National RTAP eNews - July 23, 2020

eNews - July 23, 2020

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.

National RTAP Updates State RTAP Programs Status and Trends Report

We have updated our State RTAP Program Status and Trends report with new data from the 2020 Biennial State Rural Transit Assistance Program Survey. Updates to data include the distribution of in-house vs. outsourced State RTAP Programs, use of training and grant management software, training topics that are provided, and more. An in-depth summary report is also provided.

Featured Resource

Take the National RTAP Resource Library Survey to Help Us Help You

National RTAP is conducting a brief survey of individuals who have used print training resources (books, discs, technical briefs, etc.) from the National RTAP Resource Library. The survey was sent to about 150 people who have ordered our resources, but we also want to reach users who have taken our resources at conferences or received them from other sources.

The input provided through this survey will help us to provide you and other rural and Tribal agencies the best possible experience with National RTAP's Resource Library.

If you would like to be contacted individually to provide us with additional information about our library and/or resources, please email us at [email protected]. The survey closes August 31, 2020.

Resources and Events

State RTAP Manager Peer Roundtable with a Training Focus Today

National RTAP will be holding a training-focused peer roundtable for State RTAP Managers on July 23, 2020, from 2:00-3:00 PM. No need to register, just join GoToMeeting at the time of the Roundtable or call 646-749-3112, Access Code 149-248-141. Topics covered will include training certifications, online training platforms, training scholarships, and in-person training safety protocols in light of COVID-19. Participants can also ask their own questions. RSVP for a calendar invite.

Upcoming National RTAP/AASHTO MTAP Webinar on Creating a ProcurementPRO State Portal

National RTAP and AASHTO’s Multi-State Transit Technical Assistance Program (MTAP) are co-hosting a webinar on creating a state procurement portal within National RTAP’s existing ProcurementPRO application. This webinar is recommended for all state level procurement officials. The webinar will take place on July 29, 2020, 2:00-3:00 PM ET. Register for the webinar.

Learn about Essential Spanish for Rural Transit in an Upcoming National RTAP/Oregon DOT Webinar

Essential Spanish for Rural Transit is a National RTAP training that provides the most frequently asked questions passengers ask, as well as the most important messages that transit drivers need to give those passengers, in a simple English/Spanish format to facilitate effective communication. Oregon DOT panelists will introduce the training module and its applications on August 6, 2020, 2:00-3:00 PM ET. Register for the webinar.

Rural Transit Day 2020 Recap

Over 40 organizations and individuals participated in Rural Transit Day on July 16, 2020 and our Twitter Chat received over 10,000 tweet impressions. We've updated our Rural Transit Day web page with the chat transcript, summary, and selected tweets. The summary provides messages and strategies that transit agencies can use to show their value and examples about what makes rural transit special.

As of July 16, 2020, 66 agencies from 22 states (45 Rural, 7 State, 8 Community, 4 Intercity, and 2 Tribal Transit Agencies) took the Rural Transit Day Pledge.

Congratulations to our Rural Transit Day contest winners: Sunset Empire Transportation District, MyRide Upper Cumberland, and Alaska DOT!

Enter the National RTAP Rural Transit Heroes Photo Contest

Do you know someone who has gone above and beyond to make sure their passengers travel safely and comfortably in all situations? An innovator that helps rural and Tribal transit agencies overcome challenges and find solutions? A leader in providing essential services during the pandemic, curbing human trafficking, addressing the opioid crisis, or helping other vulnerable populations through transit?

All these heroes deserve to be celebrated, so the theme of our 2020 Photo Contest is “Rural Transit Heroes.” The contest ends August 20, 2020.

U.S. DOT and FTA Updates

FTA's Transit Bus Automation Market Assessment was recently updated. The report details availability, capabilities and limitations of automated transit bus technologies at all automation levels and aims to inform organizations interested in procuring automated transit bus technologies.

U.S. DOT has published a Notice in the Federal Register about Information Collection and Improving Customer Experience that outlines steps they plan to take to collect data on their customers' experiences. Comments must be submitted by September 11, 2020.

The FTA Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) Technical Assistance Center has resumed regular activities after a pause due to COVID-19.

FTA is holding a Virtual Roundtable on Transit Asset Management (TAM) for Public Agencies on July 28 between 1:00-3:30 PM ET. The Roundtable will be moderated by K. Jane Williams, FTA Acting Administrator. Jennie Rowland, Director, Big Woods Transit, will represent the Tribal and rural perspective, and the roundtable which will feature transit CEOs throughout the country.

U.S. DOT invites interested individuals to join them for a special announcement from the Non-Traditional and Emerging Transportation Technologies (NETT) Council on July 23, 2020, 3:30-4:30 PM ET.

U.S. DOT and U.S. General Services Administration are co-hosting a virtual event on The Future of Mobility with Open Source Software. The webinar is scheduled for August 4, 2020 from 1:00-2:00 PM ET. Register for the free webinar.

