eNews - March 26, 2026

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

National RTAP 2 The Point Training PDF Training Cards Updated

Upcoming National RTAP Peer Roundtables on Mobility Hubs and Grant Writing

Rider Guide Booklets Added to National RTAP Marketing Toolkit

Save the Date! National RTAP Rural & Tribal Transit Mini-Conference, June 29 - July 1, 2026

Grants and Awards Available from U.S. DOT, NADO, APTA, and AARP

Upcoming National RTAP Peer Roundtables on Mobility Hubs and Grant Writing

Please join National RTAP for two Peer Roundtables in April:

Rider Guide Booklets Added to National RTAP Marketing Toolkit

FTA posted new training videos on How to Create a TrAMS Application and How to Create a TrAMS Closeout Amendment. TrAMS is FTA's web-based grant management tool that allows recipients to apply for federal funds and manage their programs in accordance with federal requirements.

U.S. DOT launched the Beautifying Transportation Infrastructure Challenge competition, where individuals of all ages and experience can submit creative infrastructure design concepts. Professional designers, independent artists, and students may enter. The submission deadline is May 13, 2026.

FTA announced the awards under its FY 2026 Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Competitive Program. 34 projects received awards, including rural and Tribal transit agencies. Projects included new bus and maintenance facilities, construction of a mobility hub, bus stop improvements, and more.

The ADA Guru's next ADA Compliance Seminar will take place in Las Vegas, NV, from May 12-14, 2026. Participants will learn about the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act for bus and paratransit operations.

The Chaddick Institute is holding a Short-Term Outlook for Intercity Bus Travel Webinar on April 22, 2026 from 1:15-2:00 PM ET. The webinar will explore changing travel patterns, major moves by commercial bus lines, and expectations for summer travel.

TRB is holding a webinar on Improving Perception of Customer Security and Deterring Transit Assaults on April 28, 2026 from 1:00-2:00 PM ET. The session will feature findings and tools from two TCRP studies, including a transit security guide, a mitigation interactive matrix, and a social media toolkit designed to support agencies in their efforts. Presenters will share their research and perspectives and discuss lessons learned from implementing measures to improve security for passengers and transit workers.

The National Transit Institute (NTI) is seeking local hosts for the following trainings:

• FTA Advanced Real Estate Requirements
• FTA Real Estate Requirements
• Management of Transit Construction Projects
• Quality Assurance and Quality Control in Transit
• Risk Assessment for Transit Capital Projects

Interested agencies and organizations with an ADA accessible classroom that can fit 35 people can fill out a host request form. NTI reserves 8 seats for its hosts.

Scotland Memorial Foundation, a grant recipient of the North Carolina Healthcare Foundation’s (NCHF) Social Impact Program, launched its ScotlandHealth@Home program, expanding access to healthcare in Robeson County by using community health workers, community paramedics, and private third-party transportation to ensure patients can reach the services they need. Read an NCHF Case Study on Scotland Health Care.

Measuring Transportation Outcomes: Generative vs. Extractive Measurement by the Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility Technical Assistance Center (CCAM-TAC) explains the difference between generative and extractive measurement and provides examples of each type of measurement. For example, extractive measurement collects data from people, while generative measurement creates insight with people.

In Selecting or Upfitting a Vehicle for Accessibility, the National Disability Institute (NDI) describes best practices for purchasing or upfitting automobiles that will be used to transport persons with disabilities. The guide also includes an Accessible Vehicle Purchase Checklist.

The Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) published a Transportation Access Summary with a table that offers a state-by-state overview of the transportation and mobility strategies of the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), a federal grant initiative designed to enhance medical outcomes in sparsely populated areas. 

Discover.gov is the catalog of U.S. Government Publications. A search for "rural transit" displays 60 resources, including online resources.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst Transportation Center provides a searchable library with resources on asset management, construction, planning, safety, and other topics. Resources can be filtered by date, keyword, and title.

The National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Excellence in Regional Transportation Award recognizes noteworthy projects and practices in rural, small metropolitan, and larger areas that help meet regional needs through various program areas. The lead applicant must be a NADO member. However, if multiple organizations collaborated on a project, they may apply jointly. Organizations may submit up to three projects. The deadline is March 31, 2026.

The American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) Local Coalition Grant Program provides funding for local public transit alliances focused on grassroots advocacy efforts that can help achieve local public transportation goals. The deadline to apply is April 24, 2026.

The Purpose Prize from AARP honors older Americans who put their purpose into action. Winners receive a cash award and a year of organizational support from AARP to grow the impact of their nonprofits. The deadline is May 1, 2026.

