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September 8, 2023 | An APTA Publication
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Have You Registered for APTA’s 2023 Legislative Advocacy Fly-In?
Industry voices are instrumental in advocating for full funding of public transit and passenger rail in the FY24 THUD Appropriations bill. Join APTA and your peers at APTA’s 2023 Legislative Advocacy Fly-In Sept. 14 in Washington, DC, to advocate for public transit and passenger rail.
APTA is scheduling in-person meetings with Members of Congress and their staff on Capitol Hill throughout the day. The Fly-In is free to all APTA members and is financed by the APTA Business Member Activity Fund. For questions, contact Melissa Mejias, APTA's director of government affairs and advocacy, at mmejias@apta.com.
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APTA TRANSform Conference & EXPO Discounted Hotel Room Rates End Today!
The discounted hotel room block rates for APTA’s TRANSform Conference & EXPO, Oct. 8-11 in Orlando, FL, end today. Book your stay now!
Presented by HNTB, TRANSform is the flagship event for public transportation professionals. Engage in educational sessions, take part in technical tours and network with your industry peers. For a video preview of what’s in store in Orlando, click here.
APTA EXPO, Oct. 9-11, is the public transportation industry’s premier resource for advancing mobility systems through a robust showcase of the latest technologies, products and services. Find the solutions your organization needs for success!
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USDOT Issues Waiver of Buy America Requirements
The waiver is also intended to reduce delays in the delivery of important transportation infrastructure projects that provide jobs and promote economic growth.
The waiver applies to a single financial assistance award obligated on or after Aug. 16, 2023, for which:
- The total value of the non-compliant products is no more than the lesser of $1 million or five percent of total applicable costs for the project; or
- The total amount of federal financial assistance applied to the project, through awards or subawards, is below $500,000.
The waiver is applicable to both FTA’s Buy America requirement for steel, iron and manufactured products (49 U.S.C. 5323(j)) and to the Build America, Buy America Act’s construction materials requirement (Public Law 117–58, div. G 70901–27). It does not apply to items already subject to a product-specific waiver, such as FTA’s Partial Waiver for Vans and Minivans.
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APTA Standards Open for Comment
The APTA Standards Program has advanced a new document on Zero-Emission Bus Maintenance Training for public review and comments.
The public commenting period is an essential component of APTA’s consensus-based standards development process. All bus and rail executive-level administrators, operators, security professionals and others are invited to provide criticisms, comments or recommendations.
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TrAMS Closes Sept. 25 for Year-End Financial Reconciliation
FTA will close TrAMS Sept. 25 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern for FTA’s fiscal year-end financial reconciliation. Financial transactions such as funds reservation, grant obligation, award de-obligations and financial purpose code/scope code transfers will be restricted.
Users will still be able to use TrAMS for non-financial functions. TrAMS is scheduled to reopen in early November.
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FTA to Host Transit Asset Management Webinar
FTA will host its Creating the Foundation for Quality Asset Data webinar Sept. 28, 2:00-3:00 p.m. Eastern, to review how two public transit agencies established frameworks to produce and maintain quality asset data: the Utah Transit Authority and the Maryland Transit Administration.
Transit Asset Management is an essential practice for providing safer, more reliable transit service while helping lower operating costs.
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USDOT Launches Project Delivery Center of Excellence
USDOT has launched the Project Delivery Center of Excellence to help recipients of federal infrastructure funds deliver projects more efficiently and effectively, from concept to completion. The center will serve as a central resource for innovative practices and will bring project managers together to enable knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer learning.
“It is so important to deliver good projects well, meaning on time, on task, on budget,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “I know that in the months ahead, the Center of Excellence at Volpe will only continue to grow and evolve in this purpose of better supporting project delivery staff, project sponsors and everyone working on this both inside and outside the department.”
Initial plans for the center include:
- Simplifying the contracting process by providing newer, less experienced grant recipients with an off-the-shelf, high-quality model to ensure consistency and quality in design and construction contracts.
- Centralizing Project Delivery Methods Best Practices and Convening Information Exchanges.
- Providing a central repository and disseminating national best practices and case studies in successful, innovative project development, project delivery and cost containment efforts.
- Working in partnership with the American Society of Civil Engineers and Association of Consulting Engineering Companies to develop and distribute templates and model language for transportation construction contracts.
“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is delivering tens of thousands of new transportation projects across the country, and this announcement will help us deliver on time, on task and on budget,” said Mitch Landrieu, senior advisor to President Biden and White House infrastructure coordinator. “The Department of Transportation’s Project Delivery Center of Excellence will be a key nexus for exchanging ideas, knowledge and best practices to continue to improve and make our transportation system better for all.”
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Still Time to Become a TCRP Day Local Host!
There is still time to volunteer to be a local host for TCRP Day, Sept. 21! You can help inform the industry about TCRP ( Transit Cooperative Research Program) and increase the number of transit professionals involved.
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