eNews - September 16, 2021 |
|
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:
Announcing the Community Rides Grant Recipients
Upcoming Online Workshop on Transportation Management Associations
FTA NOFO on Additional Funding for Pandemic-Associated Needs
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) New Mask Non-compliance Fines
|
|
Announcing the National RTAP Community Rides Grant Recipients |
|
The National RTAP Community Rides Grant Program offers current recipients and sub-recipients of the FTA's Formula Grants for Rural Areas (Section 5311) and Tribal Transit Program the opportunity to apply for grant awards for projects that develop or strengthen transportation partnerships that improve social determinants of health in rural and tribal communities.
After a thorough review process and with approval from FTA, National RTAP selected 19 projects to fund (listed alphabetically by state): Eastern Sierra Transit Authority, Fresno County Rural Transit Agency, Disability Services Inc., dba Envida, Penquis C.A.P., Inc., Benzie Transportation Authority, Clinton Area Transit System, Bolivar County Council on Aging, Inc., Windrider Transit, Cedar County Transit, Rural Health Network of SCNY, Inc., The Arc Chemung-Schuyler, Mitchell County Transportation, McCormick County Senior Center / McCormick Area Transit, River Cities Public Transit, West River Transit Authority, Inc. dba Prairie Hills Transit, Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency, Rural Economic Assistance League (REAL), Inc., Mountain Empire Older Citizens Inc., and Sawyer County/LCO Transit Commission dba Namekagon Transit. Read more about the projects. |
|
Upcoming National RTAP Workshop on Transportation Management Associations (TMAs)
If you have ever thought about how a coalition focused on transportation could benefit your area, join us for this workshop to learn about Transportation Management Associations (TMAs). Don't know what a TMA is? You will learn about how TMAs work and how they can benefit rural areas, including how they help employers provide reliable transportation options that can increase transit ridership and other shared-ride modes.
National RTAP is hosting a Transportation Management Association (TMA) Online Workshop on September 22, 3:00-4:30 PM ET. Michele Brooks, Vice President of TransAction Associates and Connecticut RTAP Coordinator, will outline the first steps, the community assessment process, and how TMAs can improve job access for rural areas.
|
|
|
|
National RTAP Marketing 101 Webinar Slides Posted
On August 26, 2021, Selena Barlow of Transit Marketing LLC led a Transit Marketing 101 webinar that highlighted illustrative examples of best practices from rural and small urban transit agencies. Access the webinar slides.
National RTAP Rural Transit Service Planning and Route Design Webinar Recording Posted
National RTAP held a webinar on Rural Transit Service Planning and Route Design on September 14, 2021. This webinar, presented by Ken Hosen of KFH Group, provided guidance on how to evaluate the appropriate service design for your area and covered some best practices in service design and planning of fixed (or flex) route design as well as on-demand or microtransit services which can be attractive in small cities. Access the recording.
National RTAP Participation in Upcoming Conferences
Please look for us at the following upcoming in-person and virtual conferences:
Also, look for our training resources at:
Upcoming National RTAP Tribal Transit Training Events
the 2021 Virtual National Transportation in Indian Country Conference and the MN/WI Tribal Transit Mini-Conference in Duluth, MN. The in-person Tribal Transit Training Workshop in Flagstaff, AZ has been canceled.
Upcoming National RTAP Advanced Topics in Financial Management and Cost Allocation
Register for a webinar on Service Contracting and Cost Allocation on October 14, 2021, 2:00-3:00 PM ET. Speakers Todd Hansen and Michael Walker from the Texas Transportation Institute will present highlights from National RTAP’s upcoming manual - Advanced Topics in Financial Management and demonstrate our updated Cost Allocation Calculator.
Welcome New State RTAP Managers
National RTAP extends a warm welcome to new Mississippi RTAP Manager Carolyn Johnson and Montana RTAP Manager Erin Root. If you would like to get in touch with them or any other RTAP Managers, visit our Directory of State RTAP Managers. |
|
Website Builder 3.0 Q&A and Advanced Topics Training
If you attended the first session of our Website Builder 3.0 online training on September 9, 2021, we encourage you to attend the second session on September 23, 2021. We will be available to answer questions about your experience working in Website Builder and, if time permits, cover a few advanced topics. We've posted the recording and slides for the first session.