METRO Magazine is accepting submissions for its Innovative Solutions Awards, inviting transit agencies, motorcoach operators, and industry suppliers to showcase the technologies, programs, and strategies that improve safety, operational efficiency, sustainability, rider experience, and overall system performance. The deadline is April 15, 2026.

FHWA announced the awards under its Tribal Transportation Program Safety Fund Program. Projects include a new transportation safety plan for the Pueblo of Tesuque, Modoc Nation, Seneca-Cayuga Nation, and Suquamish Indian Tribe of the Port Madison Reservation, and a shared multi-use path for the Fort Peck Assiniboine & Sioux Tribes.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published the panels of Schedule I and II drugs authorized for testing in federal workplace drug testing programs. HHS made no revisions to the current panels for urine and oral fluid testing. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration temporarily placed 8-bromo-1-methyl-6-phenyl-4H-benzo[f][1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a][l, 4]diazepine (commonly known as bromazolam - a novel psychoactive substance) in Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act.

NHTSA proposes to amend Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards on windshield defrosting and defogging systems and windshield wiping and washing systems. NHTSA also proposes to amend standards on transmission shift position sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect. The proposed modifications would exclude vehicles equipped with automated driving systems that do not have manually operated controls from the requirements. Comments are due April 15, 2026.

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).

Alaska Tribal Transportation Work Group (ATTWG)

22nd Annual Alaska Tribal Transportation Symposium

Anchorage, AK, March 24-26

We're participating!

Transit Workforce Center (TWC)

ATTAIN: Bus Maintenance Apprenticeship Webinar

March 26, 12:00 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Builder Office Hours

March 26, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National Center for Rural Road Safety

Making Safe the Easy Choice: Practical Behavior Strategies to Influence Safer Road Behaviors Webinar

March 26, 1:00-2:30 PM

Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE)

Beyond Batteries: Breadboard Results for a Fuel Cell–Dominant Bus Webinar

March 26, 2:00 PM 

Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center (SARTAC)

Transportation Advocacy Updates Webinar

March 26, 3:00 PM

No need to pre-register, just join at the time of the meeting.

ThinkTransit

Executive Summit

Boston, MA, March 29 - April 1

South West Transit Association and New Mexico Transit Association

2026 SWTA & New Mexico Joint Annual Conference & EXPO

Albuquerque, NM, March 30 - April 2

Please visit our table!

FORTH 

Powering Communities: Building Partnerships for Electric Transportation

East Lansing, MI, March 31

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

March 31, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

TRB 

Using TRID to Find the Best Transportation Research Webinar

March 31, 2:00-3:00 PM

New

University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies (CTS)

Industry and International Perspectives on AI Integration Webinar

April 1, 10:00-11:30 AM

New

National Center for Rural Road Safety

RSCP: Pursuing Transportation and Positive Health Outcomes for Everyone (PH#5) Webinar

April 1, 1:00 PM

National RTAP

Rural Transit Manager Peer Roundtable: Rural Mobility Hubs

April 1, 2:00-3:00 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Builder Office Hours

April 2, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

Vision Zero Network

Tech Tools Driving Safer Behaviors: Local Examples from Uber & CMT Webinar

April 2, 1:00 PM

New

TRB 

Advancing and Deploying Automated Vehicle Technologies Webinar

April 6, 12:00-1:30 PM

Arizona Transit Association (AzTA) and Arizona DOT

Arizona’s 39th Annual Statewide Transit

Mesa, AZ, April 6-8

Please visit our booth!

National Transit Institute

Public Involvement in Transportation Decision-Making Online Course

April 6-9, 1:00-5:00 PM

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

April 7, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

Tribal Self-Governance

2026 Tribal Self-Governance Conference

Chandler, AZ, April 7-9

National RTAP

GTFS Builder Office Hours

April 9, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

TRB 

Artificial Intelligence and Data Governance in Transportation Webinar

April 10, 2:00-3:30 PM

American Public Transportation Association (APTA)

APTA Legislative Conference

Washington, DC, April 12-14

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

2026 AASHTO Spring Meeting

Savannah, GA, April 12-15

National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA) Fleet Management Association

NAFA 2026 Institute & Expo

Cleveland, OH, April 13-15

National Transit Institute

Public Involvement in Transportation Decision-Making

Philadelphia, PA, April 13-15

California Association for Coordinated Transportation (CALACT)

CALACT Spring Conference

Temecula, CA, April 13-16

Please visit our booth!

