National RTAP eNews - August 8, 2019

eNews - August 8, 2019

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.

New National RTAP Website Homepage Launched

National RTAP has a brand new, streamlined home page with fresh graphics and simplified navigation. We've added direct links to frequently accessed web pages like our Conference, Web Apps, and eLearning. In addition, our featured events are listed, so you can be sure not to miss upcoming National RTAP webinars, peer roundtables, and conference attendance. Now it's even easier to find exactly what you need from our ever-expanding suite of resources.

Featured Resource

If You Have Difficulty with NTD Reporting or Need Data to Prepare a Grant Application – Try National RTAP’s New Cost Allocation Calculator!

Easily downloadedable from our website, our free Two-Variable Cost Allocation Calculator is available in both Excel and Access. The calculator determines the fully allocated cost for providing service by travel mode, jurisdiction, service type, individual routeor service, and sponsored services. In addition, it automatically assigns expenses to the correct transit function(s).

The Cost Allocation Calculator Web Application is fully supported by National RTAP Technical Support staff. If you have a question, you can call or email our support staff and expect a prompt and comprehensive reply.

Resources and Events

One Week Left to Submit your Photo to the National RTAP 2019 Photo Contest: Transit Through the Seasons

Submit photos of your vehicle, staff, and/or riders against a rural backdrop that depicts the beauty of your area throughout the seasons to National RTAP's 2019 Transit Through the Seasons Photo Contest. We’re looking for examples of photos that show how stunning riding on transit can be. For rules, prize info, and how to submit, click here. The deadline is August 15.

State RTAP Manager's Peer Roundtable Summary Posted

National RTAP held a State RTAP Manager's Roundtable on July 31. Discussion topics include, grant management, training certifications, transportation network companies, scholarship compliance, and low-no emission vehicles. Read the roundtable summary.

U.S. DOT and FTA Updates

On July 26, U.S. DOT announced $84.9 million in grant selections through the Low- or No-Emission (Low-No) Grant program. 38 states will receive funding through the program.

On July 22, FTA announced that Amy Fong is their new Tribal Transit Program Manager. Tribal liaisons in FTA’s regional offices are the first point of contact for current or potential recipients when developing grant applications or using Tribal Transit Program funds.

The July FTA Transit Safety and Oversight Spotlight newsletter is now available. It contains information about a new Dear Colleague Letter, with a July 20, 2020 compliance deadline for the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) regulation, and links to new PTASP fact sheets.

Webinars and Training

The Volpe Center is holding a Redefining Mobility webinar on September 25 from 12:00-12:30 PM ET. The session will explore the promise and pitfalls of the rapidly changing world of transportation, including micromobility.

The Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA) has established the CCRTA Driver Training Lend and Learn Library, which offers National RTAP training modules such as Customer Driven Service and Emergency Procedures for Rural Transit Drivers. This program is a supplement for CCRTA classroom trainings.

Opportunities

National RTAP Executive Director Robin Philips is presenting at BusCon in Indianapolis, IN on September 25. Her talk will center upon building interagency relationships and will provide an overview of challenges and opportunities facing rural and tribal transit today. National RTAP eNews readers who plan to attend BusCon can receive a 20% discount for a full conference pass by entering the code RTAP19 when they register.

The Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program offers grants to tribal colleges and universities for research projects that address concerns and needs of tribal and reservation communities. The closing date is August 9, 2019.

The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health is seeking nominations for Community Stars, a collection of impactful rural health stories. Community Stars is an electronic publication released on National Rural Health Day, which falls on the third Thursday of November each year.

The Pew Community Opioid Response and Evaluation (CORE) project supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, will provide funding to help communities evaluate local initiatives, disseminate the findings, and advance the adoption of innovative models into other areas. Letters of interest are due August 30.

National RTAP Student Poster Contest Extended

The deadline for the National RTAP Student Poster Contest has been extended to August 16, 2019. This is a fantastic opportunity to share your original study on transportation with top industry leaders.

Publications

The Vermont Agency of Transportation Employee Retention and Knowledge Management Study is an applied research study to help determine the state of employee retention and knowledge management at the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) and to provide tools to help with retention and knowledge management issues.

FHWA's Strategies for Accelerating Multimodal Project Delivery describes key strategies that have been used effectively to accelerate multimodal projects and provides examples and case studies. The report includes a strategy overview to provide technical assistance to support small and rural communities.

Gail Nehls, CEO of Envida, wrote an article for Metro magazine - How a Rural Colorado Town Helped Boost Mobility Options for its Citizens. The article discusses how Envida learned about the needs of a rural town and the surrounding unincorporated county to provide with regularly scheduled, publicly funded bus service for the first time in decades. Gail will be giving a presentation at our 2019 Technical Assistance Conference on funding.

NCHRP's Managing State Transportation Research Programs highlights existing resources, desired individual skill sets, core competencies, and structures that are in place for State DOTs to manage and conduct transportation research, especially federally funded research.

New National RTAP Demand Response Hot Topic Guide

Our Resource Center has analyzed information requests over the past year to prepare the 2019 Hot Topic Guides. We created a new Demand Response Hot Topic Guide, with resources including ESPA's ADA Guide for Rural Demand-Response Transportation Service Providers and NCTR's Developing a Method for Assessing National Demand-Response Transit Level of Service.

Important National RTAP Conference Dates:

If you're planning on attending the National RTAP Technical Assistance Conference in Portland, OR on September 15-18, here are some dates to keep in mind:

August 9 - Tribal Transit Awards nomination deadline
August 14 - Last day to book a hotel room at the group rate

Calendar of Upcoming Events

FHWA

Capitalizing on the Value Created by Transportation

August 8, 1:00 PM

Webinar

KPTA/KYTC

Kentucky Public Transit Conference & Expo

Lexington, KY, August 11-16