National RTAP eNews - June 25, 2020

eNews - June 25, 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.

New National RTAP Best Practices Spotlight Article on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has altered the very fabric of everyone’s lives throughout the world in a very brief time period. This COVID-19 Best Practices Spotlight Article provides best practices and guidance on safety, communications, funding, and more from the perspectives of state, rural and tribal transit managers, and clinical experts. Read five case studies: from the Office of Passenger Transportation, Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA), Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Community Regional Transit (pictured above: Jeremy Bell, Interim Director for Community Regional Transportation), as well as a Primary Care Physician from South Carolina, and an Intensive Care Unit Nurse from Massachusetts.

Featured Resource

Look What's Happening for Rural Transit Day!

The second annual Rural Transit Day will take place on July 16, 2020. This year there are many new ways to get involved. Visit our new Rural Transit Day web page to learn more about this special day.

We will be holding a #RuralTransitDay Twitter Chat from 2:00-3:00 PM ET, moderated by Julia Castillo, Executive Director, HIRTA Public Transit, Kari Banta, Section 5304 Program Manager, TX DOT, and Angie Jones, District Manager, Grant County Transportation District (People Mover). The chat will focus on what agencies are doing to recognize passengers and staff on #RuralTransitDay and through the year, and shared thoughts about challenges and solutions for rural transit. RSVP to receive an invite.

Rural, Tribal, Intercity, and State Transit Agencies can take the Rural Transit Day Pledge to show their commitment to rural transit. As of June 24, 2020, 17 agencies have taken the pledge.

RSVP for the Twitter Chat

Take the Rural Transit Day Pledge

Angie Jones wearing Rural Transit Day T-Shirt

Enter our "What Does Rural Transit Mean to You" contests on our Twitter and Instagram pages to win a Rural Transit Day t-shirt, like the one Twitter Chat Moderator Angie Jones is wearing in the photo above. The posts with the most likes by 9:00 AM ET on July 16, 2020 will win!

We may also feature your quote on our Rural Transit Day web page.

Resources and Events

National RTAP ADA Toolkit Update Webinar - Next Week

As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the National RTAP ADA Toolkit has been thoroughly updated in June 2020 with new content, resources, explanations, templates, questions and answers, glossary, and more. The Toolkit is meant to give rural and tribal transit managers an overview of their responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations to provide equal service to all passengers.

Join Beth Hamby and Buffy Ellis, KFH Group for an overview of the updated toolkit's sections, features, and functionality on June 30 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET. Register for the National RTAP webinar.

In addition, Missouri Public Transit Association (MPTA) in partnership with Iowa Public Transit Association (IPTA) will be holding a return engagement of our ADA Toolkit Overview Webinar on July 22, 1:00-2:00 PM ET. Register for the MPTA/IPTA webinar.

Upcoming State RTAP Manager Peer Roundtable with a Training Focus

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.

Enter the National RTAP Rural Transit Heroes Photo Contest

Do you know a someone who has gone above and beyond to make sure their passengers travel safely and comfortably in all situations? An individual who has spurred innovations to help rural and tribal transit agencies overcome challenges and find new solutions? A person who has helped provide essential transportation or delivery of vital resources during the COVID-19 pandemic? Somebody who has played a leadership role in curbing human trafficking, addressing the opioid crisis, or helping other vulnerable populations through transit?

All these heroes deserve to be commended and 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

U.S. DOT invites public comments about requesting Office of Management and Budget approval to renew information collection procedures for the Transportation Drug and Alcohol Testing Program. Information collected will be used to document tests conducted and actions taken. Comments must be submitted by August 10, 2020.

U.S. DOT emails from the Research Program on Planning, Environment, and Realty, Sustainable Transportation and Resiliency, Value Capture, Virtual Public Involvement, and Alternative Fuel Corridors will no longer come from @govdelivery.com, but will come from @info.dot.gov. Subscribers are asked to update their trusted sender lists.

The FTA Transit Advisory Committee for Safety (TRACS) will be holding a virtual public meeting on July 21–22, 2020. Requests to submit written materials to be reviewed during the meeting must be received no later than July 7, 2020.

On June 17, 2020, the U.S. DOT Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance updated its Statement of Enforcement Discretion for Substance Abuse Professionals and Service Agents guidance document, which has been extended and is now effective until September 30, 2020.

FTA's June 2020 Transit Safety and Oversight Spotlight newsletter has been published. The issue includes COVID-19 information and guidance, and an article about their Transportation Leaders against Human Trafficking (TLAHT) pledge.

U.S. DOT announced the first companies and states in a new initiative to improve safety and testing transparency of automated driving systems, the Automated Vehicle Transparency and Engagement for Safe Testing (AV TEST) Initiative. Initial states participating are California, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah.

U.S. DOT awarded $43.3 million in grants through the Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment program for 10 state projects including voice-to-everything technology, dynamic travel demand technology, connected vehicles, and artificial intelligence.

FTA is soliciting proposals to select an entity to administer the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC). Applications must be received by July 2, 2020.

