As described in Mass Transit Magazine in November and December 2020, many transit agencies are not taking cybersecurity and potential ransomware attacks seriously enough. To help address this issue, National RTAP will be hosting two training webinars on cybersecurity. 

This first webinar on February 11, 2021, 2:00-3:00 PM ET, presented by David Javaheri of Direct IT, will be an overview of cybercrime and ways to protect yourself and your organization. The second, to be held later this spring, will address transit specific cybersecurity and data security concerns. Join us and start taking action now to protect your organization. Register for the webinar.  

A webinar on Financial Management and Indirect Cost Rates was held by National RTAP, CALACT, and the RIBTC Conference Committee on January 12, 2021. Speaker Rich Garrity of RLS & Associates discussed compliance with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance relating to the management of FTA grants and the impact of the recent regulatory changes. Access the recording and presentation slides.

A webinar on Rural Transit Planning in the Time of COVID and Beyond was held on January 14, 2021. Ken Hosen of the KFH Group walked 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. The webinar also covered transit planning basics and best practices. Access the recording and presentation slides.

State RTAP Managers participated in a State RTAP Manager's Peer Roundtable on January 12, 2021. Topics covered included third-party RTAP program administration, committees and boards, virtual learning scholarships, and equity and diversity. Read the summary.

We held a Rural Transit Training Twitter Chat on January 19, 2021, led by 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). Participants shared training topics, strategies. Read the chat transcript and summary.

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.

National RTAP is updating resources and training for intercity bus stakeholders involved in meeting rural transportation needs through Section 5311(f). We are working with FTA and TRB’s AP055 Rural, Intercity Bus, and Specialized Transportation Committee to reach stakeholders interested in supporting national and regional networks.

Please take the 2021 Intercity Bus Survey by February 5, 2021, to help determine priority topics and issues. Based on responses, we will hold a Peer Roundtable on March 9, 2021, from 2:00-3:00 PM ET to develop webinars, peer roundtables, technical briefs, and/or other training formats. Register for the Roundtable.

Through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 (CRRSAA) (H.R. 133), FTA is allocating $14 billion to recipients of urbanized and rural areas. The supplemental funding will be provided at 100% federal share, with no local match required. CRRSAA directs recipients to prioritize payroll and operational needs. Funding will also support expenses traditionally eligible under the relevant program. Read FTA's COVID-19 FAQs for more information.

U.S. DOT awarded over $38 million to 5 awardees through its Complete Trip - ITS4US Deployment Program and $3 million to 10 semifinalists through its Inclusive Design Challenge. Rural projects funded included Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency's (HIRTA) Health Connector for the Most Vulnerable: An Inclusive Mobility Experience from Beginning to End.

FTA's Coordinated Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM) will soon be surveying state and local transportation and human services stakeholders on transportation coordination data standards. They are asking organizations to provide state and local transportation and human services stakeholders' names and email addresses to CCAM by January 28, 2021.

The U.S. DOT Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program invited small businesses to review its pre-solicitation notice for opportunities within its Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) SBIR Phase I solicitation. The pre-solicitation period is from January 5, 2021 through February 2, 2021.

U.S. DOT posted a Request for Comments on their Draft Strategic Plan on Accessible Transportation on January 12, 2021. The Strategic Plan covers accessibility goals, objectives, and strategies, such as supporting the nation’s public transit systems and mobility providers in enhancing accessibility for people with disabilities through transit facilities, improved service, vehicle standards, and mobility innovation. Comments are due by February 16, 2021.

The Active Transportation Resource Center (ATRC) partners with the FHWA Resource Center to offer customized training for agencies at no cost. Training topics can include active transportation grant writing and safety audits. To request a training, contact ATRC@csus.edu.

Jess Segovia of ADA Guru will introduce the major elements of the ADA in a free webinar series on Introduction to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that includes non-discrimination, assisting riders with disabilities, service animals, direct threat, reasonable modification for services, and more. The training is designed for those new to transit or in need of an ADA refresher. The webinars will take place on the first Monday of each month at 3:00 PM ET, beginning March 1, 2021. To register, email your full name and agency to receive a meeting notice with a Zoom link.

National RTAP Executive Director Robin Phillips was honored and given a plaque at the TRB 2021 Annual Meeting for her years of outstanding contributions to the TRB Rural, Intercity Bus, and Specialized Transportation Committee (TRB AP055). She was recognized for significant efforts to see that practice-ready research for rural, tribal, and intercity bus services occurs and her leadership in the RIBTC conferences.

