eNews - September 28, 2023

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

Early Bird Deadline for the National RTAP Technical Assistance Conference is October 3

National RTAP Announces Winners of 2023 Photo Contest - This is Rural Transit

National RTAP Co-hosts Addressing Inadequate Transportation to Improve Health Chat

National RTAP Review Board Member Spotlight - Jill Stedem

U.S. DOT Thriving Communities Program Notice of Funding Opportunity

5th National RTAP Conference in Myrtle Beach – Early Bird Deadline is October 3rd

National RTAP Announces Winners of 2023 Photo Contest - This is Rural Transit

Our National RTAP 2023 Photo Contest – This is Rural Transit – is all about the “rural” in rural transit. We asked for photos that showcase the beauty and uniqueness of rural areas and tribal lands and highlight what makes small towns special. We received photos of rural areas with rolling hills, peaceful streams, bustling Main Streets, fun summer community events, and more. Entries were judged on the following criteria: photo quality, artistic design, originality, and creative depiction of this year’s theme: This is Rural Transit.

First Place

True Transit, Mankato, MN

Photographer: Paige Schuette, Marketing & Communications Manager

Second Place

OATS Transit, Columbia, MO

Photographer: Dan Steinbeck, Driver

Third Place

Brazos Transit District, Bryan, TX

Photographer: Rachel Ellis, Driver

Honorable Mention

Ketchikan Transit, Ketchikan, AK

Photographer: Marlen Davis, Driver

Honorable Mention

Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency (UCHRA), Cookeville, TN

Photographer: Jonny Maynard, Driver

Congratulations to our winners and all our entrants! See larger photos of the winners on our photo contest page. View an album of all the entries on our Facebook page.

Addressing Inadequate Transportation to Improve Health TweetChat

National RTAP, SUMC, NADTC, Salud America, and Social Interventions Research & Evaluation Network at UCSF are co-hosting an Addressing Inadequate Transportation to Improve Health TweetChat on October 3, 2023 from 1:00-2:00 PM ET. We’ll open the floor to your experiences, stories, and best practices as we explore how inadequate transportation impacts access to medical care and overall health, individual-level strategies to address inadequate transportation, and community-level strategies to address inadequate transportation.

Please RSVP to receive a bcc email the morning of the event with chat instructions.

U.S. DOT is accepting applications for fiscal year 2023 Thriving Communities Program (TCP). U.S. DOT is accepting applications for both the Thriving Communities National Capacity Builder Program and a new Regional Pilot Program. TCP funds organizations to provide technical assistance, planning, and capacity building support to disadvantaged and under-resourced communities. Applications are due November 28, 2023.

FTA seeks to approve the extensions of currently approved information collections on Title VI as it Applies to FTA Grant Programs, Pre-Award, Post Delivery Audit Requirements Under Buy America, and Metropolitan and Statewide and Nonmetropolitan Transportation Planning. Comments are due November 17, 2023. Comments for an extension of a collection on Public Charters are due October 10, 2023.

The U.S. DOT FY-24 Transportation Safety Institute Transit Training Schedule has been published. It includes a class on SMS Principles for Transit that will be held at the National RTAP Technical Assistance Conference in Myrtle Beach on December 5-7, 2023.

FTA issued Safety Advisory 23–1 to encourage transit agencies that provide bus service to consider mitigation strategies to reduce bus-to-person collisions. This safety advisory provides guidance on identifying specific hazards that may cause or contribute to bus-to-person collisions, completing a safety risk assessment, and developing mitigations to address the assessed safety risks for transit agencies.

Effective September 20, 2023 U.S. DOT adopted the Department of Energy’s Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Categorical Exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to use in DOT programs and funding opportunities administered by DOT.

FTA provides a webpage of all its FTA-Sponsored Technical Assistance, Training, and Research Resource Programs. This annotated list includes National RTAP, Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) Technical Assistance Center (TAC), AASHTO Multi-State Technical Assistance Program (MTAP), and additional TA Centers.

