Grant Speed to all premises in rural, economically-challenged communities where broadband service does not exist. Applications are being accepted through June 20, 2023.

The USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) began accepting grant applications on April 1, 2023. The program will provide renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvement grants for rural small business owners through 2031.

The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) is working on a TCRP project to learn more about how transit agencies and other organizations use goals and non-traditional performance indicators to improve equity in service planning and the customer experience. They are seeking input through a survey through April 20, 2023.

The EPA Environmental Justice Government-to-Government Program provides funding at the state, local, territorial, and tribal levels to support government activities that lead to measurable environmental or public health impacts in communities burdened by environmental harms. The deadline to apply is April 14, 2023.
Legislation
On April 10, 2023, the President signed into law H.J. Res. 7, which terminated the national emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Note that this is not the same as the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, which is set to expire on May 11, 2023.

The U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRS) issued a memo on March 22, 2023 with guidance for employers who offer employees severance agreements that require employees to broadly waive their rights under the National Labor Relations Act.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new proposed federal vehicle emissions standards for model years 2027 and later light-duty and medium duty vehicles, as well as heavy-duty vehicles - phase 3.
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.

AASHTO
Oklahoma City, OK, April 11-14

Texas Transit Association
Corpus Christi, TX, April 11-15
Please visit our booth!

FTA
April 13, 1:00 PM

National RTAP
April 13, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE)
April 13, 1:00-2:30 PM

Infosec.Live 
April 14, 12:00-5:00 PM

North Carolina Public Transportation Association (NCPTA)
Concord, NC, April 14-19

Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center (SARTAC)
April 17, 4:00-5:00 PM

California Association for Coordinated Transportation (CalAct)
Truckee, CA, April 17-20
Please stop by our table!

BPHC, CDC and ecoAmerica
April 18, 1:00-2:00 PM

National Transit Institute
April 18, 2:00-3:00 PM

N-CATT 
April 18 and 25, 3:00-5:00 PM

New Jersey TransAction
Atlantic City, NJ, April 18-20
Please visit our booth!

Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA)
April 19, 10:00 AM - 4:10 PM

National Advisory Committee on Individuals with Disabilities and Disasters (NACIDD)
April 20, 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Register by April 13, 2023.

National RTAP
April 20, 1:00-1:30 PM

University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program and the U.S. DOT Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS/JPO) 
April 20, 1:30-2:30 PM

FTA
April 20, 2:30 PM

Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University (PSU)
Portland, OR and Virtual, April 20, 3:00-4:00 PM

National RTAP, CTE, and Climate Nexus
April 21, 2:00-3:00 PM

APTA
Minneapolis, MN, April 23-26

National Tribal Geographic Information Support Center (NTGISC) and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI)
Albuquerque, NM, April 23-28

Cross Timbers Consulting, FHWA, and Muscogee (Creek) Nation
Glenpool, OK, April 24-26

ITS America
Grapevine, TX, April 24-27

FHWA
April 26, 1:00-3:00 PM

Mineta Transportation Institute
April 27, 1:00 PM

National RTAP
April 27, 1:00-1:30 PM

FTA
April 27, 3:00 PM

DePaul University
Chicago, IL, April 27-28

U.S. DOT 
Grapevine, TX and Virtual, April 28, 9:30-6:00 PM
Registration ends April 14, 2023.

President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities (PCPID) 
May 1, 12:00-5:00 PM

Minnesota RTAP
St. Cloud, MN, May 1-2
Stop by our resource table!

Shared-Use Mobility Center (SUMC)
Chicago, IL, May 2, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Transit Workforce Center (TWC)
May 2, 1:30 PM

National Transit Institute
May 2, 2:00-3:30 PM

Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Worcester, MA, May 2-3
We're presenting and exhibiting

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
May 2-3

Shared-Use Mobility Center (SUMC)
Chicago, IL, May 2-4, 2023
We're moderating a session

STRIDE
May 3, 12:00 PM

U.S. DOT ITS JPO
May 3, 2:00-3:00 PM

TRB
May 3, 2:00-3:30 PM

National RTAP
May 4, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

Safe-D 
May 4, 2:00 PM

National RTAP and NADTC
May 8, 2:00-3:00 PM

Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center (SARTAC)
May 8, 4:00-5:00 PM

National RTAP and AASHTO MTAP
May 9, 2:00-3:00 PM

engAGED
May 9-10, 1:00-4:00 PM
One of our Review Board members is presenting.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
May 9-10

Colorado Association of Transit Agencies (CASTA)
Pueblo, CO, May 9-12
Please stop by our table!

WTS International (Women's Transportation Seminar)
Atlanta, GA, May 10-12

National RTAP
May 11, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

FORTH
Portland, OR, May 15-17

National Transit Institute
May 16, 2:00-3:00 PM

Medical Libraries Association/Special Libraries Assortation
Detroit Michigan and Virtual, May 16-19
We're presenting

CALSTART
San Diego, CA, May 17, 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM

FTA
May 17, 2:00-3:30 PM

National Safety Council (NSC) 
Indianapolis, IN, May 17-19

National RTAP
May 18, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National Transit Institute
May 18, 1:00-5:00 PM

National Safety Council (NSC)
Indianapolis, IN, May 18-19

National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM)
Oklahoma City, OK, May 22, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM) and the National Center for Applied Transit Technology (N-CATT)
Oklahoma City, OK, May 22, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM 

U.S. DOT and FTA
Oklahoma City, OK and Virtual, May 24-25, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM

National RTAP
May 25, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

U.S. Census Bureau
May 31, 2:00-3:00 PM

National RTAP
June 1, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center (SARTAC)
June 5, 4:00-5:00 PM

CDC, CSTLTS, and NNPHI
June 5-7
We are presenting!

National RTAP
June 8, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National RTAP
June 13, 2:00-3:00 PM

National RTAP
June 15, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National RTAP
June 22, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National RTAP
June 29, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Transit Mobility Program, Co-hosted by National RTAP and SUMC
June 29, 2:00-3:30 PM

For a listing of all National RTAP and other national events, view our Calendar. Also, see the FTA Events Calendar. To submit an event, email info@nationalrtap.org.
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