U.S. DOT is soliciting proposals for the Complete Trip ITS4US Deployment program through the use of a Broad Agency Announcement. This program is intended to have local partnerships develop and deploy integrated mobility solutions to achieve complete trips for all travelers. Offers are due August 3, 2020.

On July 30, 2020, 2:00-4:00 PM ET, U.S. DOT will host a virtual ceremony celebrating the 30th anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The event will feature remarks by U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao, DOT’s Modal Administrators, and more.

Opportunities

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) released the Fiscal Year 2021 Senior Corps RSVP Competition Notice of Funding Opportunity. CNCS intends to fund successful applicants that increase the impact of volunteers age 55 and older who provide volunteer service in response to local community needs. The application deadline is September 1, 2020.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Culture of Health Prize is a collaboration between RWJF and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. The prize honors communities, including rural and tribal communities, that are beacons of hope and progress for healthier people, families, and places. Applications are due October 15, 2020.

The John A. Hartford Foundation Business Innovation Award showcases aging and disability community organizations. Nominations close on July 31, 2020.

Organizations are invited to film their day on July 25, 2020 and upload footage to become part of a historic Life in a Day time capsule of the year 2020. Submissions will be combined to create a feature film premiering at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.

National Safety Council is accepting applications to be listed in their SAFER Solutions Directory of products that promote safety.

Transit Planning 4 All is offering TP 4All Mobility on Demand Solutions grants to organizations that will Develop mobility on demand solutions for people with disabilities and older adults using inclusive planning and human-centered design. Applications are due July 31, 2020.

Webinars and Training

Moving Maine Network and MassMobility are hosting a webinar on July 23, 2020 at 1:00 PM ET on Including Older Adults & People with Disabilities in Transportation Planning. This session will feature three initiatives that are involving consumers in community transportation planning efforts. Attendees will learn concrete strategies and lessons learned from these efforts.

The World Health Organization (WHO) provides free, self-paced eLearning courses in many languages on a variety of COVID-19 topics, including general information, personal protective equipment, and hand hygiene.

AASHTO provides many free online courses, including Hazardous Materials Management: Regulatory and Legal Issues, NEPA Overview: Determining Transportation Needs, and CDL General Knowledge.

FHWA provides a free online training course on Fundamentals of Environmental Justice. Participants are presented with strategies and resources for considering environmental justice throughout the transportation decision-making process.

NADTC is offering a new online course on Fundamentals of Human Services Transportation. The self-paced course contains six modules; new modules with linked discussion forums are released weekly from August 10 - September 18, 2020. Registration ends August 3, 2020.

Publications

UTAH DOT has created a streamlined new website that includes a new page about their Rural Public Transit Team (PTT). The page includes individual transit agency plans, transit studies, compliance forms, and FTA resources.

Administration for Community Living and Administration on Aging have published the latest Profile of Older Americans. The statistical report shows that over the past 10 years, the population age 65 and older increased from 38.8 million in 2008 to 52.4 million in 2018 (a 35% increase) and is projected to reach 94.7 million in 2060.

NADTC's Procuring Demand Response Transit Technology outlines the best methods to procure technology for demand response transit service. The brief looks at the best use of Requests for Proposals, Requests for Qualifications, Requests for Information, and Requests for Expressions of Interest when preparing to procure technology for transit agencies.

A guide published in conjunction with NCHRP Project 23-01, Communicating the Economic and Quality of Life Benefits of Transportation Investment: New Approaches for State Departments of Transportation, presents research-tested themes and messages that State DOTs can use to communicate with different audiences about the economic and quality of life benefits of transportation infrastructure investment.

National RTAP General Transit Information Topic Guide Updated

The National RTAP General Transit Information Topic Guide showcases organizations that provide best practices and information about rural and tribal transit at a very broad and sweeping level. The guide was updated in July 2020. Newly added organizations include National Center for Applied Transit Technology (N-CATT) and Shared Use Mobility Center (SUMC).

Databases and Tools

Emory University has created a COVID-19 Health Equity Interactive Dashboard, which displays state and county level trends in terms of various social-economic and demographic variables.

Google Maps has added information so riders can contribute crowdedness information about public transit routes, notices about whether face masks are required, and alerts to check healthcare eligibility when riders are travelling to medical facilities.

Legislation

The U.S. Council on Environmental Quality published a Final Rule in the Federal Register on July 16, 2020: Update to the Regulations Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

The phrase “Tribal” was added to the phrase “State and local” throughout the rule. The rule also requires agencies to consider access to electronic media in rural locations or economically distressed areas. The effective date for the rule is September 14, 2020.

Calendar of Upcoming Events

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.

Mobility on Demand Alliance/SAE International

Defining MOD and What that Means for Transportation

July 23, 12:00 PM