National RTAP eNews - June 19, 2025

eNews - June 19, 2025

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

Preliminary Schedule Available for National RTAP 2025 Technical Assistance Conference

Get Ready for Rural Transit Day!

New National RTAP eLearning Course: Cybersecurity for Transit

Updated U.S. DOT Rural Grant Application Toolkit

Preliminary Schedule Available for National RTAP 2025 Conference

The 6th National RTAP Technical Assistance Conference, Wrangling Access and Mobility in Rural and Tribal Transit, will take place in Austin, Texas between December 7-10, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Austin on 208 Barton Springs Road. The Preliminary Schedule is now available.

Students are invited to submit a poster for the Conference to be shown on December 7, 2025. Posters for consideration must be sent by October 1, 2025 to info@nationalrtap.org and students must be able to present their posters in-person.

The Walk of Fame will take place at the conference to recognize exemplary staff for dedication, innovation, customer service, and professionalism. Send the nominee’s name, title, transit agency, email address, and phone number, a photo of the nominee in jpeg or png format, and a paragraph (500 character limit) about why they should be honored, to info@nationalrtap.org by October 10, 2025.

Preliminary Schedule

Get Ready for Rural Transit Day!

Rural Transit Day is July 16, 2025. We will hold a Facebook Live Rural Transit Day Chat on July 16, 2025 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET. The chat will be moderated by John Andoh, Stephanie Bushong, Stephanie Lewis, and National RTAP staff. If you would like to participate, please RSVP. There will also be a Rural Transit Day Prequel on X where we will showcase all the entries to our Art of Transit Photo Contest. No need to preregister; just click on the link between 1:00-2:00 PM ET on July 16, 2025.

This year we are requesting smart cards for our Rural Transit Day Time Capsule. If you have any that you can send us (no fares need to be loaded), please mail them to Cara Marcus, Knowledge and Resource Manager, National RTAP, 5 Wheeling Avenue, Woburn, MA 01801.

Send someone on your team a Rural Transit Day Hero Card. These can also be published on social media. Find downloadable cards in the center of the Rural Transit Day webpage.

What does rural transit mean to you? Email us your answer about what rural transit means to you, and we may post it on our Rural Transit Day webpage.

National RTAP Staff and Review Board in Rural Transit Day t-shirts

Learn More

Take the Rural Transit Day Pledge to show your commitment to rural transit.

Print and/or publish your Rural Transit Day Proclamation. Contact your elected officials and ask them to proclaim Rural Transit Day. Find the downloadable proclamation template on the top right of the Rural Transit Day webpage.

Use the images in the Rural Transit Day Toolbox to spread the word about Rural Transit Day and the benefits of rural transit through social media.

New National RTAP eLearning Course: Cybersecurity for Transit

National RTAP published a new eLearning course - Cybersecurity for Transit: What You Need to Know. The course will instruct transit agency staff at all levels about what cybersecurity is and how to prepare, plan, respond to, and recover from a cyber attack. At the successful completion of the course, learners will receive a certificate of completion.

Thank you to National RTAP Review Board members Kevin Wassom, Michigan DOT; Tom Nutter, Oklahoma DOT; Katy Miller, Virginia DRPT; and Diana White, Fairfield County Transit System, for the review of this resource.

Featured Resource

Upcoming National RTAP Events

Register for the upcoming 2025 National RTAP Tribal & Rural Transit Mini-Conference that will take place on June 24-26, 2025 in Santa Fe, NM. National RTAP is providing three (3) full days of tribal and rural transit training. The mini-conference kicks off with a two-day grant writing workshop. On the morning of Day 2, attendees not taking the grant writing workshop can attend the "Customer Service" and "Dealing with Problem Passengers" training modules. On Day 3, attendees can choose from either a day-long training on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or a concurrent 4-hour Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) Passenger Assistance Safety and Sensitivity (PASS) Driver Training workshop with the option to attend from 8:00 AM to noon or from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM. You must be present for the raffle drawing to win the prize.

Paul Comfort, SVP, Chief Customer Officer, Modaxo Americas/ANZ, and Producer/Host, Transit Unplugged will present at a National RTAP webinar on The Road to Multimodal Connectivity: Shaping the New Future of Public Transportation on July 10, 2025 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET. Paul Comfort explores how agencies and communities can connect transit, intercity rail, shared mobility, microtransit, active transportation, and more into one seamless rider experience. We’ll dive into how inter-agency cooperation, integrated fare systems, and emerging technologies are driving a new era of mobility.

