Today, we hosted week 2 of the four-week virtual series on Security Training with TSA.  The topic was Active Shooter.  If you would like to sign-up for the next two scheduled training sessions, please see below.  The training is free for members.

When: Each Tuesday; May 5th through May 26th
Time: 9:00AM EST

Get details and register.   #trainingtuesdayswithTSA  

Everyone is home and waiting for their worlds to start up again. How about taking advantage of this time and taking action that will help improve your tourism career?   Join us for a webinar this Thursday.  The webinar is free to members.

When:  Thursday, May 14th

Time:     11:00AM EST

Get details and register .

PBA Member, ABC Companies, is thinking A LOT about our industry as the economy reopens and are currently offering solutions to make passengers and drivers more comfortable getting back on the bus, such as; 

1. Sanitation and disinfection options
2. Air purification options
3. Barriers and shields

PBA Member, SARDO Bus & Coach Upholstery, is here to help with social distancing while your customers are aboard your bus.   They are offering Social Distancing Bands and Passenger Protective Shields.  Take a look!  Contact Sandy Sales at  sandy@sardobus.com or 800-654-3824 for more information or questions.

PBA Member, Destination DC (DDC), the official destination marketing organization for DC, and partners announced the current impact of COVID-19 on the tourism industry and steps toward recovery once travel is safe. 

Read more... 

Bucks County is one of the most beautiful destinations on the East Coast, and there's nothing PBA Member, Visit Bucks County loves more than sharing that beauty with you. While you might not be able to be there in person, they hope you enjoy a collection of their favorite Bucks County images, and that it might bring a few moments of happy distraction to your day.  Get distracted.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) warned Monday that counties that disobey state directives and allow businesses to reopen would face consequences. In a series of tweets, the governor said county officials who allow nonessential businesses to reopen would lose access to federal stimulus funding, while individual businesses that disobeyed the state orders risked citations.

Read more... 

In response to COVID-19, PennDOT has implemented a variety of operational changes and maintaining all of the CDL updates on their corona virus site. 

Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation has announced three additional roadside rest stop re-openings, which are being added to a list of facilities that have already reopened.

All PennDOT roadside rest areas were temporarily closed on March 17 to comply with Governor Tom Wolf's shutdown orders, to make sure they could meet the new COVID-19 safety and sanitation protocols.  Read more...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has information to answer these questions;  As a bus transit operator, how can I protect myself?  What steps should my employer take?  Where can I get more information?  Get answers.

The American bus industry could lose billions of dollars and cut thousands of jobs as the wider economy is hit by the coronavirus pandemic and related shutdowns, according to a new report. Research published by the American Bus Association (ABA) warned that the private motorcoach industry stands to lose $4.7 billion and cut as many as 27,350 jobs, even if coronavirus lockdowns are largely lifted by the end of May.  Read more...

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that Democrats will push for including almost $1 trillion in the next coronavirus relief package to help states and local governments hit hard by the pandemic. That figure, Pelosi said, would likely be the single largest line-item of the Democrats' next emergency package, known as CARES 2, which is also expected to include hundreds of billions of dollars more to help workers, businesses and families weather the crisis. Read more...

U.S. Representative Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.) has led a group of 88 House Democrats calling on the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to require the use of masks, gloves, eyewear, and any PPE that may be appropriate for transportation workers, frontline Federal employees, and the passengers they interact with.  

Read more...

The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) issued deadline relief and other guidance under Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to help employee benefit plans, plan participants and beneficiaries, employers and other plan sponsors, plan fiduciaries, and other service providers impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.   Read more...

The Federal Reserve is expanding its emergency Main Street lending program, now giving larger companies and ones with more debt the opportunity to tap into funds meant to limit the damage from the coronavirus crisis.  Read more...

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, some commercial motor vehicle regulations in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. were temporarily relaxed to reduce restrictions that may limit motor carriers from promptly providing much-needed products and services to assist with emergency relief efforts. Subsequently, many states, provinces and territories issued a variety of emergency measures specific to their jurisdictions. With numerous temporary actions in place, there was a need for a central repository containing active emergency declaration information.  Read more...

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration just posted a new Q&A to their website on the topic of Voluntary Revocation of Operating Authority Registration.    Read more...

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to tighten current regulations intended to keep commercial vehicle drivers with substance abuse violations from being licensed by closing an information gap with real-time information from the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse.  Read more...

The U.S. Treasury Department has released new guidance on the safe harbor repayment date move from May 7 to May 14, as well as a summary of round 2 data.  Also, s ee the U.S. Department of Treasury's most recent addition to its Frequently Asked Questions to the Paycheck Protection Program.   Read the FAQs .

The most recent Longwoods International travel-sentiment tracking study, released today, indicates that over half of American travelers want to make their first trip (once it's appropriate to travel again) a domestic visit to reunite with friends and family, following so much self-isolation. All told, 86 percent of travelers signaled that they plan on visiting a U.S. domestic destination once pandemic-imposed restrictions are lifted. Four percent said they'll opt for an international trip and two percent said they'll keep it local, planning a staycation near home. Only eight percent responded that they intend no travel within the next six months. Read more... 

As a reminder, we moved our offices last July.  Please make sure your databases have been updated with our NEW address.  We are still getting mail forwarded to us, but that will expire in July.  

We would love to hear from you.  S hare your news via email to  director@pabus.org .

Personal checks may be made payable and sent to:

Motorcoach PAC

200 North Third Street, Suite 1500

Harrisburg, PA 17101

 

Corporate funds are not permitted in any form. Unincorporated business checks are acceptable providing no owner or partner of the business is a corporation. Please contact Milliron & Goodman if you have any questions at (717) 232-5322. Political Action Committee donations are not tax deductible.

Download the solicitation form for more information.