National Transit Institute

Transportation Planning Process Online Course

April 13-16, 1:00-5:00 PM 

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

April 14, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National Transit Institute

Ridership Forecasting with STOPS for Transit Project Planning

Boston, MA, April 14-16

FTA

19th Annual FTA Drug and Alcohol Program National Conference

Portland, OR, April 14-16

Ride AI

Ride AI Summit

San Francisco, CA, April 15

National RTAP

Mobility Management Roundtable Series - Grant Writing 

April 15, 12:00-1:00 PM

United Motorcoach Association (UMA)

UMA 2026 Bus and Motorcoach Industry Legislative Fly-In

Washington, D.C., April 15-16

National RTAP

GTFS Builder Office Hours

April 16, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

Pennsylvania Public Transportation Association (PPTA)

PPTA Annual Meeting & Expo

Lancaster, PA, April 20-23

Please visit our table!

National Transit Institute

Procurement IV: Contract Administration

Spokane, WA, April 20-23

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

April 21, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

2026 AASHTOWare Connect

Des Moines, IA, April 21-22, 2026

New

Chaddick Institute

Short-Term Outlook for Intercity Bus Travel Webinar

April 22, 1:15-2:00 PM 

National RTAP

GTFS Builder Office Hours

April 23, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies (CTS)

EV Infrastructure and Fuel Policy—Understanding the Transportation and Economic Impacts Webinar

April 23, 3:00–4:30 PM

New

U.S. DOT

Holding the Line: Transportation's Defense Against Human Trafficking Webinar

April 23, 2:00-3:45 PM

North Carolina Public Transportation Association (NCPTA)

2026 NCPTA Conference, Expo, Roadeo and Golf Tournament

Cherokee, NC, April 26-29

Please visit our booth!

Association of Mobility Managers (AMM)

AMM Conference/Rural Transit and Mobility Management Caucus

Oklahoma City, OK, April 27-29

We're participating!

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

April 28, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

TRB 

Improving Perception of Customer Security and Deterring Transit Assaults Webinar

April 28, 1:00-2:00 PM

National Transit Institute

Assault Awareness and Prevention for Transit Operators (Train-the-Trainer) Online Course

April 28, 1:00-4:30 PM

Texas Transportation Association

TTA Conference and Roadeo

Lubbock, TX, April 28-May 2

We're participating!

New

Shared-Use Mobility Center (SUMC)

Boring Tiny Tools for Transit, a.k.a. Just Enough AI Webinar

April 29, 1:30 PM

Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy

2nd Annual Tribal Clean Energy Finance Forum

Reno, NV, April 29-30

National RTAP

GTFS Builder Office Hours

April 30, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

U.S. DOT

Holding the Line: Transportation's Defense Against Human Trafficking Webinar

April 30, 2:00-3:45 PM

National Transit Institute

Introduction to Transit Asset Management Online Course

May 4-6, 1:00-4:30 PM

National Transit Institute

Public Involvement in Transportation Decision-Making Online Course

May 4-7, 1:00-5:00 PM

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

May 5, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

U.S. Access Board 

U.S. Access Board Public Town Hall Meeting 

Lincoln, RI, May 5, 1:00-3:00 PM 

Registration must be received by April 26

Minnesota RTAP

Minnesota RTAP Spring Transit Workshop 2026

Waite Park, MN, May 5-7

Please visit our table!

FHWA

Innovative Funding Processes for Rural Road Safety Webinar

May 7, 1:00 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Builder Office Hours

May 7, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA)

CTAA EXPO

Omaha, NE, May 10-13

National Transit Institute

Introduction to Paratransit Management and Operations Online Course

May 11-14, 1:00-5:00 PM

National Transit Institute

Procurement III: RFPs and Competitive Contract Negotiations

Lexington, KY, May 11-14, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

May 12, 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

May 12, 1:00-5:00 PM

New

ADA Guru

ADA Compliance Training Seminar

Las Vegas, NV, May 12-14

We're providing resources!

National RTAP

GTFS Builder Office Hours

May 14, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

Community Transportation Association of the Northwest (CTANW)

CTANW Summit

Leavenworth, WA, May 18-19

National Transit Institute

Introduction to Transit Service Planning Online Course

May 18-21, 1:00-5:00 PM

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

May 19, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National Transit Institute

Crisis Communications for Transit Managers Online Course

May 19-20, 1:00-4:30 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Builder Office Hours

May 21, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

May 26, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National RTAP

GTFS Builder Office Hours

May 28, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National Transit Institute

Assault Awareness and Prevention for Transit Operators (Train-the-Trainer) Online Course

May 28, 1:00-4:30 PM

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

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