National RTAP eNews - September 3, 2020

eNews - September 3, 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 has Updated Salary Ranges for Transit Jobs

National RTAP completed its biennial salary survey of rural and tribal public transit agencies in July 2020. In total, 275 agencies, located within the ten FTA regions, provided annual salary ranges for a variety of transit-related jobs.

This resource was formerly called the Salary Survey and Job Description Database. Newly listed jobs in this survey include road supervisors, safety and compliance officers, and fleet managers.

Featured Resource

The downloadable spreadsheet contains the data and a summary table. The data file can be filtered and sorted by clicking on the arrow to the right of the column title. The data can be filtered by FTA Region, job title, type of organization, type of service provided, how service is managed, union/non-union, CDL/Non-CDL, and full-time/ part-time.

Announcing the Winners of our Rural Transit Heroes Photo Contest

The National RTAP 2020 Rural Transit Heroes Photo Contest honors those who have gone above and beyond. We received over 50 photos of transit heroes throughout the country. Photos were judged on the following criteria: photo quality, artistic design, originality, and creative depiction of a true Rural Transit Hero. All submissions will receive plaques honoring the heroes and will be showcased in a Facebook Album and in our #RuralTransitHeroes Twitter Chat on October 20, 2020, 2:00-3:00 PM ET.

1st Place: Via Mobility Services

2nd Place: Gary McFarland, Paratransit Services, Truckee Transit, Bremerton, WA
3rd Place: Mike Fisher, HIRTA Public Transit, Urbandale, IA
Honorable Mention: Michael Wilson Flint Hills Area Transportation, Manhattan, KS
Honorable Mention: Felipe Moncada-Ortega, Snowmass Village Shuttle, Snowmass Village, CO

Resources and Events

RTAPgo Podcast Series Launching

National RTAP RTAPgo podcasts provide peer tested innovations, trends, and ideas on facing operational challenges, surviving, and thriving with grace, grit, and creativity. Visit our new RTAPgo web page to hear brief snippets of our very first episode: "RTAPgo on the Road with Tribal Transit: Big Woods Big Impact." Subscribe to our RTAPgo email list for updates, content access, and a chance to win prizes.

Upcoming Tribal Transit Manager Peer Roundtable

Join National RTAP staff, Amy Fong, Transportation Program Analyst, FTA, and fellow Tribal Transit providers on September 17, 2020, from 3:00-4:00 PM ET. In this roundtable, we will discuss program updates and virtual training needs. Register in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

New Financial Management Training Introductory Webinar Recording Available

National RTAP held a webinar on August 20, 2020 to provide an overview of the topics covered in our recently updated Fundamental Financial Management training module and guidance on how to best utilize the materials. Presenters were Richard Garrity of RLS & Associates and Todd Hansen of Texas A&M Transportation Institute. Access the webinar recording and presentation slides.

U.S. DOT and FTA Updates

FTA has launched a COVID-19 Recovery Discussion Forum. This forum offers a platform for peer-to-peer exchange of transit ideas and practices during recovery from the COVID-19 public health emergency and an opportunity to ask questions and request and share resources with the transit community during FTA’s COVID-19 Recovery Listening Sessions.

FTA published a Guide to Developing the Safety Assurance Component of a Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan. The guide provides definitions, instructions, and checklists.

The August 2020 FTA Transit Safety and Oversight Spotlight newsletter contains articles about Certifying Compliance with the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan Regulation and Using Buses as Mobile Generators.

On August 27, 2020, FTA announced that 25 projects will receive a share of approximately $14 million in funding through the Accelerating Innovative Mobility (AIM) initiative to support mobility and innovation in the transit industry. Projects include rural microtransit and an automated electric shuttle bus to be studied for potential use in rural environments.

Opportunities

A new nationwide survey from Cardea, Community Education Group, and TruEvolution is seeking input from organizations that provide essential services to rural Americans on how their services have been impaired by the COVID-19 pandemic. This survey will close on September 7, 2020.

NCMM hosts a compilation of job descriptions of mobility management practitioners on its website and would like to update it. Organizations can send mobility management job descriptions to Kirby Wilhelm with the description attached as a PDF.

NCMM has released the RFP for its Community Mobility Ready-to-Launch Grants. They are looking for innovative transportation solutions focused on allowing low-income residents to improve their ability to be more fully engaged in economic opportunities, improve health and well-being, and/or become more integrated into their community. Questions regarding the RFP are due September 11, 2020 applications are due October 1, 2020.

The End of Term Web Archive contains federal government websites in the Legislative, Executive, or Judicial branches of the government. Websites that are at risk of changing or disappearing altogether during government transitions are captured. Individuals may submit URLs to save domains for public access and long-term preservation.

