National RTAP is a program of the Federal Transit Administration dedicated to creating rural and tribal transit solutions through free training materials, technical assistance, and partner collaboration.
Newsletter Highlights:
National RTAP Transit Marketing 101 Webinar
Two Upcoming Peer Roundtables - Intercity Bus and Transit Manager
Recordings and Slides Posted for Stakeholder Outreach and TACL Webinars
New Resources in National RTAP Information and Best Practices Topic Guide
RIBTC Early Registration Ends August 27, 2021
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National RTAP Transit Marketing 101 Webinar Next Week |
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The presentation will highlight illustrative examples of best practices from rural and small urban transit agencies. Following the 60 minute presentation will be a 15 minute Q&A session. |
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On August 26, 2021, 2:00-3:15 PM ET, Selena Barlow of Transit Marketing LLC will highlight illustrative examples of best practices from rural and small urban transit agencies in a webinar on Transit Marketing 101. The presentation will look at four key aspects of transit marketing:
- Branding
- Passenger information
- Low cost promotional strategies
- Passenger research
Due to the pandemic, marketing may be even more important than before. Passengers need to be reassured that your agency is taking all necessary precautions and that your transit service is safe.
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Peer Roundtables for Intercity Bus Stakeholders and Transit Managers
National RTAP will be hosting an Intercity Bus Peer Roundtable TODAY, August 19, 2021, 2:00-3:00 PM ET. When you register, you can suggest topics to be discussed during the Roundtable.
Additionally, transit managers are invited to join your peers on August 31, 2021, 2:00-3:00 PM ET for an informal discussion. Potential topics include facility development and outreach and marketing. Register for the Transit Manager Peer Roundtable and suggest additional topics.
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National RTAP Participation in Upcoming Conferences
Please look for us at the following upcoming in-person and virtual conferences:
Upcoming National RTAP Rural Transit Service Planning and Route Design Webinar
National RTAP will be holding a webinar on Rural Transit Service Planning and Route Design on September 14, 2021, 2:00-3:00 PM ET. This webinar, presented by Ken Hosen of KFH Group, will provide guidance on how to evaluate the appropriate service design for your area and will cover some best practices in service design and planning of fixed (or flex) route design as well as on-demand or microtransit services which can be attractive in small cities.
National RTAP/NCMM Stakeholder Outreach and Transportation Coordination Webinar Recording Posted
National RTAP and National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM) held a webinar on August 12, 2021 on Stakeholder Outreach and Transportation Coordination. Amy Conrick and Judy Shanley of NCMM provided strategies for stakeholder outreach and coordination. They also shared case studies and lessons learned from the NCMM Community Mobility Design Challenge grants and other initiatives. Access the recording and presentation slides.
Learn about TACL Webinar Recording Posted
A webinar was held about TACL: The Transportation Technical Assistance Coordination Library on August 11, 2021. Participants learned how to search this database of rural and tribal transportation coordination resources during this training session. Access the recording and presentation slides.
National RTAP Website Builder Training for Transit Providers and State RTAP Programs
Need a website or want to jazz-up an existing website? It’s easy - Learn how with National RTAP’s Website Builder 3.0. Join National RTAP for a two-session online training on September 9, 2021, 2:00-3:30 PM ET, and September 23, 2021, 2:00-3:00 PM ET, on how to use our free updated Website Builder application. |
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National RTAP Information and Best Practices Topic Guide Updated
National RTAP continues our annual update of topic guides. Our Information and Best Practices Topic Guide was updated in August 2021. This guide, part of our Find Anything Toolkit, supplies links to organizations that provide resources covering a wide range of transit topics and best practices.
New resources include:
Deadline Tomorrow - National RTAP 2021 Buses are Beautiful Photo Contest
Is your bus sparkling, sleek, colorful, and altogether gorgeous? Show it off in all its glory in the National RTAP 2021 Photo Contest – Buses are Beautiful! We’re looking for photos that showcase how special and unique your bus is, and how it adds to the majestic landscapes of rural communities and tribal lands. The contest ends tomorrow, August 20, 2021.
Two More Weeks to Provide Input on our TACL Survey
The TACL Task Force is conducting a survey through the end of August to better understand how users are accessing and using TACL in an effort to best meet the needs of those seeking resources on transportation coordination.