National RTAP's next State RTAP Manager Peer Roundtable will be held on July 29, 2025, from 2:00-3:00 PM ET. This is an informal meeting for State RTAP Managers to discuss issues of interest to them. Topics will include how to find trainers, trainer succession planning, the role of State RTAPs in mobility management, and others. Please note that this Roundtable is only for managers of State RTAPs. Stay tuned for an upcoming Transit Manager Peer Roundtable.

The National RTAP Books in Transit Discussion Group selected Bus People: 30 Days on the Road with America's Nomads by Mike Pentecost for its August 19, 2025, 2:00-3:00 PM ET meeting. Bus People focuses on the stories, hopes, and dreams that accompany the passengers that Greyhound serves. Register for the meeting. The author will be joining us! If you would like to borrow the book, please contact us.

Technology Tools Office Hours

National RTAP offers free, live GTFS Builder support on Thursdays from 1:00-1:30 PM ET. Use this link to join. National RTAP also offers live technical support for Website Builder on Tuesdays from 1:00-1:30 PM ET. Share your screen, ask questions, and get help. Use this link to join – no need to register for either session.

Updated Instructions for National RTAP Cost Allocation Calculator

We updated our instructions for both the Excel and Access versions of the National RTAP Cost Allocation Calculator to assist users. Instructions include information on how to download and save the files, and how to create trusted locations.

National RTAP Featured in Transit Association Newsletters

The New Mexico Transit Association (NMTA) recently published its Fall 2024 and Winter 2025 Newsletters. The issues featured articles about National RTAP's Tribal and Rural Mini-Conference, GTFS Builder and Website Builder Office Hours, and our new Directory of Grant Writers.

The June 2025 issue of the Maryland Transit Update, a publication jointly sponsored by the Maryland Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP) and the Transportation Association of Maryland (TAM), includes an article on the upcoming National RTAP conference and a bibliography of new National RTAP Resources.

National RTAP Participation in Upcoming Conferences

We're presenting, exhibiting, and participating at the following conferences and meetings:

Updated National RTAP Livability Topic Guide

National RTAP continues its annual Topic Guide update with our Livability Topic Guide. Livability entails the factors that create a community's quality of life, including access to transportation, natural resources, educational opportunities, medical care, employment, and leisure activities.

New resources include:

Transportation: The AARP Livability Index Categories Explained
American Society on Aging's Building Livable Communities

National RTAP Bus Roadeo Toolkit Update Request for Proposals (RFP)

National RTAP will be updating its Bus Roadeo Toolkit and has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP). We will be holding a Pre-Proposal Call on July 29, 2025 between 2:00-3:00 PM ET. Proposals must be received by 5:00 pm EST on Thursday, August 28, 2025.

National RTAP Opportunities for Rural MaaS Webinar Recording Published

In our Opportunities for Rural Mobility as a Service (MaaS) webinar on June 18, 2025, we shared lessons from 2 successful MaaS initiatives, one in rural Minnesota, the other from the San Joaquin Valley, which contains a number of rural areas.

The session demonstrated how scheduling and dispatch software can interface with existing MaaS platforms to seamlessly connect customers to fixed-route and demand-response transit, carshare, vanpool, taxi, and ridehail. Access the webinar recording and slides.

National RTAP 2025 Photo Contest

Our National RTAP 2025 Photo Contest: Wrap It Up, is all about how you beautify your bus. We are looking for photos of visually appealing bus wraps, graphics, and decorations, including holiday embellishments. For those who enjoyed our 2024 Art of Transit Photo Contest, artistic creations are welcome. Your photo should embrace the theme - "No more boring buses!"

Each transit agency may submit up to 3 photos to info@nationalrtap.org by August 22, 2025. All photos must be accompanied by a Photo Release Form.

U.S. DOT and FTA Updates

FTA published its 2025 Certifications and Assurances for FTA Grants and Cooperative Agreements. FTA also published a list of changes from its 2024 Certifications and Assurances.