Welcome New State RTAP Manager

National RTAP extends a warm welcome to our community to our newest State RTAP Manager, Sallie Doty of South Dakota. To contact Sallie or any RTAP Manager, visit our Directory of State RTAP Managers.

Webinars and Training

National Transit Institute is providing a free, self-paced Environmental and Sustainability Management Systems (ESMS) Introductory Online Course. Course modules are derived from the content of the FTA Environmental and Sustainability Management System (ESMS) Training and Technical Assistance Institute for Transit Agencies.

Publications

The National Safety Council has published a Transportation Travel Checklist, which includes guidance for those traveling for work-related events.

TCRP's Business Models for Mobile Fare Apps documents current practices and experiences of transit agencies that offer mobile fare payment applications to transit riders. Case studies include screenshots showing app functionality.

NHTSA's Rural/Urban Comparison of Traffic Fatalities shows that total rural traffic fatalities (which includes buses) have steadily decreased and have been less than urban fatalities since 2016. Data are shown for time of day, traffic conditions, and by state.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) Financial Analysis of Battery Electric Transit Buses describes how to determine whether battery-electric buses are cost-effective when compared to traditional diesel buses over their lifetime. A comparison can be done through a Vehicle and Infrastructure Cash-Flow Evaluation model. This model determines the net present value and the payback period for investment in battery electric buses and charging infrastructure.

Transit Planning 4 All has posted two new toolkits highlighting best practices for inclusive transportation planning. The toolkits exist as a compilation of lessons learned from their time with the Transit Planning 4 All project, with recommendations to further inclusivity.

National RTAP Human Service Transportation Topic Guide Updated

The National RTAP Human Service Transportation Topic Guide lists organizations that provide best practices about transit organizations that provide human services transportation. The guide was updated in August 2020. Newly added resources include:

Databases and Tools

The Shared Use Mobility Center (SUMC) has created a Shared Mobility Benefits Calculator, which lets users search for cities to see how they've cut greenhouse gas emissions through shared mobility. The database also shows data on transit commuters, shared vehicles, and electric vehicles.

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) published interactive maps on Daily Travel during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The maps show the average percent of people staying home per day and mobility over time and by distance at national, state, and county levels.

Legislation

FHWA has requested comments on the future delivery models proposed for the Tribal Technical Assistance Program (TTAP). The Federal Register Notice describes potential models, including a physical office in each region, direct funding, intertribal, train-the-trainer, and others. Comments must be received by September 21, 2020.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is revising sections of OMB Guidance for Grants and Agreements found in Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) located in title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR Part 200). These revisions to the guidance are effective August 13, 2020 (for some revisions), and November 12, 2020 (for most revisions).

NHTSA has published an Interim Final Rule in the Federal Register on September 1, 2020 on minimum sound for hybrid and

electric vehicles. The rule discusses a phase-in period and performance requirements. Comments should be submitted by September 16, 2020.

2 The Point Crossword Puzzle Revised and Contest Winner Announced

In the last edition of eNews, we introduced a crossword puzzle based on our 2 The Point training. We realize that we had left out 2 clues (we're sorry - we didn't mean to make it that difficult!), so if you downloaded it before the end of the day on August 20, 2020, please download the revised version at the link above. Cathy Lucero, Operations Manager of Churchill Area Regional Transportation in Fallon, Nevada was the first person to complete it correctly and won the prize.

Save the Date for our #RuralTransitHeroes Twitter Chat

We hope you will join us for our second #RuralTransitHeroes Twitter Chat. We all need heroes and there’s no better place to look than among our own. National RTAP will host a Twitter chat on October 20, 2020, from 2:00-3:00 PM ET, to talk about people in transit who have responded in a time of need. The chat will be moderated by Julia Castillo, Executive Director, HIRTA Public Transit, and Kari Banta, Section 5304 Program Manager, TX DOT. RSVP for an email invite.

National RTAP RFP to Develop a Small Transit Agency Management Application

National RTAP is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit proposals from interested and qualified technology vendors to provide a transit management application to be hosted on a third-party server, develop training materials, and provide on-going technical support. The web-based application will assist small rural/tribal transit agencies with managing their day-to-day operations including scheduling, dispatching, compliance reporting, billing, and/or payroll. Proposals must be received by October 13, 2020.

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.

AASHTO MTAP

Statewide Technology Purchasing & Transit’s Use of Innovative Technologies

September 3, 1:30 PM ET

Virtual Meeting

National Safety Council

Technology for Physical Distancing

September 3, 2:00 PM