Save the Date for a Transportation Coordination Twitter Chat in October
Join TACL (Transportation Technical Assistance Coordination Library) for a #LetsTACLcoordination Twitter Chat on October 20, 2021, 2:00-3:00 PM ET, to discuss challenges, solutions, and resources for transportation coordination. The chat will be moderated by Heather Edmonds, Program Associate, National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC); Melissa Gray, Assistant Program Director of Transportation, National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a); and Marcela Moreno, Transit Technologist, National Center for Applied Transit Technology (N-CATT). RSVP.
National RTAP Launching New Website Next Week
Get ready for an all-new website from National RTAP next week with streamlined navigation, enhanced graphics, and many new features. Access to certain applications may be limited for a brief period during the transition, and user information will be posted. |
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FTA announced the opportunity for national nonprofit organizations to apply for $545,000 in funding to launch a new Research to Practice (R2P) Initiative to develop a systematic approach for sharing lessons learned from FTA research. Proposals must be submitted by October 12, 2021.
U.S. DOT updated the Title VI Program Order, which ensures that federally funded programs provide equal opportunity and access regardless of race, color, or national origin. The updated order ensures that the programs are in compliance with nondiscrimination requirements and addresses environmental justice in traditionally underserved communities.
U.S. DOT revised an Order to incorporate Environmental Justice in all their programs, policies, and activities, including allocating resources to collect data and engage in research that addresses communities that experience disproportionate human health and environmental impacts and social and economic effects. |
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TRB/NAS's The Role of Transit, Shared Modes, and Public Policy in the New Mobility Landscape describes measures to realize the benefits of shared services. These measures include providing travelers with real- or near real-time information on combinations of available price and service offerings and smartphone applications that simplify the process of arranging and paying for the use of multiple transportation modes for a single trip.
NADTC's Critical Issues in Human Services Transportation information brief explores a number of issues that are recognized by human services transportation programs as vital to the communities they serve, including accessibility, inclusive practices, coordination, collaboration, federal funding, and technology.
TCRP's Low-Speed Automated Vehicles (LSAVs) in Public Transportation presents current use cases for LSAVs and provides a practitioner guide for planning and implementing LSAV services as a new public transportation service. One project described is Deploying Automated Technology Anywhere in Ohio, which focused on rural ride-hailing and paratransit applications. |
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Federal Communications Commission provides a Fixed Broadband Deployment database, which is searchable by location, area, and providers. The database enables entities to add broadband providers. |
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NCMM is seeking to facilitate collaborations among state-level agencies within a single state or tribal nation who are interested in working together to address the positive role of transportation in reducing social isolation among older adults. State agencies can submit an expression of interest.
NADTC is seeking photos that illustrate the diverse populations your transportation program serves in the community and the importance of mobility connections for older adults and people with disabilities. The Celebrating Diversity in Transportation contest ends September 9, 2021.
Problem statements are being accepted for the FY 2023 NCHRP through the AASHTO Special Committee on Research and Innovation through November 1, 2021.
USDA is making up to $500 million available in grants, through the Emergency Rural Health Care Grant Program, to help tribes and communities expand access to COVID-19 vaccines, health care services, and nutrition assistance. Applicants may apply for two types of assistance: Recovery Grants and Impact Grants. Applications must be sent to local USDA Rural Development State Offices by Oct. 12, 2021.
USDA is also providing grants for technical assistance for placemaking to create places where people want to live, work and play. Funds can be used to help rural communities develop plans, convene partners, identify community needs, implement priorities to build rural prosperity, and build capacity for rural broadband expansion. Applications for Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge are due September 10, 2021.
In recognition of the diplomatic nation-to-nation relationships between tribes and the federal government, USDA is creating a Hall of Tribal Nations. 3ft x 5ft tribal flags will be hung at USDA headquarters in Washington, DC. Tribal flags may be mailed to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Attention: Tribal Flags/Office of Tribal Relations, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 200A J.L. Whitten Building, Washington, DC 20250. |
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A Final Rule, effective September 10, 2021, incorporated recent revisions and updates to accessibility standards issued by the U.S. Access Board on Section 508-Based Standards in Information and Communication Technology. Changes include updating the phrase electronic and information technology to information and communication technology.
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All event times listed in Eastern Time. Subtract 1 hour for Central Time, 2 for Mountain Time, 3 for Pacific Time, 4 for Alaska, and 6 for Hawaii.
