Hello NATAN!

ATRC is thrilled to announce the members of the National Transportation Accessibility Community of Practice! After a rigorous review process, ATRC selected four teams from across the country. These teams will work together to increase accessible transportation in their communities with guidance and support from ATRC. Congratulations to the selected community teams:

• Disability Resources Network, Huntsville, Ala.
• Forward Health, Deer River, Minn.
• Guam Department of Health and Social Services, Mangilao, Guam
• PEAC, Ypsilanti, Mich.

Learn more about each of the Community of Practice teams on the ATRC website!

We’re glad you’re here! The National Accessible Transportation Accelerator Network (NATAN) Newsletter is ATRC’s monthly update on accessible transportation around the nation. Keep reading to learn about upcoming events, resources, opportunities, and more.

Enhancing Accessibility Through Customer Experience

September 24, 2024

1:00 PM – 2:30 PM Eastern Time

Join the US Access Board for a webinar on increasing accessibility through human-centric products and services. The webinar will cover key steps for inclusive design, the benefits of Customer Experience (CX) and how to build accessible products beyond the Section 508 standards.

ATRC Virtual Office Hours: Accessible Transit Inclusion and Partnerships

September 27, 2024

2:00 PM – 3:15 PM Eastern Time

Join ATRC virtually for a presentation and discussion on how to facilitate inclusion and partnerships in transportation planning. Two members of the ATRC team, Virginia Dize and Dr. David Bernstein, will lead the session. Register for the ATRC Office Hours here.

Promising Practices for Transportation

Check out these collections of promising practices for transportation from ATRC and our partners!

• Accessible Transportation
• Mobility Management
• Rural Transportation

Do you have a promising practice related to accessible transportation that you’d like to see highlighted on the ATRC website? Contact us at atrc@acl.hhs.gov.

From NCMM: Dialysis Care During a Wildfire

During a natural disaster, where do dialysis patients go? See how the National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM) worked with dialysis providers during the New Mexico wildfires this summer.

Putting Your GTFS Feed to Work

The National Center for Applied Transit Technology (N-CATT) is hosting a free workshop to help transit agencies explore the many ways to create and improve GTFS data. Sign up for “Putting Your GTFS Feed to Work,” which will be held October 22-24 from 1:30PM - 4:30PM Eastern Time.

Submit Comment: Proposed Rule on Accessibility in Pedestrian Facilities

The Department of Transportation is looking for comments on a proposed amendment to their standards on pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way. Specific changes include potentially adding restrictions on the location of transit stop boarding areas to provide greater accessibility. Submit comments until September 23, 2024.

Notice of Funding Opportunity: Tribal Transit Competitive Program

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced the opportunity to apply for $9,169,076 in competitive grants for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Public Transportation on Indian Reservations (Tribal Transit) Program. FTA will host an instructional webinar September 25 at 2PM Eastern Time. Learn more about the Tribal Transit Program here.

• Website simplifies search for accessible public transportation in Michigan
• HIRTA program aims to bridge gap between transportation and health care in Dallas County
• Colorado's free-fare public transit initiative didn't reduce ground-level ozone, but may have other benefits
• NH Alliance for Healthy Aging Volunteer Driver Initiative helps – but more volunteers are needed
• Most of Paris metro inaccessible to disabled users, transport chief admits ahead of Paralympics