FTA American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
The newly enacted American Rescue Plan (ARPA) of 2021, allocates $50 million for Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities, Section 5310 formula grants, and will expire 2022. This is the second relief funding eligible for Section 5310 funded programs, and similar to both CARES Act and CRRSAA programs, funds will be eligible at 100-percent Federal share with no local match required.
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Transportation to Vaccination Sites
"Under the Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program (49 U.S.C. § 5310), providing transportation for seniors and individuals with disabilities to COVID-19 vaccination sites is eligible at a 100-percent Federal share when using CRRSAA or FY 2021 or prior year unobligated funds."
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Help NADTC Learn More About Transportation Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the U.S.
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NADTC’s transportation equity, diversity and inclusion survey launched earlier this month, and is intended to gauge opinions and obtain information from a representative sample of racially, ethnically and culturally diverse older adults, people with disabilities and family caregivers about their experiences accessing and using local transportation options in the United States.
To help us ensure widespread participation from across the U.S., we are asking our readers to share the survey with other organizations that serve diverse older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers, as well as partners, stakeholders and community members you are working with in this arena! We expect to complete our data collection very soon, so please continue to help us in our outreach efforts.
Questions? Please send an email to contact@nadtc.org or call the toll-free number at 866.983.3222 for more information.
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National Advisory Committee on Transportation Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Member Spotlight: Sherrill Wayland, SAGE
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Sherrill Wayland is the Director of National Education Initiatives at SAGE, the country’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults. Founded in 1978, with headquarters in New York City, SAGE is a national organization that offers supportive services and consumer resources to LGBT older adults and their caregivers and advocates for public policy changes that address the needs of LGBT older people. SAGE provides education and technical assistance for aging providers and LGBT organizations through its National Resource Center on LGBT Aging and cultural competence training through SAGECare.
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2021 NADTC Program Survey Feedback
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In January 2021, we asked for your feedback to guide the direction of the NADTC in the coming year. There were several themes that emerged as survey results were compiled, including:
- Coordination with other providers, including human services agencies
- Service in very rural and tribal areas
- COVID-19 response
- Diversity
- Volunteer and transit driver recruitment and retention
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Marketing of services
- Impact of the digital divide in rural areas
In the coming months, you will see products from NADTC that address many of the comments and issues you highlighted in your survey responses. Thank you to those who participated, this invaluable feedback will assist in planning future events, trainings and the ongoing development of resources.
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Transportation Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative Lunch & Learn Series
Thursday, April 8 | 12:30-1:15 pm ET
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NADTC is excited to announce the launch of our new Transportation Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Lunch and Learn Series. Each session will feature programs that are addressing ways to improve community and public transportation to better serve diverse populations and to ensure that transportation services are both equitable and accessible.
Our first Lunch and Learn session on Thursday, April 8 will include a brief overview of NADTC’s transportation DEI initiative and a featured presentation by Shireen McFadden, Executive Director, Disability and Aging Services at the San Francisco Human Services Agency.
Lunch and Learn sessions are designed to be brief informational webinars that allow participants to learn about promising practices in transportation equity. These sessions will be held every other month.
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April Office Hours for Peer-to-Peer Sharing
Wednesday, April 21 | 12:30 - 1:30 pm ET
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The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC) offers virtual office hours to facilitate peer-to-peer networking and to provide an opportunity for dialogue with topical experts and NADTC staff.
Our second office hours roundtable will focus on transportation diversity, equity and inclusion and will take place on Wednesday, April 21. A brief presentation by Shawn Fong, Program Manager, City of Freemont, CA will be followed by open discussion. If you are interested in sharing how your program is working to meet the transportation needs of diverse older adults and people with disabilities or would like to learn how to begin or improve transportation equity in your community, please join us for this interactive discussion.
Attendance will be capped at 30 participants to foster a small group discussion, so if you are interested in participating please register as soon as possible to reserve your space!
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North Carolina Public Transit Association Conference
Transit representatives from rural, urban, and regional systems from across North Carolina will come together virtually to train, learn, share, and network with community and business leaders; local, state, and federal agencies; and the suppliers and vendors that serve the public transit industry.
