Transit Workforce Center staff traveled to Louisville, Kentucky to the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) Expo 2022 the week of May 10 to engage with transit agencies and stakeholders from across the country on critical workforce development issues. Invited by CTAA Executive Director Scott Bogren to address the opening plenary, ITLC staff Amri Joyner and Pat Greenfield spoke about TWC's technical assistance services and major initiatives. Amri and Pat also staffed a table in the exhibition hall, responding to questions and ensuring attendees learned about the resources, information, and support the TWC can provide.
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From left to right: Rachel Hill, Dionna McCrane, Sarah Dufek, Steve Bardonner, Jamaine Gibson, and Pat Greenfield leading transit-community college partnerships |
On Thursday afternoon, CTAA participants had the opportunity to attend a TWC-facilitated panel on "Community College Partnerships for Recruitment, Retention, and Workforce Development", featuring: Jamaine Gibson, Apprenticeships and Development Director, ATU; Sarah Dufek, Transit Mentorship and Apprenticeship Coordinator, IndyGo; Rachel Hill, Financial/Recording Secretary, ATU Local 1070; Dionna McCrane, Mentorship and Apprenticeship Coordinator, ATU Local 1070; and Steven Bardonner, Dean, School of Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering and Applied Technology for Central Indiana, Ivy Tech Community College. The panelists described their cutting-edge partnership for frontline transit workers, including an in-depth discussion of mentoring and joint career-college pathways in strengthening all aspects of workforce development.
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The following day, ITLC staff John Schiavone presented to participants at a day-long intensive session, "Zero Emissions Small Transit Deep Dive." John's presentation focused on key elements of zero emission bus technology, safety considerations, training needs and challenges, and potential solutions to those challenges, highlighting a range of available materials and resources from the TWC. |
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Amri Joyner (left) and Pat Greenfield (right) joined by Betty Jackson (center) from the FTA Office of Research and Innovation at the TWC's CTAA exhibit table. |
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Forbes – May 15, 2022
Are motorists latterly being priced off the road? No. The cost of motoring remains lower than the cost of public transport. According to the RAC Foundation, bus fares increased by 65-70% over the last ten years, while the cost of motoring rose by 20% over the same period.
The report also noted that overall transit ridership in the United States dropped sharply in April 2020 to nearly 80 percent below 2019 levels largely due to national stay-at-home orders – and remained at more than 60 percent below 2019 levels for remainder of the year even after state and local governments lifted stay-at-home orders. As a result, transit agencies throughout the nation suffered financial losses of $26 billion in 2020.
Mass Transit Magazine – May 12, 2022
Veronica Vanterpool has been appointed to be deputy administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Vanterpool has served as senior advisor in the FTA Office of the Administrator since August 2021. She and FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez are the first Latinas to serve in their roles.
Surface Transportation Board – April 7, 2022
In announcing the hearing, Board Chairman Martin Oberman said:
“During my time on the Board, I have raised concerns about the primacy Class I railroads have placed on lowering their operating ratios and satisfying their shareholders even at the cost of their customers. Part of that strategy has involved cutting their work force to the bare bones in order to reduce costs. Over the last 6 years, the Class Is collectively have reduced their work force by 29% – that is about 45,000 employees cut from the payrolls. In my view, all of this has directly contributed to where we are today – rail users experiencing serious deteriorations in rail service because, on too many parts of their networks, the railroads simply do not have a sufficient number of employees.
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DCist – May 17, 2022
The scathing report published Tuesday morning follows a damning 48 hours for WMATA: Officials reported that safety certifications expired for half of the agency’s 500-plus train operators, leading Metrorail to pull workers off the tracks and creating significant delays for Yellow and Green line trains. Then Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld announced he’d be retiring 45 days earlier than expected, along with WMATA Chief Operating Officer Joe Leader. Andy Off, executive vice president of capital delivery, will lead the company until Wiedefeld’s replacement, Randy Clarke, starts this summer.
