National RTAP eNews - December 10, 2020

eNews - December 10, 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.

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 elements from the recent Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance relating to the management of FTA grants and the impact of the recent regulatory changes.

National RTAP Transit Manager's Toolkit Updated

We've updated the National RTAP Transit Manager's Toolkit with new content, resources, and sections, including:

Leading during a Crisis
Teleworking
Succession Planning
Handling Conflict and Driver De-escalation Skills
Drugs on the Bus
Lessons Learned from COVID-19
Communicating with the Public

The 2020 update was prepared by Beth Hamby of the KFH Group, Michael and Patti Noel of Noel Training and Consulting, and National RTAP staff and review board members. 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.

Access the Transit Manager's Toolkit

Resources and Events

National RTAP Transit Managers Peer Roundtable Next Week

Join National RTAP staff and Review Board members on December 16, 2020, 2:00-3:00 PM ET for a Transit Managers Peer Roundtable to connect with your peers and discuss issues affecting your job, your agency, and your community.

Please register in advance and share what topics you are interested in. Topics may include technology, diversity/equity, COVID fatigue, microtransit, and electric vehicles.

Questions and Answers Posted for What is Microtransit and How Can It Help Rural Mobility?

National RTAP held a webinar on November 18, 2020 about microtransit best practices. Panelists Rodger Lentz, Chief Planning and Development Officer for the City of Wilson, North Carolina, and Olivia Blahut, Partnerships Lead at Via Transportation, discussed a pilot program using app-enabled on-demand public transportation. There were 70 questions asked during the webinar. View the webinar questions and answers.

Upcoming State RTAP Managers Peer Roundtable

Save the date for our 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.

U.S. DOT and FTA Updates

U.S. DOT proposes modifications to its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) procedures in response to the Council on Environmental Quality's final rule updating its NEPA regulation and past reauthorization measures related to DOT’s environmental review process. The public comment period closes December 23, 2020.

The 2021 FTA Prevention of Alcohol Misuse and Prohibited Drug Use in Transit Operations has been published in the Federal Register. The minimum random drug testing rate will remain at 50 percent, and the random alcohol testing rate will remain at 10 percent effective January 1, 2021.

FTA has updated several of their COVID-19 FAQs:

FTA Formula Funding Under Emergency Relief Program: ER4
CARES & ER Funding Requirements: CE4
Civil Rights: CR2 and CR15
Administrative Relief: AD6, AD7, and AD17

Webinars and Training

Marcy Jaffe, support for National RTAP GTFS Builder, presented GTFS: A tool for better transit at the first Minnesota Department of Transportation Greater Minnesota Shared Mobility Webinar on November 13, 2020. View the webinar recording.

Publications

NCHRP's Incorporating the Costs and Benefits of Adaptation Measures in Preparation for Extreme Weather Events and Climate Change—Guidebook is a resource for transportation practitioners to use cost-benefit analysis as a tool in their investment-decision making processes when considering different climate and extreme weather adaptation alternatives.

U.S. DOT ITS/FHWA's Identifying Real-World Transportation Applications Using Artificial Intelligence (AI)- Real-World AI Scenarios in Transportation for Possible Deployment identifies scenarios where AI may address specific transportation needs, such as demand response transit network optimization and transit signal priority optimization.

The University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center's Rural-Urban Differences among Older Adults presents findings about demographics, socioeconomic characteristics, health characteristics, and health care access and use. The study found that transportation to health care facilities is challenging for older adults in rural areas.

New National RTAP Veterans Hot Topic Guide

National RTAP continues to update our Hot Topic Guides in our Find Anything Toolkit. Topics are chosen based on questions asked to our Resource Center over the past year and answers to our Transit Manager's Survey. Based on feedback received, we created a Veterans Hot Topic Guide. Resources include:

National Conference of State Legislatures A Mission to Serve: State Activities to Help Military Veterans Access Transportation
Veteran's Transportation Program/VHA's Assessing the Benefits of Transportation Services to Veterans: Health Benefits and Cost Savings Provided by the Veterans Transportation Service
TCRP's Improving Mobility for Veterans

Opportunities

Applications for the 2021 Safe Routes to Parks Activating Communities program are open through December 18, 2020. The program provides technical assistance and funding for nonprofit organizations to develop and initiate action plans to increase safe and equitable access to parks and green space in their communities.

American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) is sponsoring the Create the Good Honoring Heroes Contest through December 31, 2020 to honor volunteers who are improving the lives of veterans. Nominees could win cash awards along with a matching donation to the nonprofit (501(c)3) or Veterans Affairs Medical Center of their choice.

TCRP is seeking panel nominations for FY 2021 research projects. Panels will develop requests for proposals, select contractors, and review draft deliverables. Nominations (including self-nominations) are due February 5, 2021.

Students interested in solving real-world transportation problems can sign up to participate in the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office Professional Capacity Building Program and National Operations Centers of Excellence 2021 Transportation Technology Tournament (TTT) through February 2021.

Join our #RuralTransitTraining Twitter Chat Next Month

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).

Welcome New Pennsylvania RTAP Manager

National RTAP extends a warm welcome to our community to new Pennsylvania RTAP Manager Nicholas Baldwin. If you would like to get in touch with him or any RTAP Manager, visit our Directory of RTAP Managers.

Legislation

The deadline for self-employed CDL drivers operating under their own authority and U.S. DOT number to register and run their first Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse query is January 5, 2021.

The Federal Communications Commission published a Final Rule in the Federal Register on the 4.9 GHz Band on November 30, 2020. The rule is effective December 30, 2020. It permits one statewide 4.9 GHz band licensee per state, the State Lessor, to lease some or all of its spectrum rights to third parties.

FMCSA issued an Expansion and Extension of the Modified Emergency Declaration No. 2020-002 Under 49 CFR § 390.25 on December 1, 2020. The legislation continues and extends the relief granted in the declaration through February 28, 2021. It expands the relief to include the transportation of COVID-19 vaccines and medical supplies.