U.S. DOT released its Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Highlights. This document includes a table on page 32 with Federal Transit Administration FY24-FY25 budgetary resources, with FY26 requests and additional resources. FTA also published an Annual Report on Funding Recommendations for FY26.

U.S. DOT recently updated its Rural Grant Applicant Toolkit for Competitive Funding Programs at USDOT. This Toolkit contains resources and guidance on the grant application process, maximizing award success, and related topics.

Webinars and Training

The National Transit Institute (NTI) is holding several upcoming webinars on the National Transit Database (NTD), including a 2025 Annual NTD Reporting Clarifications Webinar, NTD Report Declarations, Certifications, and Common Requests Webinar, and NTD Reporting Fundamentals Webinar.

The Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium offers free, self-paced, online training such as Mass Fatalities Planning & Response for Rural Communities, Business Continuity Planning, Emergency Operations Plans for Rural Jurisdictions, and additional courses.

Individuals may propose a TRB Webinar. Ideas submitted by July 1, 2025 will be considered for scheduling.

The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC) Section 5310 Project Event is a virtual event designed to spark ideas and share practical insights on planning, implementing, and sustaining Section 5310 projects and features two webinars and a coordinating online discussion forum that starts on August 5, 2025 and runs through August 19, 2025.

Publications

The Administration for Community Living's (ACL) What We Heard: Initial Feedback on The Strategic Framework for a National Plan on Aging report found that one of the most commonly cited barriers to living independently and remaining connected to the community was the lack of accessible and affordable transportation, particularly for older adults who live in rural and Tribal areas. The report also provided recommendations, such as transportation programs that provide options for older adults to use and access information over the phone, in-person, or with the support of a provider.

TCRP/NCHRP's Protecting Transportation Employees and the Traveling Public from Airborne Diseases provides information regarding strategies that reduce exposure to airborne contagions by transportation staff and passengers on various modes, especially in buses.

The Volpe Center's Understanding Construction Change Orders identifies common issues that result in change orders and cause project delays and overruns, such as the quality of technical project development work, influences of organizational culture, and uncertainty introduced by financial forces. It also highlights noteworthy project delivery practices currently in use in various transportation modes.

The Mineta Transportation Institute's Understanding the Prevalence of Mental Health and Behavioral Distress in Transit Assaults and Presenting Targeted Response and Mitigation Methods to Reduce Victimization Trends highlights practices that transit agencies can use to better prepare their systems and provides tools that staff can use to better communicate with individuals who may be having mental health-related episodes. Recommendations include implementing operator safety barriers, expanding and enhancing video surveillance systems, and others.

Databases and Tools

The Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis uses U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, APTA, and FRED® data to provide a customizable, downloadable chart of public transit ridership nationwide from 2020 to 2025.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Transportation Secure Data Center provides an interactive map of Cleansed Household Travel and Transit Passenger Data by State and Region. The data also includes one U.S. territory and one other country. Users can mouse over states to view travel surveys.

Opportunities

Applications are open for the TRB Sharon Banks Award for Humanitarian Leadership in Transportation through July 31, 2025. The award recognizes outstanding people-oriented initiatives across all areas of transportation. It honors individuals who are making a meaningful impact on the lives of those who use, deliver, or support transportation services. The TRB 2025 Roy W. Crum Distinguished Service Award acknowledges outstanding achievement in the performance and production of fundamental or developmental transportation-related research. Applications are open through July 31, 2025.

FMCSA is accepting applications for its 2025 Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) through June 20, 2025. This program provides funding to organizations that provide commercial motor vehicle operator training.

The Vision Zero Network Recognition Program is open for submissions through August 31, 2025. This program recognizes communities who are taking demonstrable and significant actions to advance the principles of Vision Zero to ensure safe mobility for all people.

Legislation

The Council on Environmental Quality, in consultation with the National Energy Dominance Council and permitting agencies, issued a Permitting Technology Action Plan. The plan contains minimum functional requirements for environmental review and permitting systems, initial NEPA and permitting data and technology standards, and governance structure for implementation.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) proposes placing three fentanyl-related substances in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. DEA also proposes placing 3-methoxyphencyclidine in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. Comments are due July 10, 2025.

