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:
TACL Updates: New Resources, Survey, and Upcoming Training
National RTAP/NCMM Webinar on Stakeholder Outreach and Transportation Coordination
Upcoming National RTAP Marketing 101 Webinar
CUTR Battery Electric Bus Procurement and Operation Survey
Wheelchair Securement Topic Guide Updated
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TACL Updates: New Resources, Survey, and Upcoming Training |
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In July, 5 new resources were added to TACL, including:
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The Transportation Technical Assistance Coordination Library (TACL) helps rural and tribal transit agencies access information about public transportation coordination, coordinate among federally funded transit programs, and share resources across agencies to improve transit in their communities. The library contains reports, training seminars, toolkits, and other materials developed by FTA and its technical assistance centers.
TACL extends a warm welcome to our newest Task Force members: Destiny Buchanan, FTA; Brandon T. Roccio, NCMM; and Nate Seeskin, SUMC; and our newest peer reviewers: Fay Min, San Jose State University; Michelle Slaton, PTRC Workforce Development Program; and Steve Yaffe, Yaffe Mobility Consulting LLC.
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. |
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National RTAP/NCMM Webinar Next Week on Stakeholder Outreach and Transportation Coordination
Join National RTAP and National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM) on August 12, 2021, 2:00-3:00 PM ET for a webinar on Stakeholder Outreach and Transportation Coordination. During this webinar, Amy Conrick and Judy Shanley of NCMM will provide strategies for stakeholder outreach and coordination. They will also share case studies and lessons learned from the NCMM Community Mobility Design Challenge grants and other initiatives.
Topics to be covered will include:
- Community and stakeholder outreach, including meetings and surveys
- Transportation coordination and partnerships, especially with healthcare providers
- Advocating for what transit has to offer and getting local funding or contracts from partners
- Mobility management’s role in coordination
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Upcoming Intercity Bus Peer Roundtable
National RTAP will be hosting an Intercity Bus Peer Roundtable on August 19, 2021, 2:00-3:00 PM ET. When you register, you can suggest topics to be discussed during the Roundtable.
National RTAP Participation in Upcoming Conferences
Please look for us at the following upcoming in-person and virtual conferences:
Upcoming National RTAP Transit Manager Peer Roundtable
Join your peers on August 31, 2021, 2:00-3:00 PM ET for an informal discussion of topics of interest to transit managers. Potential topics include facility development and post-COVID marketing. Register for the Peer Roundtable.
Upcoming National RTAP Transit Marketing 101 Webinar
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
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. |
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National RTAP Wheelchair Securement Topic Guide Updated
New resources include:
Two More Weeks to Enter the 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 on August 20, 2021.
Books in Transit Discussion Group Meeting This Month
Join our friendly Books in Transit Discussion Group for a discussion of novels about buses and bus drivers. During our first meeting, we will discuss John Steinbeck's The Wayward Bus, about a group of people on a bus traveling through the backroads of the California countryside, each for different reasons and each with a different background. National RTAP staff will lead the discussion. Our first meeting will be held on August 18, 2021, 2:00-3:00 PM ET. Participants may buy or borrow the book anytime before the meeting.
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. |
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The July 2021 FTA Transit Safety and Oversight Spotlight Newsletter has been published. The issue contains data from FTA's Transit COVID-19 Response Program Information Collection, including service suspensions and reductions and workforce COVID-19 cases.
FTA published an updated Safety Performance Targets Guide to help transit providers develop quantifiable levels of performance or conditions in FTA’s National Public Transportation Safety Plan.
FTA has selected the International Transportation Learning Center (ITLC) to support the first Transit Workforce Center (TWC). ITLC will establish and run FTA’s first national technical assistance center to help transit agencies recruit, hire, train, and retain a diverse workforce.
FTA published new COVID-19 FAQs and updated others. The new FAQs include AD23-27 and CR19, and the revised FAQs include AD2, AD7, and AD19, which include:
- FTA will allow recipients to delay submission of financial, performance and other reports on currently-active award for a period of up to three months beyond the normal due date. Funds can continue to be drawn down, even if a report is late.
- FTA will permit extending awards that are active as of March 31, 2021, for a period of up to one year; Recipients should work with their FTA Regional Office to use this flexibility.
- FTA is waiving any prior approval for no cost extensions or extensions to the period of performance (the FTA Regional Office and FTA point of contact must be notified in writing regarding the new date and any closeout reporting delays).
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Transportation Safety Institute is increasing its delivery of virtual classes by adding more course delivery dates and offering Safety Management Systems (SMS) Principles for Transit as a virtual course.
NCMM is seeking new communities providing centralized transportation information by providing a remote, free training on developing One-Call/One-Click systems. The training is available to state, tribal, or regional level organizations that will support One-Call/One-Click efforts in communities in their states.
