In the coming months, NADTC will highlight one of the best practices featured in the Best Practices Compendium, all of which are based on the work of grant projects supported by NADTC from 2017-2019.

This month’s Best Practice Showcase, Expanding Transportation Programs to Evening/Weekend Hours, illustrates how one program, Senior Transportation Connection (STC), first built a solid weekday ridership base before expanding to nights and weekends. Since the expanded hours of operation depended on income from fares, STC listened to riders and partners to ensure affordability of the rides for those who most needed the service. 

In February 2022, NADTC published its Annual Trends Report that reviews trending topics in transportation from 2021. The Trends Report provides an overview of what’s happening in the industry and important transportation issues in communities across the U.S. This month, we are focusing on marketing your transportation program.

March's Spotlight highlights the findings of two national surveys conducted by NADTC, reviewing the data and information on current research findings, also including marketing strategies and recommendations for addressing the transportation needs across the United States.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), for available funding on four competitive grant programs.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has published a NOFO for $1.5 billion in grant funding through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program. RAISE grants, which were originally created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as TIGER grants, can be used to repair or modernize transit infrastructure. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by 5:00 PM EST on April 14, 2022.

Bus and Bus Facilities Program makes $372 million in competitive funding available for transit agencies to purchase and rehabilitate buses, vans, or related equipment, and to construct bus-related facilities. This FY2022 funding opportunity also includes $1.1 billion under the Low- or No-Emission Vehicle Program. These funds may be used by transit agencies to modernize bus fleets and bus facilities and to purchase/lease low- or no-emission vehicles which assist to improve air quality and combatting climate change. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 PM EST on May 21, 2022.

Tribal Transit Program makes $8.75 million available in competitive funding to support public transportation services for federally recognized Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages, groups, or communities in rural areas. FTA will facilitate an informational webinar on March 24 at 2 pm EST, covering project eligibility, evaluation criteria and program requirements. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 PM EST, May 25.

The 2022 National Public Health Week campaign focuses on addressing health disparities amongst individuals with disabilities by promoting accessibility. According to the American Public Health Association, over 37% of adults with disabilities have been unable to access primary and regular preventive care because of cost, leading to delays in care that put people with disabilities at greater risk of health complications. Accessible transportation is one of the key components to ensuring everyone has access to the health care they need. 

National Retirement Planning Week is April 13-17, 2022. According to FINRA, a financial not-for-profit, there is an urgent need for retirement planning to account for changes in employment benefits, rising costs of health care and longer life spans in retirement. While this national effort focuses on financial need in retirement, we encourage you to consider another major change that can happen - retirement from driving. On average, we outlive our ability to drive by 7-10 years, this increases the importance of making a transportation plan with family and friends and learning about available transportation services in the local community.

Celebrate National Retirement Planning Week by helping your consumers prepare for driving retirement. Use NADTC resources like the booklet, Before You Give Up the Keys: Create a Roadmap for Transportation Independence that provides action steps and resources for making decisions about driving.

National Volunteer Week is April 17-23, 2022 and is an opportunity to recognize the impact of volunteers in your organization and community. Established in 1974, National Volunteer Week has grown exponentially as the civic engagement of community members continues to increase.

The NADTC has long-supported volunteer involvement in transportation, particularly through volunteer driver programs. Take this opportunity to celebrate the volunteers you have in your program. More information on volunteer transportation, including best practices in volunteer transportation, and the Volunteer Transportation toolkit, can be found on our website.

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. Call us at 866.983.32220 or email us at [email protected] to start a conversation today.