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February 17, 2023 | An APTA Publication
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Celebrating Black History Month:
An APTA Kaleidoscope Special Event on Crucial Conversations about Race, Equity and the Wealth Gap
Stay tuned for more details and how to view!
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APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas (center, with blue tie) at a U.S. Council on Competitiveness event.
APTA President Addresses Brazilian Business Leaders
APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas discussed transportation infrastructure investment with approximately 30 representatives from Brazil’s National Industry Confederation (CNI)—the country’s main business group—at an event hosted by the U.S. Council on Competitiveness February 13 in Washington, DC.
Skoutelas briefed the visiting delegation about APTA’s mission, the state of the public transportation industry in the U.S., and the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA). He said that investments in modern infrastructure are essential to meeting the evolving expectations of transit riders in North America. “When it comes to infrastructure, public transportation is the backbone of any vibrant, growing, future-focused community,” he said.
Public transportation must reflect the values, priorities and needs of the communities we serve, Skoutelas added, saying that this means developing mobility solutions that advance a clean environment, greater social and economic equity, resiliency and reliability, and more opportunities for all residents.
Noting the Brazilian delegation’s interest in business opportunities from IIJA funding, Skoutelas said there is the potential for U.S.-Brazil collaboration in modernizing and expanding public transportation networks in the U.S. He explained that APTA maintains working partnerships with a wide range of organizations in the international public transit and passenger rail community. These include formal relationships with two Brazilian associations, ANTP (the Brazilian Association of Public Transportation) and ANP Trilhos (the Brazilian Association of urban and intercity rail).
Such international connections, like the Council on Competitiveness event, are essential to stay abreast of transportation and technology trends and best practices around the world, and to share knowledge and expertise.
In addition to Skoutelas, CNI’s visiting delegation heard presentations from other speakers on such topics as S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and innovation ecosystem, trade and investment, academic partnerships, and how to engage with the U.S. defense industrial base.
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USDOT Deputy Secretary Trottenberg Keynoter at APTA Legislative Conference
 USDOT Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg is the keynote speaker for APTA’s 2023 Legislative Conference March 12-14 in Washington, DC.
Trottenberg has more than 25 years of experience in all levels of government, including serving as commissioner of NYC DOT from 2014-2020, where she ran a 5,800-person agency responsible for the safe, efficient and equitable operation of NYC’s transportation network.
Attend the conference and hear from Trottenberg and other impactful featured speakers; gain the latest information on important federal legislation and policy initiatives; experience an unparalleled opportunity to shape the industry’s positions and federal advocacy agenda; and enjoy excellent networking opportunities, including an evening reception at The Observatory at America’s Square.
In addition, take part in APTA’s Advocacy Afternoon, where the association will schedule meetings for you to speak with your Members of Congress. Click here to learn more about the Legislative Conference, including travel and accommodation info, and to register.
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APTA, Coalition Partners Appeal for Extension for Comments on BABAA Proposed Guidance
APTA and a coalition of partner organizations representing public and private entities dedicated to developing and delivering federal financially assisted construction projects wrote to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Feb. 16, requesting an additional 30 days (total of 60 days) for public comment on its proposed rule regarding Guidance for Grants and Agreements, which are due March 13. The requested date would then be, on or about, April 12, 2023.
A 30-day comment period “is inadequate for our organizations to meaningfully review the proposed rule, analyze its impact, gather feedback and submit written comments,” the letter stated. “This challenge is compounded by the proposed rule’s broad scope and highly complex impact on the existing domestic manufacturing and supply base. For these reasons, the undersigned organizations respectfully request of OMB that an additional 30 days (60 days total) be allowed for public comments.”
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Cybersecurity Assessment Tool for Transit
In 2021, FTA awarded the Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District (MetroLink), Moline, IL, a grant to develop a cybersecurity assessment tool to assess its cyber posture, as part of FTA’s Public Transportation COVID-19 Research Demonstration Grant Program.
MetroLINK recently developed the Cybersecurity Assessment Tool for Transit (CATT), which assists public transit agencies in formalizing and developing cybersecurity programs. The CATT and supporting documents were developed to assist MetroLINK and other small and mid-sized agencies in assessing cyber preparedness and resilience. The goal of the tool is to onboard public transit organizations to develop and strengthen cybersecurity programs to identify risks and prioritize activities to mitigate these risks.