FTA published its first National Transit Workforce Development six-year Strategic Plan, which outlines goals and objectives to address workforce challenges and opportunities in the public transportation industry. The plan has six goals: ensuring worker safety and health, investing in workforce development, driving workforce recruitment, ensuring worker retention, developing worker skills, and tracking success through appropriate metrics. 

FTA has issued a Dear Colleague Letter on September 20, 2023 to highlight FTA grant programs that can be used to provide paratransit service to eligible riders on a real-time basis and/or allow for intermediate stops. 5311 grant funding can be used to support local decisions to provide real-time paratransit and/or allow for intermediate stops.

FTA announced the availability of and requests comments on a Programmatic Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Transit Projects. The assessment is a streamlining tool that reports on whether certain types of proposed transit projects merit detailed analysis of their emissions at the project level and provides data and analysis for FTA and its project sponsors. Comments must be received by November 24, 2023.

U.S. DOT issued a Request for Information on Complementary Positioning, Navigation, and Timing services to augment Global Positioning System for the U.S. transportation system and other infrastructure sectors.  Responses are due October 10, 2023.

Registration is open for the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center's (NADTC) newest online course Creative Solutions to Rural Transportation, running from October 23 to November 17, 2023. The course includes funding, volunteer transportation, diversity, and technology. Registration closes October 13, 2023.

FTA's newest Technical Assistance Center, the Accessible Transportation Resource Center (ATRC), is hosting an Assistive Technology and Accessible Transportation Webinar on October 5, 2023 from 2:00-4:00 PM ET. The webinar will cover the Assistive Technology Act, accessible materials and websites for transportation options, assistive technology for individual use and vehicle modifications, and assistive technology/accessible transportation partnerships.

The Transit Workforce Center (TWC) provides a Battery Electric Bus Familiarization eLearning course. The course includes sections on battery electric bus components and systems, details on its internal functions (CAN, High Voltage systems, battery packs, etc.), the management systems, and preventive maintenance tasks.

Easterseals Project Action (ESPA) offers a certification program for Volunteer Transportation professionals, at all experience levels, with a Certified Volunteer Transportation Manager (CVTM) credential. Training includes starting the program, developing quality volunteers, operating the program, and other components.

The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Idaho National Laboratory developed sample cybersecurity procurement language clauses that can be modified for use in requests for proposals and electric vehicle service provider contracts.

TRB provides a Snap Search on Education & Training. Resources include "Evaluation of an Automatic, Individual Computer-Based Driver Education and Training Program" and "Developing Driver Skills Examination and Scoring Guidance for Evaluating and Predicting High Safety Risk Drivers."

USDA's Rural America at a Glance looks at the changing structure of economic sectors, the labor force, and job growth in rural areas. In 2021, people 65 years and older made up more than 20% of the nonmetro population for the first time in U.S. history.

A Snapshot of Broadband Access in Rural Communities by 2M and the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) identifies rural and Tribal areas with limited broadband access and highlights opportunities for increasing access to broadband through increased flexibility in funding restrictions, better data collection on broadband access, and greater government and community support in addressing this barrier to human services delivery. 

FTA's September Transit Safety and Oversight Spotlight Newsletter highlights training available through the National Transit Institute, such as Assault Awareness and Prevention and Violence in the Transit Workplace courses.

The federal 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available in more than 240 languages. Now the hotline is available in American Sign Language too. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing can request a video call.

The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation provides an interactive map of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations. Data are available on public stations and fuel corridors. Users can access electric vehicle charging stations in the United States by charging level, access type, station status, and other key data points.

The ITS JPO's Architecture Reference for Cooperative and Intelligent Transportation (ARC-IT) provides a common framework for planning, defining, and integrating intelligent transportation systems. Recent updates include trip planning and payment, personal wayfinding, and other updates.

EPA’s MOtor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) is an emission modeling system that estimates emissions for mobile sources at the national, county, and project level for criteria air pollutants, greenhouse gases, and air toxics.

The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office) funded a team from three national laboratories to lead the National Charging Experience Consortium (ChargeX Consortium). The consortium will address payment processing and user interface, vehicle-charger communication, and diagnostic data sharing. To request to join the consortium, email chargex@inl.gov.