There is a new TRB Snap Search on Tribal Transportation. This resource lists search results on TRB published research on Tribal Transportation within the past 3 years, along with additional reports, projects, and other resources.

Technology Improves Western Iowa Transit Operations is a National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) report that describes how Western Iowa Transit (WIT) implemented scheduling and dispatching on-board technology and tablets, which provides 80 to 90 percent coverage for a six-county service area. 

Meeting the Transportation Needs of Rural Communities: Lessons That Cannot Be Learned from Urban Transit was published in TRB's TR News journal. The article chronicles the history of rural transit in the United States from its beginnings in the 1960s to modern times. The article also discusses the origins of the Rural Transit Assistance Program, public transit in Native American communities, and a case study of Missouri's OATS Transit.

Colorado Association of Transit Agencies (CASTA) published Considerations for the Safe Lifting of Transit Capacity Restrictions out of Operational Necessity in the Times of the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic, which supports the argument that transit is not a particularly dangerous space, and that lifting capacity restrictions can be evaluated on a case-by-case basis without the undertaking of undue risk.

The Administration on Aging (AOA) and the Administration for Community Living (ACL) published a Transportation Quick Guide on Title VI. The guide includes a checklist of Title VI related expenses examples, funding opportunities, technical assistance organizations, and helpful guides and toolkits, including some from National RTAP.

The National Academy for State Health Policy published an interactive map that shows the Number of Priority Phases for Each State for COVID-19 vaccinations. The map is followed by a chart with links to each state's vaccination guidance and which phases they are currently in. Note that CDC recommended that transit workers be vaccinated in Phase 1B.

CDC provides a Social Media Toolkit on COVID-19 Vaccinations, with sample messages, images, and videos for a variety of social media platforms.

Carnegie Mellon University's Intelligent Mobility Meter is a database containing mobility and safety video analyses and pedestrian, bicycle, and motor vehicle counts to participating organizations. The database includes light and heavy vehicle counts.

The National Center on Health, Physical Activity, and Disability awarded America Walks a Partnerships for Inclusive Health Innovation grant. Two $2,500 mini-grants will now be awarded for proposals for implementing some of the white paper’s recommendations and advancing inclusive planning in tribal communities. The deadline for submitting mini-grant applications is on Monday, February 1, 2021.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that the business mileage reimbursement rate for 2021 decreased by 1.5 cents to 56 cents on Jan. 1, 2021. The mileage rates declined by the same amount in 2020.

We have added a new page to our website for our oldest newsletters from 1987-2011. Newsletters posted include original RTAP Bulletins, What's New, and eBriefs. Readers can learn about the start of National RTAP on July 1, 1987 and learn about important events in rural transit from approximately 100 archival issues.

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.

On the Road to Zero - Putting Safety into Practice

January 21, 2:00-3:00 PM

Understanding Diverse Communities to Support Equitable and Informed COVID-19 Vaccination Decision-Making

January 21, 3:00 PM

A Look at the Year Ahead - Biggest Questions for Transit in 2021

January 21, 3:00-4:15 PM

Making the Case for Safety Cases

January 27, 2:00 PM

COVID-19 Vaccine Safety: A Fireside Chat with CMS, CDC and Representatives from the Front Line

January 27, 4:00 PM

Introducing Platform-Based Approaches to Public Transit

January 28, 2:00-3:00 PM

6 Keys to Presentation Success

January 28, 2:00-4:00 PM

Road to Zero Annual Meeting

February 4, 2:00 PM

Cybersecurity 101

February 11,2:00-3:00 PM

Transportation Inflection Reflection

February 17, 11:30 AM

Introducing TACL: The Transportation Technical Assistance Coordination Library

February 23, 2:00-3:00 PM ET

Introduction to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

March 1, 3:00 PM

Email your full name and agency to yourADAguru@gmail.com.

Dementia-Friendly Transportation - Driver Training

March 3, 2:00-3:30 PM

Dementia-Friendly Transportation - Driver Training

March 9, 10:00-11:30 AM

2021 National Environmental Justice Conference and Training Program

Washington, DC, March 17-19

National Transit Database: 2021 Safety and Security Non-Rail Mode Reporting

March 23, 2:00-3:30 PM

Introduction to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

April 5, 3:00 PM

Email your full name and agency to yourADAguru@gmail.com.

For a listing of all National RTAP and other national events, view our Calendar. Also, see the FTA Events Calendar. To submit an event, email info@nationalrtap.org.