BET – May 11, 2022
For the African American community, public transit is one of the most important municipal resources available. Most every county in the nation and most cities have at least a bus system that brings people from place to place and according to the American Public Transportation Association, people took 9.9 billion trips on buses, trains, ferries and other methods in 2019. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says a White House strategy is in place to make things even better for those who rely on public transportation to get to work, school, or even to buy groceries and for Black residents this could potentially be a major game changer. According to a 2016 Pew Research study, Black people in urban areas make up 34 percent of all public transit users. Buttigieg says his strategy involves making buses and trains easier for people to use, along with ensuring that there are career paths in transit for African Americans and opportunities for minority-owned businesses when it comes to building infrastructure.
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Business Insider – May 15, 2022
It's hard to say unionization is at a tipping point. While Gallup found 68% of Americans approve of unions, a high unseen since 1965, actual membership fell yet again in 2021. But one thing is clear: The culture of work in America changed drastically in the past year. Demand for higher wages, a rise in so-called anti-work attitudes, "slowing up," and a thirst for organizing are just some of the tools workers wielded with mighty force. The year workers said "no" to what they viewed as low wages and poor conditions began last April when Americans walked off the job in an unorganized fashion to the tune of a record 4 million resignations — and it hasn't let up since.
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International Transit News |
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The Brussels Times – May 12, 2022
It is one of the last measures France has against Covid-19, but Minister of Health Olivier Véran confirmed that it will be removed. “From Monday May 16, wearing a mask will no longer be compulsory in all public transport,” said Véran at a Council of Ministers meeting. The mask requirement is concerning the metro, bus, train, plane and taxis.
Bloomberg – May 5, 2022
The government has asked the public roads administration to give its view on a proposal to reduce the benefits of using an electric car in and near urban areas, such as reduced road tolls, driving in bus lanes and parking benefits, according to a statement on Thursday. While such perks have already been gradually scaled back in last couple of years, EV owners still enjoy clear advantages over those with fossil fuel cars. “Electric cars give us greener transport, but they also have a clear intermodal competition with public transport in urban areas,” Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygard said in the statement. “We must make it more attractive to travel by public transport, cycle and walk.”
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Governing – May 12, 2022
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), a sprawling $1.2 trillion spending bill that includes nearly $40 billion in additional money for local public transit, is about to force transit agencies and local governments to find new revenues to match the beefed-up federal grant dollars. Difficult choices will need to be made now — think new tax increment financing districts, congestion pricing or repurposing of existing public funds — or IIJA grant dollars will be left on the table. Mandates on how IIJA dollars can be spent only increase pressure placed on local governments and transit agencies. Unlike the COVID-19 relief bills, which included funding to support operational expenses, much of the IIJA’s public transit funds must be spent on capital projects.
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US DOL Women’s Bureau – May 25, 3:00 pm ET
Join the Women’s Bureau for a conversation with organizational leaders, policy experts and advocates on the topic of advancing equity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacifica Islander (AANHPI) women. In this webinar, the unique experiences of AANHPI women in the workforce will be highlighted, particularly in light of increased bias incidents and hate crimes against AANHPI communities.
Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor, June 2 - June 3
The conference will explore and amplify the intersection of a fresh wave of global worker activism and new social compacts. The gathering will build on and expand the discussion launched at Constructing a New Social Compact, a major virtual gathering in 2021.
TWC – June 7, 1:30 pm ET
This is the second in the Transit Workforce Center’s webinar series on strategic workforce development planning in transit. The TWC’s first webinar examined workforce development for the incumbent workforce. This webinar focuses on how transit agencies and partner organizations are working to meet the significant recruitment challenges across the country and how to best turn these challenges into opportunities to reach, attract, and retain a diverse workforce. Two transit agencies and their labor partners will discuss their innovative outreach and recruitment programs--including mentoring, pre-apprenticeships, and community college partnerships--followed by a presentation from a national organization leader who has coordinated cross-sectoral recruitment initiatives with agencies across the U.S.
TRB – June 21, 2:30 pm ET
The demand for public transportation investments far exceeds the funds available. While states and communities seek additional revenue sources to maintain current transit assets and serve rapidly changing travel markets, they need methods to help decide where to allocate their limited resources. TRB will host a webinar that will explore practical advice to improve the prioritization process for public transportation projects. Presenters will focus on methods used to prioritize transit capital projects and on cross-modal decision-making, specifically the comparison of public transit and non-transit projects.
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