FHWA published a Notice of Funding Opportunity for its Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator program. This program will provide funding to repair and replace existing, but non-operational, electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. Applications are due November 13, 2023.

USDA is accepting applications for its Rural Economic Development Loan & Grant Programs. The deadline for the next quarters are September 30, and December 31, 2023. The programs provide funding for rural projects through local utility organizations. 

The federal government has resumed providing up to four free COVID-19 rapid tests per household by mail to anyone who requests them at COVIDtests.gov. Unused tests that passed their expiration date may still be usable and FDA has a chart to determine this.

The U.S. General Services Administration and the Department of Labor are offering all U.S. states the opportunity to use Login.gov to access unemployment insurance benefits, FEMA services from the Department of Homeland Security, and disaster assistance loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Through the Inflation Reduction Act’s Elective Pay/Direct Pay provisions, tax-exempt and governmental entities can receive a payment equal to the full value of tax credits for building qualifying clean energy projects.

National Association of Counties' (NACo) Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities (BRECC) initiative serves coal communities seeking to revitalize and diversify their economies. Applications close November 10, 2023.

FHWA announced the opening of the 2024 Environmental Excellence Awards Program. Nominations will be accepted through November 3, 2023. The program recognizes outstanding transportation projects, processes, and partners that use FHWA funding sources to go above and beyond compliance to achieve environmental excellence. 

The Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous People's Flicker Fund responds to already vulnerable and stressed Indigenous communities on the frontlines of climate caused crisis and emergencies. This and the organization's other grant programs have a deadline of October 17, 2023.

The U.S. Department of Justice has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that aims to improve web and mobile applications access for people with disabilities. Comments are being accepted through October 3, 2023.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reopening the comment period for the Information Collection Request for the proposed Air Emissions Reporting Requirements (AERR) through October 18, 2023.

FMCSA proposes the development and implementation of an appeals process for data review through its DataQs system for motor carriers, commercial motor vehicle drivers, and others to request and track reviews of crash and inspection data that the requester believes is incomplete or incorrect. Comments are due November 13, 2023.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management issued a proposed rule to update the 2017 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes currently used in Federal Wage System wage survey industry regulations with revisions published by the Office of Management and Budget. Some codes proposed for changes include tire dealers, gasoline stations, and wired and wireless telecommunications carriers. Send comments on or before October 27, 2023.

The EPA proposes to add requirements for sources to reclassify from major source status to area source status under the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) program.  Comments must be received by November 13, 2023.

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.

National Transportation in Indian Country Conference (NTICC)

NTICC 2023

Anchorage, AK, September 24-28

Please stop by our booth!

National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA)

American Indian Elders Conference

Cherokee, NC, September 25-29

Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE)

CTE Zero Emission Bus Conference (ZEB Con)

San Diego, CA, September 26-28

Please stop by our booth!

AARP

2023 AARP Livable Communities Economic Development Online Workshop

September 27-28, 1:00-5:00 PM

Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship

Radically Rural Conference

Keene, NH, September 27-28

International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR)

IATR 2023 Annual Conference

Scottsdale, AZ, September 27-30

American Public Works Association (APWA) - New England Chapter

Grant Writing - How to Get Started Webinar

September 28, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

TRB 

The Value of Access Management—Tools for Difficult Conversations Webinar

September 28, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

September 28, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

USDA

Data Training Webinar: Area and Road Ruggedness Scales

September 28, 1:00-2:00 PM

FTA

Creating the Foundation for Quality Asset Data Webinar

September 28, 2:00 PM

National RTAP

Client Self-Advocacy Training for Transportation and Mobility Professionals Webinar

September 28, 2:00-3:30 PM

Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR)

Navigating the Future: The Intersection of Big Data and Transportation Modeling Webinar

September 29, 12:00-1:00 PM

U.S. DOT

Hybrid Public Meeting of the Department of Transportation Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking

Washington, DC, October 3, 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Fleet Forward

Fleet Forward: The Tour

Dallas, TX, October 3

Clean Mobility Options

Clean Mobility Forum

Los Angeles, CA, October 3

National RTAP, SUMC, NADTC, Salud America, Social Interventions Research & Evaluation Network at UCSF  

