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Transit Benefit Statistics Added to National RTAP Marketing Toolkit
 
The National RTAP Marketing Toolkit has a new  Transit Benefit Statistics page created to provide transit organizations and stakeholders with compelling statistics that demonstrate the value of transit to passengers, the economy, the environment and more.  We've gathered statistics from organizations including USDOT, FTA, APTA and SURTC and include the source of the data.  Include these stats in your marketing brochures, advertisements, and presentations.
National RTAP Workshop Webinar Series: Website Builder - Start to Finish

During this webinar series on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2 PM ET through March 15, Technical Support Staff will walk participants through the process of setting up a transit website using National RTAP's Website Builder tool.  Each Tuesday lesson will be accompanied by an optional Q&A session on Thursday. By completing each session's "homework," the user will have a completed site by the end of the series.  Learn more and register  today for the one or more parts of the webinar series. 
Recording Posted for National RTAP Peer Call: State Allocation of Section 5310 and 5311 Funds

Watch the recording of the recent Peer Call on  State Allocation of Section 5310 and 5311 Funds and download the slides and summaries of the Application Processes in TX, MI, and NY . During the call, State Program Managers from TX and MI spoke about the programs in their states, including the formula or criteria they use, application cycle, and review process. Participants from NY, AZ, NE, and ID also contributed to the conversation.
Updated Mobility Management Topic Guide

The Mobility Management   Topic Guide  in our Resource Center was updated in February 2018. We've added a number of new reports, including NCCM and SeniorCorps' Mobility Management: Introduction, Implementation, Community Service and Seniors and the Rural Information Hub Rural Transportation Toolkit Chapter on Mobility Management.
Build America Bureau - Financing Opportunities and Feedback Requested

USDOT's Volpe Center is working with National RTAP to better understand any constraints that prevent rural transit agencies from accessing financing, as well as to promote the  Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act  program. TIFIA provides credit assistance in the form of direct loans, loan guarantees, and standby lines of credit to projects of national or regional significance, including buses and facilities, ITS, and rural infrastructure.  Please fill out this  two-question survey  to share any challenges your agency faces in terms of financing and to ask any questions you would like addressed during a future webinar on the TIFIA program.
FTA and USDOT Updates

FTA is hosting a TAM Refresher Webinar, today, February 22 between 2-3 PM ET.  Mshadoni Smith, TAM Program Manager FTA, will cover topics relevant to compliance with the TAM final Rule and highlight technical assistance resources available in advance of the October 2018 TAM Plan deadline.  Registrants need to have a basic understanding of the TAM final rule (49 CFR 625) requirements.

FTA's 2018 Triennial and State Management Reviews was recently published. One update this year is half fare for fixed-route service supported by Section 5307.  Fares charged to seniors, persons with disabilities or Medicare cardholders during off peak hours will not be more than one half peak hour fares.  For services like neighborhood circulators and shuttle services with fares that differ from regular local service, separate half fares are needed.

The USDOT Safety for All Users Report provides technical assistance to regional, local and Tribal stakeholders on safety infrastructure project planning, development, execution, and operations. Each section of the report provides overviews of policies and programs, State DOT implementation examples, key resources, common barriers and solutions, and evaluation of project efficacy.
Resources and News

Webinars

NORC's  W alsh Center for Rural Health Analysis is holding a webinar
on project outcomes from their Exploring Strategies to Improve Health and Equity in Rural Communities research on  February 22 at 2:00  PM ET.  This project focused on understanding of culture, history, priorities, assets, partners, and strategies unique to and common across rural communities and regions. National RTAP Executive Director Robin Phillips was among those invited to a day long focus group of subject matter experts from diverse sectors.

Publications

GTFS for Estimating Transit Ridership and Supporting Multimodal Performance Measures is a Volpe Center project that explores how this national transit dataset can be used to help state and local agencies estimate segment-level ridership and generate performance data for multimodal planning. The tools are able to compare vehicle traffic to estimated or measured transit ridership along the same road. 

The Transportation Planning Process Briefing Book is an FHWA report that provides an overview of transportation planning for government officials, decision makers, board members, transportation service providers, stakeholders and the public. Planning issues covered include environmental resources, social equity, safety and asset management.

Legislation

The proposed federal American Infrastructure Initiative calls for $50 billion in direct Federal funding to be devoted to a new Rural Infrastructure Program, which would also fund Tribal and US territorial infrastructure.  Funding is proposed to go to state governors to prioritize community needs, and also distributed through rural performance grants. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao is anticipated to appear at a Senate hearing on March 1, 2018.

