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Hello newsletter readers, 

Who knew such a minuscule thing in composition can cause such worry and stress? Due to COVID-19, schools, restaurants, places of work, and long-planned events have been closed and cancelled across the nation out of precautionary measures - as is likely the case in your neck of the woods. Importantly, transit systems are impacted, often in negative ways. With most running on reduced schedules, some smaller operations with more limited resources are halting service. In other cases, transit systems see the value of their service and are offering free rides to medical and food-related destinations or free rides on any operating bus.

For the purveyors of mobility management services and programs, this time comes as one to review how your operations work in unorthodox times and moment of crisis. Is there a contingency plan for a public health emergency in place? If not, how can work be done to design and implement one? What avenues exist to continue service, albeit at a limited scale? And if operations can't continue as normal, how do we make sure that our clients are aware of that change? Just a couple questions to consider. This similar line of thinking could be applied for a bad snowstorm or a major crash scene on a busy road that could cause disruptions to service that will impact those who rely on them. 

While this is a period of caution and times of concern, it's important to remember why places across the United States have begun to initiate sheltering-in-place and recommend social distancing. We are looking out for our neighbors- those familiar and those not. Just like mobility management programs, these things are done to help out those among us who need a little support to help get them through the day and where they want to go.

As always, if you have any recommendations for website or newsletter content, a written piece you'd like considered for NCMM's blog, Mobility Lines, or just want to reach out, my contact information is below.  

Best,

Kirby Wilhelm

[email protected]

(202) 489-6020

NCMM's COVID-19 Resource Center is live and will be continually updated as new resources and information becomes available. Partner resources are listed, as well as our survey regarding the virus' effects on mobility management practitioners. Please consider filling out NCMM's survey on how your organization is handling this pandemic. This survey will help NCMM to determine common concerns and trends regarding COVID-19's impact on service, providing key data to work towards solutions and best practices for this time. We may resurvey in the next few weeks to evaluate changes as this pandemic continues. NCMM aims to later release a report on the findings to the greater mobility management community. 

NCMM is excited to announce our upgraded website search. The new search allows users to search every word on our website to easily find the information they are looking for. You can also easily search our partner technical assistance centers and the FTA website in our search bar, all at the click of a button. Head to the NCMM website and use the search bar in the upper right of your screen.

Check out our freshly updated Daily Mobility News page, it's the perfect place to start your morning. Now, you can search News by topic and date to find exactly what you're looking for.

NCMM constantly updates its Grants and Opportunities page as staff learn about new funding options. 

NCMM offers six e-Learning courses with 25 different module topics. One of the six courses, Reaching Consensus Among Coordination Partners, intends to educate and assist stakeholders in achieving better transportation coordination. Sign up for NCMM's free e-Learning courses here.

Check out the NCMM Calendar to keep up-to-date on collected mobility management events, webinars, and other opportunities.

Have a question about technology? You can find answers by contacting NCMM's technologist, Kevin Chambers, at [email protected].

Cost Allocation Techniques for Community Transportation Webinar

The National Rural Transportation Assistance Program will be hosting a Cost Allocation Calculator Webinar on March 25 showcasing two new resources: NCMM's new free e-learning course, Cost Allocation Techniques for Community Transportation, and National RTAP's Cost Allocation Calculator, and ways to utilize the results for data reporting, pricing, and planning of services. Register to participate.

CCAM 2020 Webinar Series

The Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility partner agencies are hosting a webinar series to increase local, state and federal coordination to enhance accessible, efficient transportation options for the target population. Archived webinar from February and exact dates for the April and following webinars are available at the FTA page.

The National Center for Applied Transit Technology (N-CATT) has extended their deadline for Technology Strike Team Technical Assistance requests until March 27. This opportunity is for small-urban, rural, and tribal transit agencies to apply for in-depth technical assistance from N-CATT's Innovative Technology Strike Teams. These teams will work with up to four agencies to develop technology action plans that help the agencies understand how to accomplish their goals, what technologies will be useful, and how to implement those new technologies.

Final applications will be due by 5:00 p.m. EST on March 27

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.