ITLC Update
Lung-I Lo, Graphic Designer, Joins ITLC Team

 

 










Lung joins the ITLC as a Graphic Designer to establish the brand identity of the organization and its affiliates and to create engaging promotional materials in print and electronic media.
Lung obtained the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design at Savannah College of Art and Design. Throughout his design career, he has collaborated with several socially responsible nonprofit organizations, and he enjoys solving problems by offering creative, conceptual and visually appealing solutions. It means a lot to Lung when his design contribution makes a difference in a constructive way. Lung is also an airline enthusiast and the longest non-stop flight that he has ever traveled was from New York's JFK to Bangkok, a 17.5-hour journey in 2005. Thai Airways International is his all-time favorite airline.
Upcoming Webinars
APTAU – January 20, 3:00 pm ET
This webinar will allow attendees to glean more information from TSA regarding the incident response plan requirements, details of the vulnerability assessment form and what to expect when an incident is reported. Available resources will also be shared.
Public Transportation
The Washington Post – January 15, 2022
Scott Bogren, executive director of the D.C.-based Community Transportation Association of America, said member agencies have reported having as many as 40 percent of their operators out sick. He said at least three top executives of smaller transit agencies have told him they have driven buses to keep some routes open.
 
APTA, CTAA – January 11, 2022
APTA, together with CTAA, submitted a request for a short-term waiver of the new entry-level driver training requirements to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). We urged FMCSA to grant a three-month waiver of the rule (which is effective on February 7) to the transit industry because of a nationwide driver shortage due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
 
AASHTO Journal – January 14, 2022
Dr. Shawn Wilson – secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development – headlined a roundtable discussion at the Transportation Research Board’s 2022 annual meeting on January 11 in Washington D.C. entitled “State DOTs: Creating Pathways to Equity.” He noted during his opening remarks that in the 107-year history of AASHTO, there has only been one African American president “and it happens to be me.” However, he noted that the demographics of state department of transportation leadership – indeed, for the transportation industry as a whole – is undergoing significant and rapid change.
 
Route Fifty – January 17, 2022
Urbanists and city planners have long pushed to get more homes built near transit lines, seeing this as a way to tackle some of the most pressing problems cities face, like expanding affordable housing, reducing traffic and vehicle emissions and addressing the racial inequities that are embedded in the layout of many metro areas. Recently, policymakers in places like Massachusetts, California and Chicago have made strides to promote this kind of transit-oriented development. But building support for such programs can be politically fraught at the local level, often drawing opposition from residents of single-family neighborhoods who are wary of dense development being added near their homes.
Transit Partners
IndyStar – January 13, 2022
The agency started a "Why I Drive" promotional campaign, raised wages and established a mentorship program to attract and retain operators. Heading into 2022, IndyGo is seeing a steady graduation of 5-10 operators each month, Evans said. They budgeted for about 500 operators, and currently have 425.

Mass Transit – December 6, 2021
Experts say the 11-mile line from Old Town to UTC mall, which began running two weeks ago, will help the area around UC San Diego avoid becoming like some parts of Los Angeles — so congested that people and businesses consider relocating.
Economic Issues
Next City – January 13, 2022
For years “pay as you go” systems, which give riders the freedom to choose when and how often they travel without being locked into a contract, have been seen by cities as the fairest ticket for public transit payment. But a growing number of urban transit authorities are backing a tool that experts say has the potential to both increase ridership amid a pandemic-induced slump and reduce the financial burden on the poorest commuters: fare caps.
Labor News
The New York Times – January 14, 2022
Labor law functionally ceased to protect the right to organize decades ago, and a simple reinstatement of the rules around “timely elections” is not going to fix that, but there is one change that might. In late summer, the new general counsel at the labor board put out a memo expressing interest in potentially returning to the Joy Silk doctrine, the standard discarded around 1970. If Joy Silk had been the law when subsequent generations tried to organize, Amazon, Starbucks and Whole Foods might have all gone union 10 to 20 years ago. 
Safety & Health
NPR - January 16, 2022
Across the country, the spread of omicron has people scrambling to get tested for COVID. The lines are long, appointments get scooped up fast, and rapid antigen tests are hard to find. This problem is hitting essential workers – often people of color – particularly hard. Unlike many office workers, they can't work from home, and their companies haven't stockpiled tests. The result is lost wages or risking infecting coworkers or family members.
Green News
Government Technology – January 18, 2022
The partnership will test features like automatic braking and automation in bus yards, as well as safety features like pedestrian awareness and blind spot detection. The companies will also develop some automated driving capabilities, particularly in areas like bus depot charging locations.
International Transportation Learning Center
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