National RTAP Facility Development Hot Topic Guide Posted
National RTAP continued posting 2021 Hot Topics in our Find Anything Toolkit. These topics are generated from our surveys and questions that users ask us. The second Hot Topic we've added is Facility Development.
Resources include:
Join our #LetsTACLcoordination Twitter Chat
Join TACL (Transportation Technical Assistance Coordination Library) for a #LetsTACLcoordination Twitter Chat on October 20, 2021, 2:00-3:00 PM ET, to discuss challenges, solutions, and resources for transportation coordination. The chat will be moderated by Heather Edmonds, Program Associate, NADTC; Melissa Gray, Assistant Program Director of Transportation, USAging; and Marcela Moreno, Transit Technologist, N-CATT. RSVP.
Implementation of National and Statewide Transportation Knowledge Management Initiatives Paper and Webinar Recording Posted
A peer-reviewed research paper by National RTAP Resource Center, Oklahoma Transportation Library, and Idaho Transportation Department staff, was presented at the Special Libraries Association annual meeting in August 2021. National RTAP's project focused on our Transit Manager's Toolkit. Access the paper, presentation slides, and webinar recording.
National RTAP Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Video Shown at TRB Conference on Advancing Transportation Equity
Searchable Directories Now Part of New National RTAP Website
Our recently updated National RTAP website now includes enhanced searchability for webinars, peer roundtables and chats, and directories of trainers and State RTAP Managers. The webinars and peer roundtables and chats pages let you search by tag and year, and the directories enable search by state, name, and keyword. |
|
|
U.S. DOT launched a new ITS Cybersecurity Research Program website that offers resources, information, and tools for stakeholder communities, including state, tribal, and local transportation agencies, to support secure and cyber-resilient ITS implementations.
FTA announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity for $2.2 billion in competitive grant funding for transit systems demonstrating additional pandemic-associated needs. Additional funding may be awarded to cover operating expenses related to day-to-day operations, cleaning and sanitization, combating the spread of pathogens on transit systems and maintaining critical staffing levels. Proposals are due November 8, 2021.
FTA prepared two sample Agency Safety Plans to help agencies developing plans that meet Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) regulation requirements.
The FTA Request for Information to receive input from the public on data and information available to inform FTA’s identification of transit safety concerns relevant to the transit industry deadline to submit comments is September 22, 2021.
FTA published a Federal Register notice announcing $25,000,000 in Fiscal Year 2021 funding under the Route Planning Restoration Program. Funds will be awarded competitively to support planning to increase ridership and reduce travel times, while maintaining or expanding the total level of vehicle revenue miles of service provided in the planning period, or to make service adjustments to increase the quality or frequency of service provided to low-income riders and disadvantaged neighborhoods or communities. Applications are due November 15, 2021. |
|
National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC) is hosting their third Coordination Connections webinar: Regional Coordinating Councils, on September 23, 2021, 2:00-3:00 PM ET. Michelle Lichtig is the Project Manager within the Office of Transit and Active Transportation at Minnesota DOT and will be discussing a state perspective on structuring rural Regional Coordination Councils.
Register by October 1, 2021 for NADTC's COVID Recovery and Transportation Online Course. The course runs from October 18, 2021 to November 12, 2021. It will address the impact of the pandemic on accessible transportation for older adults and people with disabilities, discussing challenges and successes.
The Transportation Safety Institute opened registration for transit safety training courses. The courses also support FTA grantees subject to the Public Transportation Safety Certification Training Program (PTSCTP) regulation with initial and refresher training. |
|
The Shared-Use Mobility Center (SUMC) is working with FTA to run the new Mobility Innovation Collaborative (MIC) program. The program launched a new website that captures stories and lessons learned from about 50 innovative mobility projects in the U.S.
United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) e-Connectivity @ USDA: Broadband Resources for Rural America is a guide to USDA resources such as grants, loans, partnerships and in-person consultations, that support e-Connectivity and aim to help users find the opportunity that best fulfills their needs. Resources include Cyber-Physical Systems Competitive Grants and the Small Business Innovation Research program.