NHTSA published a Final Rule in the Federal Register regarding the interpretation of its authority to establish the necessary legal foundation for bringing the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program into compliance with relevant statutory requirements. NHTSA will exercise its enforcement authority with regard to all relevant existing standards in accordance with the interpretation set forth in this rule. NHTSA is also streamlining its exemption process for commercial deployment of automated vehicles and adopting a flexible approach to evaluating these exemptions.

The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council withdrew the Proposed Rule to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation titled Small Business Participation on Certain Multiple-Award Contracts. The Proposed Rule planned to revise market research and acquisition planning procedures, small business specialist coordination, and the use of small business set-asides for orders under certain multiple-award contracts. In addition, the committee withdrew the following proposed rules: Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer and Protests of Orders Under Certain Multiple-Award Contracts.

FMCSA invites public comments through August 12, 2025 on its request for approval to renew its Hours of Service (HOS) of Drivers Regulations Information Collection Request. The regulations require a motor carrier to install and require each of its drivers subject to the record of duty status (RODS) rule to use, an electronic logging device (ELD) to report the driver’s RODS.

EPA is proposing the applicable volumes and percentage standards for 2026-2027 for cellulosic biofuel, biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel. EPA is also proposing to partially waive the 2025 cellulosic biofuel volume requirement and revise the associated percentage standard and is proposing several regulatory changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard program. Comments are due August 8, 2025.

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 5 or 6 for Hawaii (depending on daylight savings time).

National Center for Rural Road Safety

How Human Factors Impacts Rural Road Safety Webinar

June 19, 1:00 PM

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

June 19, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

Community Action Partnership and Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility Technical Assistance Center (CCAM-TAC)

What is CCAM-TAC and How can it Impact your Program and Transportation in Your Community Webinar

June 23, 1:30 PM

New

Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center (SARTAC)

Overview of Accessible Formats Webinar

June 23, 4:00 PM

TRB

TRB National Conference on Tools of the Trade

Albuquerque, NM, June 23-25

National RTAP reviewed session abstracts

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

June 24, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

National Safety Council (NSC)

Annual Workplace Safety Summit: Innovation to Application

June 24, 1:00-2:30 PM

National RTAP

2025 National RTAP Tribal & Rural Transit Mini-Conference

Santa Fe, NM, June 24-26

Transportation for America

The Future of Federal Transportation: Reauthorization 201 Webinar

June 25, 12:00-1:00 PM

Access Ingenuity

Part 1: Creating Accessible Microsoft Word Files — Headings, Tables, Lists, Styles, and Structure Digital Accessibility Webinar

June 25, 1:00-2:00 PM

NPMA and HIRTA

Transit Retreat

Des Moines, IA, June 25-26

We're presenting and exhibiting!

New

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine

Cyber Hard Problems: Making Progress: A Workshop

Washington, DC and Online, June 25-26, 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

June 26, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

Association of Mobility Managers

Creating a One-Call/One-Click Mobility Center: A Step-by-Step Guide for Mobility Managers Webinar

June 26, 2:00 PM

New

Ride AI

The Full Scale Challenges of Scaling Robotaxis: Operational and Charging Realities Webinar

July 1, 1:00 PM

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

July 1, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

FORTH

EVAL Office Hours: Session 13

July 1, 3:00 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

July 3, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

Great Lakes ADA Center

From Standards to Support: Understanding the Access Board’s Role in Accessibility Webinar

July 3, 2:30-4:00 PM

New

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Public Hearing for Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Program

July 8, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

July 8, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

Disability Employment Technical Assistance Center (DETAC)

Celebrating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): How Assistive Technology (AT) Supports Daily Life and Work Webinar

July 8, 3:00 PM

New

AARP

Addressing Transportation Challenges Webinar

July 8, 3:00-4:00 PM

New

Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center (SARTAC)

Plain Language Webinar

July 8, 4:00 PM

National Transit Institute

Public Involvement in Transportation Decision-Making

Richmond, VA, July 8-10

New

FTA

FTA Drug and Alcohol One-Day Training Seminar

Cambridge, MA, July 9, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

U.S. Access Board

U.S. Access Board Town Hall Meeting

New Orleans, LA, July 9, 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Registrations must be received by July 2, 2025

Southwest Transit Association (SWTA)

Inbox Zero - From Chaos to Control Webinar

July 10, 12:00-1:00 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

July 10, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National RTAP

The Road to Multimodal Connectivity: Shaping the New Future of Public Transportation

July 10, 2:00-3:00 PM

New

FTA

FTA Drug and Alcohol Training Seminar

Missoula, MT, July 14-15, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

July 15, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National Association of Development Organizations (NADO)

2025 National Regional Transportation Conference

Des Moines, IA, July 15-17, 2025

Please stop by our table!

