National RTAP eNews - November 12 2020

eNews - November 12, 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.

Updates to our COVID-19 Information Page

We continue to update our COVID-19 Information page. The page provides continuing support for the ongoing safety demands and ramifications of COVID-19 for rural and Tribal transit programs.

New and updated resources include:

New Developments related to ADA and COVID-19 in our ADA Toolkit (NEW)
Technical Brief (updated)
Response Practices (NEW)
COVID-19 Safety Guidance for Frontline Transit Employees (NEW)

COVID-19 Information

Emergency Information Dissemination Technical Brief Updated

Featured Resource

National RTAP updated its Emergency Information Dissemination technical brief in October 2020. The brief focuses on the concept of public affair preparedness with an emphasis on fostering positive relationships with elected and appointed officials, civic leaders, and the media to help the agency meet its goals for ridership, revenue, and public recognition on a day-to-day basis. Updates include a Case Study on Crawford Area Transit Authority (CATA).

Resources and Events

National RTAP Webinar Next Week: What is Microtransit and How Can It Help Rural Mobility?

Join us for a webinar on November 18, 2:00-3:00 PM ET. This webinar will feature microtransit best practices from panelists Rodger Lentz, Chief Planning and Development Officer for the City of Wilson, North Carolina, and Olivia Blahut, Partnerships Lead at Via Transportation, who have launched a successful pilot program using app-enabled on-demand public transportation.

Time Management for Transit Managers Presentation and Recording Available

National RTAP was invited to the Idaho Public Transportation Summit to present on our Time Management for Rural Transit Managers technical brief. The interactive presentation included peer sharing of best practices and a multitasking test. View the webinar recording and slides.

Transit Manager Peer Roundtable Summary Available

National RTAP staff and Review Board members held a Transit Manager Peer Roundtable on October 8, 2020. Topics discussed included outreach, marketing, leadership, staff appreciation, and training during the pandemic, transportation to voting, and lessons learned from working remotely. View the roundtable summary.

U.S. DOT and FTA Updates

U.S. DOT, FTA, and U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) are funding three projects aimed at improving the energy efficiency and accessibility of public transportation. Projects focus on smart mobility systems, artificial intelligence, and transit bus electrification.

In light of COVID-19, all previously scheduled FTA oversight reviews will shift by one year, including previously planned Triennial and State Management reviews in FY2021 and FY2022. If an oversight review had been scheduled for FY2020, FTA will complete the review in FY2021. Reviews planned for FY2021 will move to FY2022, etc. See FTA COVID-19 FAQs, AD3.

Webinars and Training

National Aging and Disabilities Transportation Center's (NADTC) Easter Seals Project Action (ESPA)

is offering an online course on Transportation and the ADA from January 11 - March 12, 2021. The course covers regulatory requirements for fixed-route, ADA complementary paratransit, and demand responsive transportation. Instructors will also distinguish between what is a regulatory requirement and what are best practices in customer service.

National RTAP, CALACT, and the National Conference on Rural Public & Intercity Bus Transportation (RIBTC) are hosting a webinar on

The Impacts of the Legalization of Marijuana in Transit Operations on November 19, 1:00-3:00 PM ET. This webinar will discuss training for safety-sensitive employees about the effects marijuana has on driving, communication, reaction time, and will cover transit agencies' testing requirements for all legal and illegal drugs that can impair driving and work duties for transit employees.

Publications

The Brookings Institution's Braiding and Blending Working Group published an article on How Budget Flexibility Tools Help Address Social Determinants of Health. It includes a recorded webinar video discussing issues and techniques involved in braiding and blending funds from multiple programs and departments to address social determinants of health to achieve goals such as enabling older adults to age at home.

National RTAP contributed to a Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) white paper published by National Center for Applied Transit Technology (N-CATT): Building Successful Partnerships between Rural Transit Systems Deploying Zero-Emission Vehicles and their Electric Utilities. The paper discusses how electric utilities can help rural transit agencies minimize electricity costs. Readers will learn about what electrical infrastructure upgrades are needed to support zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) deployments.

Small Urban Center on Mobility's (SURCOM) ITS Technology Usage and Feasibility in Small Urban and Rural Transit identifies what technologies are currently used by small urban and rural transit agencies, investigates the influence of community, agency, and manager attributes on technology adoption, and evaluates the changes in ITS adoption among small urban and rural transit agencies today as compared to 10 years ago.

National Aging and Disability Transportation Center's (NADTC) Demand Response Data Access & Communications Choices delves into choices transit agencies face when procuring technology for scheduling and dispatching, such as data storage and communications.

The Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center published COVID-19 Plain Language Guidance for Employees with Developmental Disabilities. The booklet uses many pictures and easy-to-understand, large-type information.

National RTAP Driver Recruitment Topic Guide Updated

National RTAP is continuing to update our series of Hot Topic Guides in our Find Anything Toolkit. Our hot topics are chosen based on questions asked to our Resource Center over the past year and answers to our Transit Manager's Survey. Driver Recruitment was a topic in previous years, but not in 2019. We've posted the guide again and updated it with:

FTA's Advancing Frontline Workforce Development Meeting: Synthesis
Transport Topic's Driver Retention Boosted by Recognition, Opportunity
Virginia Tech's Pre-Employment Screening Best Practices in the Commercial Motor Vehicle Industry

Opportunities

FMCSA is soliciting nominations for interested persons to serve on the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC). MCSAC will provide advice and recommendations to the FMCSA Administrator and Secretary of Transportation on the needs, objectives, plans, approaches, content, and accomplishments of Federal motor carrier safety programs and Federal motor carrier safety regulations. Nominations must be received by November 30, 2020.

TCRP is seeking study topics for the FY 2020 Legal Studies Program. The closing date for consideration of ideas for study topics in FY 2020 is November 30, 2020

Welcome New State RTAP Manager

National RTAP extends a warm welcome to our community to our newest State RTAP Manager, Wil Giron of Louisiana. To contact Wil or any RTAP Manager, visit our Directory of State RTAP Managers.

Databases and Tools

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transportation Atlas Database was recently updated with data on bikeshare, e-scooters, alternative fueling stations, and an Intermodal Passenger Connectivity Database (IPCD). The IPCD includes a dataset which showed that in August 2020 there were nearly 7,000 bikeshare stations throughout the U.S.

Moovit is offering a free web trip planner for transit agencies. The planner can inform users with real-time service alerts and arrivals.

Georgia Institute of Technology and Stanford University have developed a COVID-19 Event Risk Assessment Planning Tool, which shows the risk level of attending an event, given the event size and location.

Transit Center's Transit Insights is a visual tool to track changes in transit ridership, service hours, fares, and other important indicators of transit quality. They recently added paratransit ridership as an indicator and a built-in glossary.

Bloodborne Pathogen Training Added to Resource Library Circulating Collection

The newest resource available for loan in our Resource Library is Access AriZe's Bloodborne Pathogen Training. To borrow this resource or any of our other resources in our circulating collection, contact us at info@nationalrtap.org.

Save the Date for our January 2021 Events

Save the date for a number of events we are planning for January 2021, including a State RTAP Manager's Peer Roundtable on January 12, 2021, a Rural Transit Training Twitter Chat on January 19, 2021, and a webinar on What's New in the Transit Manager's Toolkit on January 26, 2021.

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.

Q'Straint Training Academy

Wheelchair Securement Training

November 12, 12:00-1:30 PM