National Association of Development Organizations and NADO Research Foundation (NADO) published a case study on Scheduling and Dispatching Deployment and Broadband Expansion in Rural Ohio. Ohio DOT developed a set of minimum standards for hardware such as tablets and GPS, software for scheduling and dispatching, and services such as installation, maintenance, and training. This project has opened new opportunities for many rural agencies, such as South East Area Transit. |
|
State RTAP Staff Spotlight - Stephanie Lewis, Florida RTAP |
|
Stephanie Lewis works for the Florida RTAP Program and the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at the University of South Florida (USF). She was awarded USF's 2021 Outstanding Staff Award. Stephanie is a member of National RTAP's State RTAP Manager Peer Roundtable and led our Rural Transit Training Twitter Chat. |
|
Effective September 10, 2021, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will fine first offenders between $500 and $1,000 and second offenders between $1,000 and $3,000 if not in compliance with wearing a mask on public and intercity transportation. The fines are doubled from the previous fines.
On August 31, 2021, FMCSA declared an Extension and Amendment of Emergency Declaration 2020-002. The extension continues the exemption granted from certain requirements in Part 395 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and provides regulatory relief for commercial motor vehicle operations providing direct assistance in support of emergency relief efforts related to COVID-19. |
|
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.
Native Learning Center
September 16, 2:00-3:00 PM
Utah Urban Rural Specialized Transit Association (URSTA)
September 16, 2:00 PM
Drive Smart Virginia
Virginia Beach, VA, September 16-17
NADO Research Foundation, Western Transportation Institute, National RTAP, USDA Rural Development
September 20, 2:00-4:00 PM
Dakota Transit Association
Fargo, ND, September 17-21
We're exhibiting. Please stop by our booth!
MARTA
Edgartown, MA, September 19-21
National RTAP training resources will be available.
NTCA (National Telephone Cooperative Association) – The Rural Broadband Association
Nashville, TN and virtual, September 19-22
TRB
September 21, 1:00-2:30 PM
TransCen's Mid-Atlantic ADA Center
Baltimore, MD, September 21-23
Automotive Fleet Magazine
September 21-24
Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)
September 22, 2:00-3:30 PM
National RTAP
September 22, 3:00-4:30 PM
Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA)
September 22, 3:00 PM
AARP
September 22-23
Radically Rural
Keene, NH, September 22-23
UC Davis
September 22-29
Micromobility Industries
San Francisco, CA, September 23
Volpe Center
September 23, 12:00 PM
National Institute for Congestion Reduction
September 23, 12:00 PM
National Transit Institute
September 23, 1:00-4:30 PM
National RTAP
September 23, 2:00-3:00 PM
NADTC
September 23, 2:00-3:00 PM
Active Transportation Resource Center
September 23, 2:00 PM
TRB
September 27, 2:00-3:30 PM
NTICC
September 27 - October 1
We're presenting.
N-CATT
September 28, 1:00 PM
FORTH
September 28, 1:00-2:00 PM
FTA
September 28-30, 1:00-4:00 PM
Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO)
September 28-30
NCMM
September 30, 3:00 PM
UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies
September 30, 3:30 PM
Minnesota Public Transit Association
Duluth, MN, October 4-7
We are hosting tribal transit training on October 6-7.
FHWA
October 6, 1:00-3:00 PM
National Transit Institute
October 7, 1:00-4:30 PM
National Safety Council (NSC)
Orlando, FL, October 8-14
National Institute for Transportation and Communities
October 12, 1:00-2:00 PM
FORTH
October 12, 1:00-2:00 PM
National Transit Institute
October 12, 2:00-3:30 PM
National Transit Institute
October 14, 1:00-4:30 PM
Native Learning Center
October 15, 1:00-3:30 PM
National Association of Development Organizations (NADO)
Portland, OR, October 16-19
Q'Straint/Sure-Lok
October 19, 12:00-1:30 PM
UMass Amherst Transportation Center
October 19- 20
Rural Assembly
October 19-20
FTA
October 19-20
In conjunction with the Rail Transit Agency Virtual Workshop
Transportation Technical Assistance Coordination Library (TACL)
October 20, 2:00-3:00 PM
National Transit Institute
October 21, 1:00-4:30 PM
World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology
October 21-22
TRB
October 25-27
We're presenting and exhibiting.
Global Fleet
Miami, FL, October 26-28
Active Transportation Resource Center (ATRC)
October 26-28
TRB
October 27-29
Native Learning Center
October 29, 11:00 AM - 4:30 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
