From all of our staff at NADTC, we want to wish our readers a joyous holiday season! As we approach the new year, our team thanks you for being a valued member of our community and staying engaged during the year. We look forward to bringing even more resources, tools, news and events to your inbox in 2024. This marks the last newsletter of 2023—see you next year!

Blog: Transportation Resources for Native American Elders

In December's blog, NADTC highlights the Native Elder Service Locator and other opportunities available to tribal citizens, including tribal transportation options around the country. Learn how you can use these resources to connect with tribes in your region. Visit our website to read the blog.

Recordings Now Available

• The Growing Involvement of Area Agencies on Aging in Community Transportation, the third in NADTC’s webinar series on human services transportation held on November 28, included detailed transportation data from the 2022 National Survey of AAAs and a presentation on the diverse transportation options supported by CICOA Area Agency on Aging in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

• In case you missed it, NADTC hosted a Transportation DEI Lunch and Learn on November 30, featuring Sheri Dixon, Director of Revenue, Hampton Roads Transit, who discussed the significant equity impacts of transportation planning and programming and how transportation, as “the great equalizer,” plays an important role in improving social mobility by transforming the livability, sustainability, mobility and workability for all communities.

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month

The bus industry plays a key role in combating human trafficking throughout the U.S. Busing on the Lookout (BOTL) offers free industry-specific training, toolkits and posters to be used as training resources for transportation workers. Resources and industry examples can be found on the APTA human trafficking webpage, as well as additional resources provided by Department of Homeland Security's Blue Campaign. To report suspicious behavior, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733. Help to do your part to end human trafficking!

FTA is seeking feedback through a virtual online dialogue, in partnership with the Department of Labor Office of Disability Policy, on what research and innovation is needed to support transit agencies and their riders. Please share your insights, experiences and suggestions on ways research, technology and innovation can help make transportation safer, more resilient, and equitable. The online dialogue will be open until January 5, 2024.

The U.S. DOT is seeking public comment on ways to improve accessibility standards of public transportation facilities. Input from transit riders, adaptive technology professionals, and the transit industry is critically important in informing USDOT as it contemplates potential enhancements to the ADA standards. Comments must be submitted by January 5, 2024.

The next Learn about TACL training will take place on February 8, 2024 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET. It will instruct on how to use TACL and include a Resource Feature by Jane Mahoney on NADTC's Coordination Committee Toolkit.