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The U.S. DHHS Office of Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Disability Rights section published Guidance on “Long COVID” as a Disability Under the ADA, Section 504, and Section 1557. The guidance explains that long COVID can be a disability under Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
FTA’s Federal Public Transportation Program, authorized from FY2016-2020 as part of the FAST Act and extended through the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021, was developed to support expenses including safety oversight, planning, and research. Congressional Research Service’s Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief describes the program structure, explains how it relates to Rural Area Formula Program (Section 5311) and other grants, and includes a table with a breakdown of funding from FY2016-2021.
Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Emergency Operations Center Toolkit describes how jurisdictions and organizations can work collaboratively to share information, sources, tactics. The Toolkit covers topics such as hazard vulnerability assessments, physical site selection, mitigation considerations, capabilities and requirements, information management systems, as well as training and exercises. |
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The federal Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy provided an Alternative Fuels Data Center Station Locator. This tool can help users find the closest charging stations on their routes, and can be downloaded as an app.
The Spring 2021 updates in the National Transportation Atlas Database included Alternative Fueling Stations, Electric Vehicle Charging Stations, and Metropolitan Planning Organization boundaries. |
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The Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) is conducting a survey of public transit agencies to improve industry understanding of the challenges and lessons learned from the procurement and operation of battery electric buses and their associated charging infrastructure, in an effort to improve transit safety. You are invited to participate in the survey, which closes on August 20, 2021.
The Small Town America Civic Volunteer Award is sponsored by Civic Plus. The program honors 100 extraordinary public service volunteers in localities under 25,000. Cash awards are given to the winning local governments. The deadline is October 15, 2021. |
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In a Final Rule effective August 23, 2021, FMCSA codified the statutory requirement that State driver licensing agencies implement a system and practices for the exclusively electronic exchange of driver history record information through the Commercial Driver’s License Information System, including the posting of convictions, withdrawals, and disqualifications. |
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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.
NADTC
August 5, 12:30-1:15 PM
Native Learning Center
August 5, 2:00-3:30 PM
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
August 5, 2:30-4:00 PM
FTA
August 6, 2:00-3:30 PM
Q'Straint/Sure-Lok
August 9, 1:00-2:30 PM
Q'Straint/Sure-Lok
August 10, 11:00 AM -12:30 PM
Native Learning Center
August 10, 2:00-3:30 PM
TRB
August 10-12
FTA
August 10-12
National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE)
August 10, 1:30-3:00 PM
Q'Straint/Sure-Lok
August 11, 1:00-2:30 PM
Busing on the Lookout
August 11, 2:00-2:45 PM
National RTAP
August 11, 2:00-3:00 PM
Eno Center for Transportation
August 11, 2:00-3:00 PM
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
August 11, 2:30-4:00 PM
National Transit Institute
August 12, 9:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Q'Straint/Sure-Lok
August 12, 11:00 AM -12:30 PM
U.S. DOT ITS JPO
August 12, 1:00-2:00 PM
National RTAP and NCMM
August 12, 2:00-3:00 PM
Pennsylvania Automated Vehicle Summit
August 12, 2:00-3:30 PM
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
August 12, 2:30-4:00 PM
Q'Straint/Sure-Lok
August 13, 1:00-2:30 PM
FTA
August 13, 2:00-3:30 PM
West Coast Collaborative
Tacoma, WA, August 16-18
NADTC
NADTC's Virtual Office Hours - Volunteer Driver Programs: Recruitment and Retention
August 17, 2:00-3:00 PM
TRB
August 18, 1:00-2:30 PM
Busing on the Lookout
August 18, 2:00-2:45 PM
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
August 18, 2:30-4:00 PM
Rocky Mountain Region TTP Program
2021 Quarterly Tribal Transportation Meeting
Billings, MT, August 18-20
We're presenting!
National Transit Institute
August 19, 1:00-4:30 PM
National RTAP
August 19, 2:00-3:00 PM
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
August 19, 2:30-4:00 PM
FTA
August 20, 11:00 AM
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
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 RTAP
August 26, 2:00-3:00 PM
NAFA Fleet Management Association
Pittsburgh, PA, August 30 – September 1
National RTAP
August 31, 2:00-3:00 PM
National Transit Institute
September 2, 1:00-4:30 PM
National Transit Institute
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 exhibiting. Please stop by our booth!
Q'Straint/Sure-Lok
September 9, 12:00-1:30 PM
National Transit Institute
September 9, 1:00-4:30 PM
TRB
September 9, 10, 13 and 14
Volpe Center
September 14, 12:00 PM
National RTAP
September 14, 2:00-3:00 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!
TransCen's Mid-Atlantic ADA Center
Baltimore, MD, September 21-23
Automotive Fleet Magazine
September 21-24
UC Davis
September 21-30
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 Transit Institute
September 27-30, 1:00-3:30 PM
NTICC
September 27 - October 1
We're presenting!
Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO)
September 28-30
NCMM
September 30, 3:00 PM
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