Hello NATAN!

Transportation is often only accessible if the streets and sidewalks connecting users to transportation are accessible and safe. October is National Pedestrian Safety Month, so check out these resources and articles on creating safer and more accessible streets:

• Visit USDOT’s page on Improving Safety for Walking, Biking, and Rolling, which provides resources on pedestrian safety, like the guide to Improving Safety for Pedestrians and Cyclists Accessing Transit and the Complete Streets Initiative.
• Recent news on street improvements that increase pedestrian accessibility:
• Bentonville, Ark. finishes complete street improvements in 8th Street Corridor
• UDOT installs touchless crosswalk buttons, making streets more accessible for pedestrians
• Read this opinion piece on the need for better data on traffic fatalities and injuries involving disabled pedestrians.

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.

ATRC Virtual Office Hours: Fare Payment Tech with N-CATT

October 21, 2024

1:00PM – 2:00PM Eastern Time

How does fare payment technology influence transportation accessibility? Join ATRC and the National Center for Applied Transit Technology (N-CATT) for a virtual Office Hours session exploring electronic fare payment options for transit systems. Register for the Office Hours here.

Community Rides Grant Project Outcomes and Lessons Learned

October 31, 2024

2:00PM – 3:00PM Eastern Time

National RTAP administered a Community Rides Grant Program in 2021-2023 for projects that strengthen transportation partnerships and improve social determinants of health in rural and tribal communities. Register for NRTAP’s webinar on successes and lessons learned from some of these grant projects. 

What We Learned: NADTC’s 2023 National Survey of Transportation Providers

November 4, 2024

2:00PM – 3:00PM Eastern Time

The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC) conducted a survey of transportation providers that serve older adults and people with disabilities in Fall 2023. This webinar will discuss findings from their survey – register for the NADTC webinar here!

TRB: Evaluating How Fare-Free Transit May Be an Element of State DOT Offerings

Free fares unquestionably address transportation equity issues. Sustaining Zero-Fare Public Transit in a Post COVID-19 World: A Guide for State DOTs (NCHRP Research Report 1126), released recently by the Transportation Research Board’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program, develops guidance and a tool to aid practitioners in the evaluation of fare-free transit services from a state DOT perspective. 

Free Technical Assistance for Transit Tech Questions

Have a question about technology for your transit system? N-CATT is offering technical assistance with experts in data, GIS, GTFS, and other transit tech questions or challenges until the end of November. 

USDOT Proposes New Accessibility Rule to Update ADA Regulations

USDOT proposed amending the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by adopting regulatory standards on transit stops in the public right-of-way. Additional details on the proposed ruling may be found in the Federal Register.

FTA Issues Updated Guidance on Section 5310 Programs

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is updating guidance on the Enhanced Mobility for Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program (Section 5310). The Circular (C. 9070.1H) includes new information on program requirements, labor protections, equipment management, vehicle use, leasing and title to vehicles, satisfactory continuing control requirements, reporting requirements, management plan, drug and alcohol testing requirements, and more.

• Bentonville, Ark. finishes complete street improvements in 8th Street Corridor
• UDOT installs touchless crosswalk buttons, making streets more accessible for pedestrians
• Uber launches improvements to boost accessibility
• HIRTA program aims to bridge gap between transportation and health care in Dallas County
• Monroe County and RIPTA are each launching programs to help those in low-income/disadvantaged populations be able to afford and have easy access to fare products