Hello newsletter reader, 

In the context of our national health crisis, NCMM has been scoping out ways that mobility management professionals and transportation agencies can help respond. The foremost opportunity (and challenge) is determining how they can best contribute to vaccination efforts. We'd like to call your attention to several NCMM initiatives (more details for these are within the newsletter):

In other news, the NCMM's customer survey on NCMM services and products is currently active. The deadline of Sunday, Jan. 31 is fast approaching - NCMM would greatly appreciate your valuable feedback. Your contribution will help guide the NCMM forward in the new year and beyond. The survey link can be found below.

Stay well,

Kirby Wilhelm

(202) 489-6020

On Feb. 4, 2021 (2:00-3:30 p.m. Eastern time), NCMM will present the webinar, "Mobilizing transportation to increase COVID-19 vaccination" with public health experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO). The information presented will assist the public health and public transportation sectors in identifying ways to collaborate to ensure all Americans living in rural and small urban communities are vaccinated. In this webinar, CDC and NACCHO will be joined by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) and state and local transportation agencies.

The National Center for Mobility Management is currently conducting a customer survey, through CKB Evaluation Consulting, as part of its independent evaluation, as required by NCMM's funder, the Federal Transit Administration. The survey is important in helping to improve NCMM services. For those of you who have not completed the voluntary survey, please consider doing so by the survey close date of Jan. 31.

With FTA's support and encouragement, NCMM has been collecting examples of transportation efforts related to COVID-19 in two separate tables. The first table is a listing of incidental uses of transportation during the pandemic, such as food delivery, wi-fi access, etc. The second is a table that captures examples of how different transportation agencies are supporting vaccination access. As you continue to work locally with local community agencies in response to COVID-19, please send a description of those activities to NCMM ([email protected]) so we can add it.

Organizations take an important step toward coordination by exchanging data on transportation users, trips, and organizations' transportation services. For those data to be meaningful, the way they are reported needs to be standardized across organizations. NCMM is asking mobility management professionals and transit agencies to complete its Transportation Data Standards Survey. The survey gathers state and local transportation and human services stakeholders' input on collecting, reporting, sharing, and coordinating transportation-related data.

The Transportation Technical Assistance Coordination Library (TACL) provides a sustainable methodology and platform for accessing coordination resources across a diverse range of transportation technical assistance centers and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The TACL Task Force uses a systematic review process for resources included in this database. 

 

The FTA-funded technical assistance centers participating in this ongoing work are:

Visit TACL and its Resources here.

MMC Conversations, a forum for mobility management practitioners to share, connect, and learn from their peers across the United States, is hosting a webinar entitled "Virtual Engagement: How Mobility Managers Can Support Coordination and Mobility Management in Exurban and Rural Communities" from 2:00-3:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 23. During this webinar, attendees will learn about mobility options available for isolated groups, creative incidental use solutions, and best practices around virtual engagement strategies.

NCMM is planning a peer exchange on FTA's Accelerating Innovative Mobility (AIM) and Micromobility initiative in February. If you are interested in participating, please email NCMM staff member Danny Drees ([email protected]).

Regional and statewide mobility systems currently planning, operating or implementing one-call/one-click (OC/OC) systems convened in December 2020, through a peer exchange, to discuss challenges and share best practices related to incorporating trip information, trip booking and trip payment. The discussion focused on topics including, collecting and verifying transportation provider information, using GTFS data sets/GIS platforms, garnering community and provider support, marketing the OC/OC systems, and increasing public and specialized transit ridership via new system platforms. 

The CDC has designed a toolkit to help employers build confidence in new COVID-19 vaccines. The toolkit will help employers across various industries educate their workforce about COVID-19 vaccines, raise awareness about the benefits of vaccination, and address common questions and concerns.

The U.S. DOT has published a draft of its first Strategic Plan on Accessible Transportation and is seeking comment. The draft Strategic Plan represents a unified vision for progress in accessible transportation that will guide the DOT's efforts in fiscal years 2021-2025. 

The Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) has created a new e-learning, course, Understanding Passengers Who Have Experienced Trauma, for public transportation drivers and those who interact with the general public on a daily basis. Its purpose is to educate drivers on the impacts that past traumatic events can have on individuals and how those impacts may play out in a transportation setting. Access the course here.

Two certification programs - PASS Train-the-Trainer and Certified Safety and Security Officer (CSSO) - are now offered in a virtual classroom environment. A number of additional CTAA classroom training courses will be offered virtually in the near future. Any questions can be directed to Training & Certification Program Director Caryn Souza ([email protected]).

Every Thursday at 10 a.m. EST, the TRB will be virtually hosting a scholar to share their high-quality research in this field. The series features a broad topic coverage from planning, behaviors to operations, and intends to engage audiences both within and beyond the transportation community. Thirty minutes of in-depth and inclusive discussions between the speaker and audiences will follow.

Mobility Management News is the newsletter of the National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM), which is operated jointly by the Community Transportation Association, the American Public Transportation Association and Easter Seals under a cooperative agreement with the Federal Transit Administration.