Addressing Inadequate Transportation to Improve Health TweetChat

October 3, 1:00-2:00 PM 

Center for Connected and Automated Transportation (CCAT)

How Autonomous Vehicles Make our Roads Safer

October 3, 1:00-2:00 PM

National Transit Institute

National Transit Database: Annual Reporting for Indian Tribes Webinar

October 3, 2:00-3:30 PM

FHWA

FY 2024 TTP Safety Funds NOFO For Prospective Applicants Webinar

October 3, 2:00-3:00 PM

Massachusetts DOT

MassDOT 2023 Moving Together Conference

Boston, MA, October 4

Please visit our booth!

ITS4US

ITS4US Deployment Program Phase 2 Webinar: GTFS-Pathways: Advancing Indoor Transit Data Interoperability with Accessibility-first Principles

October 4, 10:30-12:00 PM

National Association of Counties (NACo)

Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities (BRECC) Action Challenge Webinar

October 4, 3:00-4:00 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

October 5, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

SUMC and May Mobility

AVs: Achieving the Promise and Avoiding the Pitfalls: How to Successfully and Sustainably use AVs for Good Webinar

October 5, 1:00-2:00 PM

National Operations Center of Excellence

TSMO and Public Communications Webinar

October 5, 1:00-2:30 PM

Smart State Transportation Initiative (SSTI)

Measuring Accessibility: National Evaluation, Local Application Webinar

October 5, 2:00 PM

FTA

FTA Safety Advisory 23–1: Bus-to-Person Collisions Virtual Meeting

October 5, 2:00-3:00 PM

Accessible Transportation Resource Center (ATRC)

Assistive Technology and Accessible Transportation Webinar

October 5, 2:00-4:00 PM 

America Walks and Disability Mobility Initiative

How National Week Without Driving is Shifting the Transportation Paradigm Webinar

October 5, 2:30-3:30 PM

FTA 

Hours of Service and Fatigue Risk Management Programs for Transit Workers Listening Session 

Orlando, FL, October 8, 11:15 AM - 12:45 PM

American Public Transportation Association (APTA)

APTA Expo

Orlando, FL, October 8-11

Truckers Against Trafficking, Colorado AG, Colorado Motor Carriers Association, Colorado State Patrol, Colorado Human Trafficking Council, and CASTA

Creating Partnerships to End Human Trafficking Awareness Event

Glenwood Springs, CO, October 10, 12:00-4:00 PM

National Transit Institute

Crisis Communications for Transit Managers Virtual Course

October 10-11, 1:00-4:30 PM

Native Learning Center

Empowerment Workshop Business Training

Hollywood, FL, October 11-12

Center for Advancing Research in Transportation Emissions, Energy, and Health (CARTEEH)

Transportation Emissions and Health Equity: Research Perspectives Webinar

October 12, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Volpe Center

Accelerating Project Delivery through Innovative Procurement, Partnerships, and Financing Methods: Part 1 Webinar

October 12, 1:00 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

October 12, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National Center for Rural Road Safety

Intersection of Transportation with Public Health and Law Enforcement Webinar

October 12, 2:00 PM

AASHTO

AASHTO TransComm Meeting

Portland, ME, October 15-18

National Transit Institute

Transportation Planning Process Virtual Course

October 16-19, 1:00-5:00 PM

National Transit Institute

Introduction to Paratransit Management and Operations Virtual Course

October 16-19, 1:00-5:00 PM

Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Definitions and Data: Changes after the 2020 Census Webinar

October 17, 1:00-2:00 PM

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) 

AASHTO Safety Summit

Kansas City, MO, October 17-19

FHWA

Value Capture Strategies and Asset Recycling: Advancing Public Infrastructure in a Time of Funding Uncertainty Webinar

October 18, 1:00-3:00 PM

National Transit Institute

Assault Awareness and Prevention for Transit Operators (Train-the-Trainer) Virtual Course

October 18, 1:00-4:30 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

October 19, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National RTAP

LinkedIn Learnalong - Communication Focus

October 19, 2:00-3:00 PM ET

National Safety Council (NSC)

2023 NSC Safety Congress & Expo

New Orleans, LA, October 20-26

WPTA/MPTA

2023 Wisconsin/Minnesota Public Transit Expo

La Crosse, WI, October 23-24

Please stop by our booth!