National RTAP

Rural Transit Day "The Art of Transit" Chat Prequel

July 16, 1:00-2:00 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the prequel

National RTAP

Rural Transit Day Facebook Live Chat

July 16, 2:00-3:00 PM

New

FORTH

EVAL Office Hours: Session 14

July 16, 2:00 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

July 17, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National Transit Institute

FTA Uniform Act Basics for Transit Agency Personnel Online Course

July 17, 1:00-5:00 PM

New

FTA

FTA Drug and Alcohol Training Seminar

Billings, MT, July 17-18

USAging

Answers on Aging 2025

Chicago, IL, July 20-23

NLTAPA

National TTAP/LTAP Conference

Kansas City, MO, July 20-24

Please visit our booth!

National Transit Institute

Transit Academy

Pittsburgh, PA, July 21-25

Bobit

Fleet Forward: The Tour

Irvine, CA, July 22

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

July 22, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

Access Ingenuity

Part 2: Converting Accessible Microsoft Word Files into PDFs — Cleaning Tags and Final Fixes in Adobe Acrobat Digital Accessibility Webinar

July 23, 1:00-2:00 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

July 24, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

Native Learning Center

Simplified and Streamlined Environmental Reviews for Tribal Projects Webinar

July 24, 1:00-2:30 PM

No preregistration necessary. Join at the time of the webinar.

LPTA & SWTA

2025 LPTA & SWTA Summer U Joint Conference & EXPO

New Orleans, LA, July 27-30

Please visit our booth!

New

Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center (SARTAC)

Easy Read Text Webinar

July 28, 4:00 PM

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

July 29, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National RTAP

State RTAP Manager Peer Roundtable

July 29, 2:00-3:00 PM

Association of Travel Instruction (ATI)

ATI Annual Conference

Quincy, MA, July 29-31

Please visit our booth!

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

July 31, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center (SARTAC)

Easy Read Icons Webinar

August 4, 4:00 PM

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

August 5, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC)

Empowering Mobility Together: FTA Section 5310 Webinar

August 5, 3:00 PM

National Transit Institute

Public Involvement in Transportation Decision-Making

Minneapolis, MN, August 5-7

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

August 7, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE)

TOM Talks

August 7, 1:00-2:30 PM

New

National Transit Institute

NTD Report Declarations, Certifications, and Common Requests Webinar

August 7, 2:00-3:30 PM

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

August 12, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

National Transit Institute

NTD Reporting Fundamentals Webinar

August 12, 2:00-3:30

New

National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC)

Empowering Mobility Together: FTA Section 5310 Webinar

August 12, 3:00 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

August 14, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

National Transit Institute

FTA Uniform Act Basics for Transit Agency Personnel Online Course

August 14, 1:00-5:00 PM

New

National Transit Institute

Enhancing Your Transit Asset Management Program with Lifecycle Management Online Course

August 18-20, 1:00-4:30 PM

New

Transportation Association of South Carolina (TASC)

TASC 2025 Annual Conference and Expo

Myrtle Beach, SC, August 19-21

Please visit our booth!

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

August 19, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE)

TMS Emerging Topics Series: AI and Machine Learning for Performing TMS Functions

August 20, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

August 21, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Accreditation Commission (NEMTAC)

NEMTAC Transform 2025 Annual Conference

Dallas, TX, August 24-26

Please visit our table!

New

ITS America

ITS World Congress 2025

Atlanta, GA, August 24-28

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

August 26, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

National Transit Institute

2025 Annual NTD Reporting Clarifications Webinar

August 26, 2:00-3:30 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

August 27, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

For a listing of all National RTAP and other national events, view our Calendar. To submit an event, email info@nationalrtap.org.

Calendar of Events

National RTAP | 888-589-6821 | info@nationalrtap.org | nationalrtap.org

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