Spotlight on "Making Connections" 
In the weeks leading up to our October 26th transportation and workforce development conference, we're highlighting some of the day's workshops and plenary sessions.
 
Morning Workshop 3: Industry Training Consortium, Mentorship and On-the-Job Learning: Investing in Frontline Worker Knowledge and Skills
The frontline vehicle operators and maintainers contribute greatly to accomplishing the goals of each transit agency, with the know-how they've gained through formal training and learning on-the-job. Done right, investment in the frontline knowledge and skills can generate significant returns. In this workshop, we showcase several effective models for frontline training in action: Joint development of national standards-based courseware by transportation agencies across the U.S. (training consortia), workplace mentoring, and On-the-Job Learning. We will also share best practices for proving the value of frontline workforce training.
 
For more information and to register for Making Connections click here.  
Center Update  
Joint Workforce Investment Apprenticeship Graduation in San Jose
The Apprenticeship Graduation was held on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 at the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), Local 265 Hall in Campbell, California. ATU provided a BBQ and drinks for all attendees.
 
There are seventy-two graduates from the Coach Operator Apprenticeship, Service Mechanic Apprenticeship and Track Worker Apprenticeship. This was a first for Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 265 and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). It was also the first Coach Operator Apprenticeship Graduation in the state and the nation.
 
The graduates received eighteen units of college credit and a Certificate of Achievement from Mission College with free tuition, an apprenticeship certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor and an apprenticeship certificate from the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards.
 
The attendees included union members, mentors, Executive Board Officers, VTA Apprenticeship/JWI Staff, the graduates and their families. The speakers included Terry Russell, ATU President and Business Agent, Diana Hermone, ATU JWI Director, Inez Evans, VTA Chief Operating Officer, Gary Knight, Apprenticeship Consultant California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Apprentice Standards, and Rob Gamble, Director, Community/Business Engagement and Workforce Development, Mission College.
 
It was an evening to remember and a great success.
Public Transportation
From Paris to New York, we've matched metro maps against versions that only include fully accessible stations. The results are discouraging - but are any cities doing it right?
Curbed Chicago - September 21, 2017
Though rail transit played an invaluable role in bringing commercial goods and passengers to and from the rest of the United States, its continued importance in connecting Chicagoans on a more local level cannot be understated. Hundreds of thousands of riders rely on the Windy City's network of municipal and regional commuter trains each day to move easily between Chicago's neighborhoods, Central Business District, and various outlying suburbs.
Curbed - September 20, 2017
We've looked to cities all around the world for inspiration and asked some of our favorite urban thinkers for their best tips on how to fix the thorniest transportation problems. Some proposals may seem idealistic, while others might surprise you, but all 101 suggestions will push our communities to design, implement, and use better transit.
Transit System/Partners
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - September 21, 2017
For decades metro Atlanta residents have debated whether to expand MARTA rail service into the suburbs - a debate that usually ended with suburban residents saying "no." But another form of public transportation - bus rapid transit - has quietly captured the imagination of many public officials. Though it does not exist yet in Georgia, it's already transforming the mass transit debate - and it could remake the region's transportation network in coming years.
Progressive Railroading - Sept 20, 2017
"When New Jersey was hit by Superstorm Sandy nearly five years ago, we saw first-hand how difficult it is for employees to balance the impacts of a devastating storm at home with their dedication to restoring service, which often requires long stretches away from families," said NJ Transit Executive Director Steve Santoro. "We remain so grateful for the outpouring of support from around the country in our time of need, we wanted to help our fellow transit workers get back on their feet."
Curbed Philadelphia - September 22, 2017
Philly is a big place with a lot to see, so if you really want to cover some ground (without getting stuck on the Schuylkill in a car), your best bet is to see the city by bus, trolley, or subway. The hard part is deciding which route among SEPTA's hundreds to take. Even SEPTA's general manager Jeffrey D. Knueppel couldn't pinpoint just one. When Curbed Philly asked him to choose, he responded diplomatically, "I have no favorite mode, I love traveling on all of them."
Economic Issues
EfficientGov - September 20, 2017
Two Maryland projects - one a recently-completed toll road and the other a new light rail line - illustrate that what transportation funding should be for is still an argument of toll roads versus public transit.
Building Transportation Infrastructure
Transportist - September 21, 2017
We all know that maintenance, repair, and reconstruction are not sexy. They do not result in ribbon cuttings with smiling politicians getting their pictures taken and posted in the local news. Yet on a per-dollar basis, fine-grained maintenance work employs more people than large-scale greenfield construction.
Safety
The Transport Politic - September 26, 2017
Platform screen doors may be familiar to anyone who has used an automated people mover at airports from Chicago O'Hare to New York JFK, and they have a number of benefits. They allow platforms to act as insulated rooms, physically stopping people from jumping or falling onto the tracks-a particular plus for blind people. They prevent people from trashing the tracks-a major cause of subway delays. They allow trains to enter stations at higher speeds, and they make it far more feasible to air condition those stops.
GoRail - September 24, 2017
Believe it or not, a person or vehicle in the U.S. is hit by a train about every three hours. The goal of Rail Safety Week is to raise awareness, encourage rail safety education and empower the public to make smart decisions near railroad crossings.
Green News 
Metro Magazine - September 26, 2017
By the year 2020, when the first round of longterm plans are due from countries participating on the Paris Agreement, the International Urban Transport Union (UITP) projects that more than half of carbon emissions could be reduced by "the combined impact of second-generation biofuel, traffic flow, shifts to public transportation, and ecodriving measures." For most countries, the emphasis in that sentence is a mode shift to public transport.
Workforce Development
Metro Magazine - September 20, 2017
The biggest challenge we face is the "brain drain" that will take place with the upcoming retirements. A lot of knowledge and experience will go quickly out the door. With thin ranks of individuals in the middle-age cohort, this is going to put a lot of pressure on the youngest generation in our workforce.
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