U.S. DOT is soliciting proposals for the Complete Trip ITS4US Deployment Program. The Program will bring publicly enable research to create large-scale, replicable deployments that generate increased multimodal mobility options for all travelers. The Program will make available up to $40 million to enable communities to showcase innovative business partnerships, technologies, and practices that promote independent mobility for all travelers. Proposals are due August 3, 2020.

Welcome to New State RTAP Managers

National RTAP extends a warm welcome to our community to several new State RTAP managers Julius Adolfsson, Alaska, Ellie McCarthy, Massachusetts, and Marianna Hanefeld, Washington. To contact these or any of our RTAP Managers, visit our Directory of State RTAP Managers.

Opportunities

Administration for Community Living (ACL) seeks input on the Strategic Framework for Action: State Opportunities to Integrate Services and Improve Outcomes for Older Adults and People with Disabilities. Submit feedback to [email protected] by August 31, 2020. The Framework supports state efforts addressing holistic needs of older adults and people with disabilities through program coordination.

METRO Magazine is accepting submissions for its Innovative Solutions Awards. They are looking for any bus operators that have recently partnered with a solutions provider within the last year to implement a new innovation. The nomination deadline is July 15, 2020.

TRB is holding its John and Jane Q. Public Communications Contest, which seeks best practices in successfully communicating with the public during disruptive, crisis situations affecting the transportation industry. The contest recognizes excellence in communications on technical transportation topics or issues to lay persons. The deadline to apply is July 31, 2020.

USDA announced their Business and Industry CARES Act Program This program offers loan guarantees to lenders for loans to rural businesses to supplement their working capital to prevent, prepare for and respond to the economic impacts of COVID-19. The application deadline is September 15, 2021, or until funds are expended. USDA is also offering Rural Business Development Grants to small rural businesses, towns, communities, authorities, Tribes, and rural cooperatives.

The deadline for consideration for TCRP Problem Statements has been extended to June 30, 2020.

A new discretionary grant from the Indian Health Service's Tribal Injury Prevention Cooperative Agreement Program will enable Tribes to address the disparity in vehicle injury rates by implementing focused, community-based injury prevention programs and projects using evidence-based strategies. The closing date for applications is October 1, 2020. A webinar on the grant opportunity will be held on July 15, 2020 at 2:00 PM ET.

MIT SOLVE is offering fellowships with a $10,000 grant to each fellow for Native innovators working to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic in their communities. The deadline to apply is July 7, 2020.

METRO Magazine is accepting submissions for its Innovative Solutions Awards. The awards will honor bus operators that have recently partnered with a solutions provider within the last year to implement a new innovation. The nomination deadline is July 15, 2020.

Webinars and Training

Our first National RTAP ambassador since March will be Kary Hughes of SWTA, who will be at our information table at the 2020 Oklahoma Transit Association Annual Conference & EXPO in Lawton, Oklahoma on July 6-9, 2020. If you are planning a conference and are interested in having an information table for our training resources, please contact us at [email protected].

Databases and Tools

Washington State DOT has created a COVID-19 Multimodal Transportation System Performance Dashboard. The Dashboard can be filtered to see the effects of COVID-19 on transit.

Publications

A recent article in American Journal of Public Health, Transportation Barriers to Health Care in the United States: Findings From the National Health Interview Survey, 1997–2017, found that 5.8 million persons in the United States (1.8%) delayed medical care because they did not have transportation.

Transit on the Lookout to Combat Human Trafficking: A Toolkit for Transit Agencies by Truckers Against Trafficking's Busing on the Lookout summarizes the issue shares case studies, outlines best practices, and provides step-by-step guidance for transit agencies looking to establish an anti-human trafficking initiative. National RTAP trafficking training is highlighted in the Toolkit.

National RTAP Tribal Transit Topic Guide Updated

The National RTAP Tribal Transit Topic Guide was updated in June 2020. Newly added resources include:

FTA Outreach to Tribes on Government to Government Training
University of Alaska's Reaching Out to Tribal Communities: Lessons Learned and Approaches to Consider

Legislation

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing undertaking processes under the Clean Air Act to ensure that information regarding benefits and costs of regulatory decisions are provided in a consistent and transparent manner. Comments must be received by July 27, 2020. EPA is also proposing that no additional measures are necessary pursuant to Clean Air Act section 211(v) to mitigate adverse air quality impacts of renewable fuel volumes. Comments must be received by July 8, 2020.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) published Business Loan Program Temporary Changes; Paycheck Protection Program-Revisions to First Interim Final Rule in the Federal Register on June 16, 2020. Changes included loan maturity, deferral of loan payments, and forgiveness provisions.

FMCSA extended their waiver on Expiring Driver’s Licenses and Medical Examiner’s Certificates to September 30, 2020.

The period during which CARES Act operating expenses are eligible for reimbursement has been extended to January 20, 2021. See FTA COVID-19 FAQ CE4.

Now You Can Order Discs and Receive Instructions

National RTAP Resource Center staff have recently developed detailed instructions about how to use our training discs. When you receive your shipping confirmation, instructions will be emailed to you. The instructions include disc contents, such as videos, PowerPoints, and eLearning training. Order discs through Resource Share, by chat at the top, right corner of nationalrtap.org, phone (888-589-6821), or email.

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.

NADTC

Brown Bag Webinar - North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization

June 25, 12:30 PM