University of Arizona AzCRH
August 19, 12:00 PM
National RTAP
August 19, 2:00-3:00 PM
NADTC
August 19, 2:00-3:00 PM
Eno Center for Transportation
August 19, 2:00-3:00 PM
Native Learning Center
August 19, 2:00-3:00 PM
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
August 19, 2:30-4:00 PM
Volpe Center
August 24, 12:00 PM
Rural Communities Opioid Response Program
August 24, 2:00–3:00 PM
National Transit Institute
August 24, 2:00-3:00 PM
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
August 25, 9:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Rural Health Research Gateway
August 25, 12:30-1:30 PM
FHWA
August 25, 1:00-3:00 PM
Busing on the Lookout
August 25, 2:00-2:45 PM
National Transit Institute
August 26, 9:30 AM - 1:00 PM
National Indian Health Board (NIHB)
August 26, 1:00-5:00 PM
National RTAP
August 26, 2:00-3:00 PM
FTA
August 27, 11:00 AM
NAFA Fleet Management Association
Pittsburgh, PA, August 30 – September 1
TRB
August 31, 1:00-2:30 PM
National RTAP
August 31, 2:00-3:00 PM
ITS America
August 31, 2:00-3:00 PM
NADTC
September 1, 11:00 AM
National Transit Institute
September 2, 1:00-4:30 PM
National Transit Institute
September 2, 2:00-3:30 PM
TRB
September 2, 2:00-3:30 PM
Iowa Public Transit Association, Kansas Public Transit Association, and Missouri Public Transit Association
St. Louis, MO, September 7-9
We're participating!
TRB
September 8, 2:00-3:00 PM
Q'Straint/Sure-Lok
September 9, 12:00-1:30 PM
National Transit Institute
September 9, 1:00-4:30 PM
National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
September 9, 2:00 PM
National RTAP
September 9, 2:00-3:30 PM
TRB
September 9, 10, 13 and 14
We're presenting!
International Transport Forum
September 13, 9:00 AM
Volpe Center
September 14, 12:00 PM
National RTAP
September 14, 2:00-3:00 PM
National Transit Institute
September 14, 2:00-3:30 PM
National Institute for Transportation and Communities
September 15, 1:00-2:00 PM
FHWA
Sept. 15, 1:00-3:00 PM
Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE)
Denver, CO, September 15-17
National Transit Institute
September 16, 1:00-4:30 PM
Drive Smart Virginia
Virginia Beach, VA, September 16-17
Dakota Transit Association
Fargo, ND, September 17-21
We're exhibiting. Please stop by our booth!
NTCA (National Telephone Cooperative Association) – The Rural Broadband Association
Nashville, TN and virtual, September 19-22
National RTAP
National RTAP Tribal Transit Training Workshop
Flagstaff, AZ, September 21-22
TransCen's Mid-Atlantic ADA Center
Baltimore, MD, September 21-23
Automotive Fleet Magazine
September 21-24
National RTAP
September 22, 3:00-4:30 PM
AARP
September 22-23
UC Davis
September 22-29
Micromobility Industries
San Francisco, CA, September 23
Volpe Center
September 23, 12:00 PM
National Transit Institute
September 23, 1:00-4:30 PM
National RTAP
September 23, 2:00-3:00 PM
National Transit Institute
September 27-30, 1:00-3:30 PM
NTICC
September 27 - October 1
We're presenting.
FTA
September 28-30, 1:00-4:00 PM
Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO)
September 28-30
NCMM
September 30, 3:00 PM
APTA
Philadelphia, PA, October 3-6
Minnesota Public Transit Association
Duluth, MN, October 4-7
We are hosting tribal transit training on October 6-7.
FHWA
October 6, 1:00-3:00 PM
National Safety Council (NSC)
Orlando, FL, October 8-14
National Institute for Transportation and Communities
October 12, 1:00-2:00 PM
National Association of Development Organizations (NADO)
Portland, OR, October 16-19
Q'Straint/Sure-Lok
October 19, 12:00-1:30 PM
UMass Amherst Transportation Center
October 19- 20
Transportation Technical Assistance Coordination Library (TACL)
October 20, 2:00-3:00 PM
TRB
October 25-27
We're presenting and exhibiting.
Global Fleet
Miami, FL, October 26-28
TRB
October 27-29
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