NADTC consultant Steve Yaffe will be presenting Tuesday, April 13 presenting the topic of Transportation Accessibility in the New Mobility Environment. NCMM staff Judy Shanley and Brandon Roccio will be presenting Tuesday, April 12 presenting the topic of CCAM for Public Transportation Professionals.
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Beyond The Bus Symposium: Inclusion Matters
This Iowa-centric event will focus on inclusion and the role public transit plays to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to access the services they need to have a productive life. The following topics will be discussed by a variety of local and national speakers, including NADTC's Jeremy Johnson-Miller: racial equality and inclusion, impact of COVID-19 on older riders, trends that can impact accessible services, resources to increase knowledge and access to transportation and breaking down barriers.
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American Society on Aging Conference
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NADTC will share virtual exhibition space with the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) at the ASA Annual Conference. The theme of this year’s conference is Equity. NADTC will feature information on our upcoming Diversity, Equity and Inclusive events, as well as resources on COVID-19, social isolation and more. We look forward to sharing valuable information with attendees about the important role transportation plays in helping older adults live and thrive in their communities!
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National RTAP Community Rides Grant Program
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The National RTAP Community Rides Grant Program offers current recipients and subrecipients of the Federal Transit Administration's Formula Grants for Rural Areas (Section 5311) program the opportunity to apply for grant awards of up to $100,000 for projects that develop or strengthen transportation partnerships that improve social determinants of health in rural and tribal communities. The project duration is fifteen (15) months. For more information, click here. Applications are due May 10, 2021.
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FCC Launches Emergency Broadband Benefit Program
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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has launched an Emergency Broadband Benefit Program to help households struggling to pay for internet service during the pandemic. This new benefit will connect eligible households to jobs, critical healthcare services, and virtual classrooms.
This program will provide a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they can contribute toward the purchase price. Funding is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount
per household.
The Broadband Benefit program has been authorized and FCC is working to make the benefit available as quickly as possible. Please continue to check the program webpage for updates.
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Survey on Volunteer Driver Practices
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The University of Minnesota and AECOM are conducting a national survey as part of a NCHRP 20-65, Task 78, Impact of Decline in Volunteerism on Rural Transit Systems. Research objectives include the decline in volunteers and an assessment of the impact of this trend on the sustainability of transit operations that depend on volunteers. The research will assist in developing contingency plans at transit operations currently utilizing volunteers.
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April is Distracted Driver Awareness Month
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The national campaign for Distracted Driving Awareness Month is held each year as an important reminder for drivers to remain safe behind the wheel. The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) partners with state and local police departments to recognize the event throughout the month of April.
As of 2019, distracted driving killed 3,142 people, a 10% increase from the year before. You can help end distracted driving by taking the pledge to drive phone-free today, and spread the word by using #justdrive on social media.
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FTA Rides to Wellness Initiative, Program Evaluation
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In 2016, FTA funded eight Rides to Wellness projects to identify and test promising, replicable public transportation healthcare access solutions that support increased access to healthcare, improved health outcomes, and reduced healthcare costs. A new report found that demonstration projects funded under the initiative were successful in improving healthcare access and health outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.
Key findings include:
- The services provided lifeline access to healthcare for those with no other transportation options.
- Most projects helped clients support their and their family’s health through other activities such as grocery shopping, accessing employment, and taking their children to school.
- Some participants were more active and independent, had more control over their lives, experienced less emotional hardship, and were better able to reach their goals.
- The program raised awareness about the connection between transportation and healthcare and opened the door for partnerships to build upon the projects' ideas and experiences.
Download the full report to learn more about the demonstration projects funded under the Rides to Wellness program.
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NADTC Information and Referral Services
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NADTC Technical Assistance Specialists are here to assist you and answer your questions about a variety of topics related to transportation for older adults and people with disabilities, ADA-accessible services and related issues. We welcome your questions by email, contact@nadtc.org or by calling our toll-free line at 866.983.3222.
To learn more about our Information & Referral and Technical Assistance offerings, please visit the Contact Us page of our website.
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National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
Washington, DC
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The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center is a program funded by the Federal Transit Administration and administered by Easterseals and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) with guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living.
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