On February 16th, PBA hosted a webinar with Tracy Fickett, of PBA member BUSBooks, facilitating.  Tracy gave an overview of how PPP 2.0 differs from the original PPP, an overview of the process, forgiveness tidbits, and answered questions.  If you missed it, here is the presentation.  Thank you, Tracy!

As a follow-up to our last note on this, we are reminding you to register for the FTA's Charter Service Registry.  If you are not registered, you cannot use the charter service regulation to prevent a public transit from taking a charter or file a complaint. The regulation is there for your protection.  Register your company today!  

We sent travel supplier members emails asking to complete a short survey form to let us know the status of being "open for business".  We are sharing this information so our operator members know who is open for trip planning.  We also asked for contact updates for our database.  Missed the memo?  Here's a link to complete the form.  Updated results are available to download and view.   #letsgetrolling!

Governor Tom Wolf announced that $145 million in funding will be distributed to all 67 Pennsylvania counties (click here for all counties funding amount) through the COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program to help support the commonwealth's hospitality industry.  Read more...

A bipartisan effort led by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) seeks fast implementation by the U.S. Treasury Department of provisions in the recently enacted Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act supporting the nation's bus, motorcoach, and passenger vessel industries.  Read more...

The proposed budget reconciliation title from the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee would provide the transit industry with $30 billion in emergency funding.  Read more...

"Each passing day the need for relief becomes more urgent -- ensuring that we have the resources to defeat this virus, but also to support American working families," Buttigieg said.  Read more...

"It's going to be guided by data, by science, by medicine, and by the input of the people who are actually going to have to carry this out," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.  Read more...

Travel quarantine rules still apply regardless of whether a traveler has been vaccinated or not.  Read more...

The new year means a new session of Congress and the opportunity to achieve reforms across the federal landscape.  Read more...

The U.S. Department of Labor announced that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued stronger worker safety guidance to help employers and workers implement a coronavirus prevention program and better identify risks which could lead to exposure and contraction.  Read more...

The U.S. Small Business Administration and lenders are taking more strides to improve the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) so that small businesses can access much needed PPP funds to persevere through the pandemic, recover, and build back better.  Read more...

The Small Business Administration (SBA) announced new policy changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) meant to address an ongoing issue loan applicants face regarding validation error codes.  Read more...

The Employee Retention Credit - ERC tax credit - was not available to you in 2020 if you took Paycheck Protection Program money. It may be a different story in 2021.  Read more...

To request clarification on any provisions of the Security Directive, please email TSA-Surface@tsa.dhs.gov.

With exceptions for essential travelers, people driving into the country must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken in the U.S. within 72 hours.  Read more...

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has set May 4-6 as the dates for this year's International Roadcheck. Over that 72-hour period, commercial motor vehicle inspectors in jurisdictions throughout Canada, Mexico and the U.S. will conduct inspections on commercial motor vehicles and drivers.  Read more...

"There's no reason for us to be dead last on this, right?," a TSA officer said.  Read more...

The International Motorcoach Group (IMG) released its updated digital 2021 Travel Resource Guide - an industry planning tool for all transportation contractors and planners.  Read more...

This trend is one that the United States needs to focus on more than most countries. And that is the topic of diversity in our industry.  Read more...

New York plans to use extensive coronavirus testing as a way to reopen its ailing entertainment venues that have remained closed for months during the pandemic.  Read more...

Recent promising vaccine news has many people hoping to finally see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.  Read more...

The American Bus Association's Women in Buses Council has launched a new driver recruitment and retention campaign to help tackle the industry's driver shortage problem. The campaign is being developed and led by industry experts and members of ABA.  Read more...

So... 3 blindfolded guys are in a room with an elephant.  One grabs the trunk and tells the others that clearly an elephant is like a fire hose..  the second wraps his arms around a leg, and says that it's more like a big tree. The third pulls the tail, and is about to declare that the elephant is like a snake... when he gets kicked for tugging the tail.  Read more...