Opportunities

FMCSA has launched a safety initiative where motor carriers, drivers, and the public can submit and track Crash Preventability Request for Data Reviews (RDRs) through the DataQs System. 
Ready to Start a Research Project?

If you need to do research for your next project or plan, look no further than National RTAP's Find Anything Toolkit.  We recently updated this toolkit's instructions for how to search online.  Once you've formulated a question and are ready to narrow the topic, you'll find tips on searching only government websites, limiting your search to web page titles, and accessing specialty search engines.
National RTAP Q&A Webinars on our 2019 Technical Assistance Conference Local Host RFP
 
We will be holding two Q&A Webinars to answer questions about the 2019 National RTAP Technical Assistance Conference Local Host Request for Proposals. The target audience for these webinars is State DOT Staff and State and Regional Transit Associations.  For a copy of the RFP, contact  [email protected] .

Webinar 1  - March 1, 2018, 2:00 PM ET 
Webinar 2 -  April 2, 2018, 2:00 PM ET
Look for us at these upcoming conferences!
  • South West Transit Association Annual Conference, Denver, CO, March 5-7
  • Michigan Rural Transportation Managers Workshop, Mount Pleasant, MI, April 25-26
  • CalACT Spring Conference, Newport Beach, CA, April 3-6  
  • Ohio Public Transit Association Annual Conference, Columbus, OH, April 9-11
  • MassDOT Innovation & Mobility Exchange, Worcester, MA, April 10-11
  • Montana Transit Association Spring Conference, Bozeman, MT, May 21-25
  • Virginia Transit Conference, Richmond, VA, May 22-23
  • CTAA EXPO, Pittsburgh, PA, June 10-14
February 22, 2018
Events
National RTAP
Website Builder - Start to Finish
February 6-March 15
Tuesdays and Thursdays,  2:00 PM

FTA
TAM Refresher Webinar
February 22, 2:00 PM

Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Exploring Strategies to Improve Health and Equity in Rural Communities
February 22,  2:00 PM

NTI
Procurement for Small and Medium Transit Systems
Ft. Worth, TX
February 22-23
Training

NTI
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise
Kansas City, MO
February 26-28

NTI
Risk Assessment and Basic Cost or Price Analysis
Chicago, IL
February 26-March 2  

AASHTO 
2018 Washington Briefing
February 27-March 2    
Washington, DC

National RTAP
2019 Conference Local Host RFP Q&A Part 1
March 1, 2:00 PM 

South West Transit Association
2018 SWTA Freedom Through Transit 
March 5-7
Denver, CO

CTANW
Mobility Management & NW Travel Training Summit 2018
Hood River, OR
March 7-9

NCMM
Mobility as a Service (MaaS): Concept and Practice
March 8, 2:00 PM

National RTAP
2019 Conference Local Host RFP Q&A Part 2
April 2, 2:00 PM 

CalACT
Spring Conference and Expo
Newport Beach, CA
April 3-6

NTI
Project Management for Transit Professionals  
April 4-5
Houston, TX
Training

OPTA
Ohio Needs Transit Conference
April 9-11
Columbus, OH

NTI
Implementing Rural Transit Technology 
April 19-20
Denver, CO

VTA
Virginia Transit Conference
Richmond, VA
May 22-23
 
CTAA 
Expo 2018
Pittsburgh, PA
June 10-14

RIBTC
National Conference on Rural Public & Intercity Bus Transportation
Sept 30-Oct 3
Breckenridge, CO
Conference

For a listing of all National RTAP and other national events, view our  Calendar . To submit an event, email 
 [email protected].

All event times listed as Eastern Time
Resource Spotlight
Bus Roadeo Materials and Supplies List

Spring is on the way, and so is roadeo season!  Whether you're participating in a bus roadeo or planning one for your agency or region, the National RTAP  Bus Roadeo Materials and Supplies List will get you started.  It's part of our Bus Roadeo Toolkit, and provides a checklist for everything you'll need - from sharpened pencils to highway cones.
National RTAP is a program of the Federal Transit Administration dedicated to creating rural and Tribal transit solutions through technical assistance, partner collaboration and FREE training materials.

Contact us:
Main:  5 Wheeling Avenue, Woburn, MA 01801, 888-589-6821
Washington, D.C.:  718 7th Street NW , Washington, DC 20001