National RTAP eNews - December 23, 2020

eNews - December 23, 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.

An End-of-Year Message from National RTAP Executive Director Robin Phillips

This has been a year of challenges that has helped everyone recognize the value of community transit. We’ve had to engage continuously as our transit environment has been changing.

While there hasn’t been one answer, we are proud of our nation’s rural and Tribal transit agencies who have continued to evolve services and expectations.

In the new year, we are looking forward to refining and amplifying what we have learned, celebrating the amazing achievements of this year as we begin the next one.

Upcoming State RTAP Manager's Peer Roundtable

State RTAP Managers are invited to join us for a State RTAP Manager's Peer Roundtable on January 12, 2021, 2:00-3:00 PM ET. Join National RTAP staff and fellow State RTAP Managers for an informal discussion about State RTAP program issues and trends. No need to pre-register, just join the Roundtable at the time of the meeting. RSVP for a calendar invite.

Topics we will be covering may include third-party RTAP program administration, committees and boards, virtual learning scholarships, equity and diversity, and fellowships.

RSVP

Resources and Events

National RTAP/CALACT/RIBTC Webinar on Financial Management and Indirect Cost Rates

Register for a webinar on Financial Management and Indirect Cost Rates hosted by National RTAP, CALACT, and the RIBTC Conference Committee on January 12, 2021, 3:00-5:00 PM ET. Speaker Rich Garrity of RLS & Associates will discuss compliance with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance relating to the management of FTA grants and the impact of the recent regulatory changes.

Upcoming National RTAP Webinar on Rural Transit Planning in the Time of COVID and Beyond

Join us for a webinar on Rural Transit Planning in the Time of COVID and Beyond on January 14, 2020, 2:00-3:30 PM, presented by Ken Hosen of KFH Group, who will walk participants through planning efforts that rural and tribal transit agencies can undertake through three phases: 1) During the pandemic, 2) Recovery from the pandemic and 3) Post-pandemic. It will also cover transit planning basics and best practices.

Join our #RuralTransitTraining Twitter Chat

RSVP for a Rural Transit Training Twitter Chat on January 19, 2021, 2:00-3:00 PM ET. Share training topics, strategies, and techniques with RTAP managers and trainers. The moderators are Stephanie Lewis, Florida RTAP Project Manager, and Instructional Designer/Media Specialist, Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR), and Angie Jones, District Manager, Grant County Transportation District (People Mover).

Upcoming What's New in the Transit Manager's Toolkit Webinar

We're hosting a What's New in the Transit Manager's Toolkit webinar on January 26, 2021, 2:00-3:00 PM ET. Join National RTAP Review Board members Julia Castillo, Laura Corff, and Shauna Miller for an introduction to the updated content. Register for the webinar.

U.S. DOT and FTA Updates

FTA announced additional COVID-19 relief. Emergency Relief Program funding to pay for transit operating expenses may now cover operating expenses related to COVID-19 recovery through January 20, 2022 at 100% federal share. FTA will refrain from taking enforcement action regarding the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) through July 20, 2021, and Public Transportation Safety Certification Training Program (PTSCTP) regulations through August 20, 2022.

FTA's December 2020 Transit Safety and Oversight Spotlight has been published, with data on collisions by the time of the year, recordings of COVID-19 listening sessions, and upcoming training sessions.

FTA published their December 2020 Drug and Alcohol Regulation Updates newsletter, with data on cancelled drug tests and verified positive tests by drug type.

FTA will mail grantees annual drug and alcohol management information system reporting packages in December 2020. Agencies that have not received their package by mid-January 2021 should contact 617-494-6336 or fta.damis@dot.gov. FTA is also offering free, virtual, half-day Substance Abuse Seminars; use the contact information above if interested.

FTA grantees received a user name and password to submit Drug and Alcohol MIS (DAMIS) testing results online. Agencies whose list of subrecipients is incorrect can email changes to FTA.

Webinars and Training

If you are attending the 2021 TRB Annual Meeting, National RTAP Executive Director Robin Phillips will be presenting Rural Transit: An Analysis of New User Surveys of Transit Managers and State Program Managers during the session Hot Topics in Rural, Intercity Bus, and Paratransit Services on January 28, 2021, 10:00-11:30 AM ET.

Publications

AchiEVe: Model Policies to Accelerate Electric Vehicle Adoption by Sierra Club, Plug In America, FORTH, and the Electrification Coalition provides examples of policies and projects at the state, local, and utility levels, such as an Electric School and Transit Bus Pilot Program to demonstrate the feasibility of electric buses on Vermont’s rural roads.

TCRP's Minutes Matter: A Bus Transit Service Reliability Guidebook details steps that a transit agency can take to develop and maintain a reliability improvement program, including selecting measures and standards and implementing and monitoring treatments. The report also contains tools and menus for reliability measurement and improvement.

University of Utah's The Role of Bus Stop Features in Facilitating Accessibility examines the link between stop improvements and changes in stop-level boardings on scheduled-service buses and in ADA paratransit demand. Results indicate that bus stop improvements are associated with decreases in ADA paratransit demand.

Databases and Tools

American Public Transportation Association (APTA) published interactive Ridership Trends with charts that track demand for public transit and publishing estimates of ridership change in real-time. The data includes agency, region, and agency size, looking at both relative change and absolute numbers.

The National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM) has developed a technology typology for mobility management. The typology is organized as a matrix with columns that cover the main technology areas for the industry (such as payment and vehicles) and with rows that show how much the technology represents the emerging best practices of scalability and platform accessibility.

New Ways to Receive National RTAP News

In addition to National RTAP eNews (this publication), you are now able to sign up for additional mailing lists. Click on the blue Sign Up for eNews icon at the top of the eNews page, and sign up for announcements about our new products and events, information on Tribal Transit topics, and/or notices about our RTAPgo podcast series. You can unsubscribe from any of the individual lists if the emails are no longer of interest.

Opportunities

The 2021 TRB Transit IDEA program is soliciting proposals through May 1, 2021. The program fosters innovative concepts with the potential to enhance security, increase ridership, improve efficiency, and protect the environment.

The deadline to nominate individuals (including self-nominations) to serve on the 2021 TRB project research panels is February 5, 2021.

N-CATT has two solicitations available for consultants to help develop and facilitate workshops. Proposals can be submitted through December 31, 2020.

Legislation

On Tuesday, December 22, 2020, the President signed into law: H.R. 1520, the Further Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021, which provides fiscal year (FY) 2021 appropriations to Federal agencies through December 28, 2020, for continuing projects and activities of the Federal Government. This action avoids a government shutdown. The Act includes provisions for an additional COVID-19 stimulus package.

NHTSA issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to seek public comment on whether test procedures for any Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

(FMVSS) may be a candidate for replacement, repeal, or modification. Comments must be received by February 8, 2021.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) posted a Final Rule on Fuels Regulatory Streamlining in the Federal Register on December 4, 2020. This rule creates a single set of provisions and definitions that applies to all gasoline, diesel, and other fuel quality programs (it does not change the stringency of the existing fuel quality standards) and is effective January 1, 2021.

NHTSA is requesting comment on the development of a Framework for Automated Driving System (ADS) Safety through February 1, 2021. NHTSA seeks feedback on key components that can meet the need for motor vehicle safety while enabling innovative designs, in a manner consistent with agency authorities.

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.

American Bus Association

Women in Buses

December 23, 2:00-3:00 PM

Round Table Webinar

TRB

2021 TRB Annual Meeting

January 4-29

Virtual Conference

National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE)

Maximizing Public and Private Sector Investments in Communications Systems

January 7, 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm ET