COVID-19 forced transit agencies to change how they operated, bringing in new technologies to manage critical operations and to facilitate remote work—many of which exponentially increased the number of threat vectors. In parallel, cyberattacks and network intrusions continue to proliferate. Recent incidents demonstrate that even small and mid-sized transit agencies are vulnerable to system disruptions due to cyberattacks. Prior to this project, no cybersecurity assessment tools had been developed specifically for the unique context and conditions faced by transit agencies.
MetroLINK engaged Max Cybersecurity and Grayline Group to help them develop, promote and distribute these materials within the industry. MetroLINK worked closely with the project team to demonstrate the assessment concepts, iterate and refine the tool in cooperation with FTA.
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Take Part in TCRP Surveys
Public Transit Worker Mental Health Survey
APTA appeals to its members to complete a survey on public transit worker mental health. The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) has commissioned Rutgers University and Foursquare ITP on TCRP F-29: Mental Health, Wellness, and Resilience for Transit System Workers. The objective of TCRP F-29 is to develop a toolkit of solutions to support and improve the health, wellbeing, retention/recruitment and overall resilience of frontline public transit workers.
As part of this project, the research team is seeking to survey frontline transit workers directly about their experiences, challenges and barriers when it comes to mental health, wellness and resiliency at work. Survey responses will be confidential and will not be shared beyond the research team.
The survey can be accessed at the link below, which can be shared with eployees. Within this document are several sample pieces of communication collateral to help transit agencies disseminate the survey to frontline workers. The survey closes March 17.
Transit Information Systems Survey
The Transportation Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) is seeking to learn how state DOTs, metropolitan planning organizations and public transit agencies foster and integrate transit service information (often in the form of GTFS feeds) for public use. As part of the study, Statewide Approaches to the Development of Comprehensive Transit Information Systems, TCRP is surveying staff at the state, regional and local levels and identifying state or regional efforts for follow-up case studies.
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In Memoriam
Gunther Max Gottfeld
 Gunther Max Gottfeld died Feb. 5 aged 88. He had a long career in the public transportation industry.
One of Gottfeld’s earliest memories was standing on a bridge in Berlin, where he was born, watching a train pass beneath him. And thus began his life-long interest in trains and trollies.
Following his family’s emigration to the U.S., Gottfeld would go on to work at public transit agencies in Washington, DC, Baltimore and Boston. He also worked in Stockholm and served in the U.S. Coast Guard.
Gottfeld worked at Maryland DOT for 25 years, where his area of focus was government funding for transit projects including the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Metro system and the Baltimore Metro.
For APTA, Gottfeld had been a member of the Legislative Committee.
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Call for Proposals:
APTA’s Sustainability / Operations Planning and Scheduling Workshop
APTA is accepting proposals for its 2023 Sustainability / Operations Planning and Scheduling Workshop July 30-Aug. 2 in Anaheim, CA.
The workshop brings together sustainability professionals, service planners and policymakers to share best practices and discuss key industry trends. This year’s workshop will focus on such topics as climate action, transit equity, green building and infrastructure, zero-emission fleet deployments, service planning and network design, scheduling strategies, rebuilding ridership, data, mobility alternatives, career development and more.
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Marketing & Communications Workshop
Presented by Outfront
Feb. 26-March 1, Las Vegas, NV
(Register here)
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Legislative Conference
March 12-14, Washington, DC
(Register here) |
High-Speed Rail Seminar
March 15-16, Washington, DC
(Register here)
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Legal Affairs Seminar
April 2-4, Portland, OR
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Mobility Conference
Presented by HNTB
April 23-26, Minneapolis, MN
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Transit CEOs Seminar
May 19-21, Houston, TX |
Rail Conference
June 11-14, Pittsburgh, PA |
Passenger Rail Engineering Education Symposium (p-REES)
July 11-13
Washington, DC |
Transit Board Members & Board Administrators Seminar
July 15-18, Birmingham, AL |
APTAtech
July 30-Aug. 2, Anaheim, CA |
Sustainability/Operations Planning and Scheduling Workshop
July 30-Aug. 2, Anaheim, CA |
Study Mission to Australia, New Zealand
Aug. 7-18
Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland |
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TRANSform Conference & EXPO
Presented by HNTB
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