National Transit Institute

Project Management for Transit Professionals Virtual Course

October 23-26, 1:00-4:30 PM

National Transit Institute

Public Involvement in Transportation Decision-Making Virtual Course

October 23-26, 1:00-5:00 PM

National Transit Institute

FTA Uniform Act Basics for Transit Agency Personnel Virtual Course

October 24, 1:00-5:00 PM

EVNoire and Forth

National E-Mobility Diversity Equity, and Inclusion Conference

Washington, DC and Virtual; October 25 - Virtual and October 26 - In Person

Arizona Transit Association's AzTA Maintenance Forum, planned for Mesa, AZ, October 25-26, has been cancelled.

U.S. DOT

V2X Summit - Saving Lives with Connectivity

Southeast Michigan and Virtually, October 26

Volpe Center

Accelerating Project Delivery through Innovative Procurement, Partnerships, and Financing Methods: Part 2 Webinar

October 26, 1:00 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

October 26, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National Center for Rural Road Safety

Safety Analysis Process Webinar

October 26, 2:00 PM

Louisiana Public Transit Association

2023 Louisiana Public Transit Conference

New Orleans, LA, October 29 - November 1

Please visit our booth!

National Transit Institute

National Transit Database 2023-2024 Data Publications Release Overview Webinar

October 31, 2:00-3:30 PM

California Association for Coordinated Transportation (CALACT)

CALACT 2023 Fall Conference and Expo

Indian Wells, CA, October 31 - November 3

Please stop by our table!

University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies (CTS)

2023 CTS Transportation Research Conference

Minneapolis , MN, November 2, 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

November 2, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National Association of Counties (NACo)

Rural Action Caucus/Symposium

White Sulphur Springs, WV, November 5-7

National Transit Institute

Enhancing Your Transit Asset Management Program with Lifecycle Management Virtual Course

November 6-9, 1:00-3:30 PM

National Transit Institute

Project Management for Transit Professionals Virtual Course

November 6-9, 1:00-4:30 PM

National Transit Institute

Introduction to Transit Service Planning Virtual Course

November 6-9, 1:00-5:00 PM

National Transit Institute

Transportation Planning Process Virtual Course

November 6-9, 1:00-5:00 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

November 9, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

TRB

Transportation Resilience 2023 

Washington, DC, November 13-15

National Transit Institute

Advanced Title VI and Public Transit Virtual Course

November 13-15, 1:00-4:30 PM

AASHTO

2023 AASHTO Annual Meeting & Expo 

Indianapolis, IN, November 13-16

National Transit Institute

Introduction to Paratransit Management and Operations Virtual Course

November 13-16, 1:00-5:00 PM

National Transit Institute

Public Involvement in Transportation Decision-Making Virtual Course

November 13-16, 1:00-5:00 PM

FHWA

Value Capture and Debt Financing Strategies: Tax-Exempt Debt Financing Webinar

November 14, 1:00-3:00 PM 

National Transit Institute

FTA Uniform Act Basics for Transit Agency Personnel Virtual Course

November 14, 1:00-5:00 PM

Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota

2023 Toward Zero Deaths Conference

Rochester, MN, November 14-15

National Transit Institute

Crisis Communications for Transit Managers Virtual Course

November 14-15, 1:00-4:30 PM

National Transit Institute

Assault Awareness and Prevention for Transit Operators (Train-the-Trainer) Virtual Course

November 15, 1:00-4:30 PM

NCHRP 

Transportation Emergency Management and Security Summit & Exchange

Washington, DC, November 15-16

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

November 16, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National Transit Institute

Project Management for Transit Professionals Virtual Course

November 27-30, 1:00-4:30 PM

National Transit Institute

Principles for Effective Management and Supervision Virtual Course

November 27-30, 1:00-5:00 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

November 30, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

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.