October Membership Renewal and Directory Updates

Invoices were due October 1. If you have not made payment, please contact our office to keep your membership in good standing.

We are also preparing the Membership Directory for print. The due date to make changes to your member record, to be reflected in the next printed and digital directory, is October 15th.

If you need a copy of your invoice or want to renew online, please click here for instructions. Information on how to update your profile is also included in that link.

PBA Member Anderson Coach and Travel recently participated in Warriors to Washington by transporting members. Warriors to Washington honors veterans from the Erie region who were deployed and served the nation in the Armed Forces as a result of the attack on 9/11 by taking them to historical and national sites in Washington, D.C. Read more...

PBA Member, Bailey Coach announced the appointment of Courtney Bailey Piccolo as its new President & CEO, and Kristy Fasano as its new Vice President & COO. Congratulations!

Over the past few years, Piccolo and Fasano have been working side by side with previous President John W. Bailey as he mentored them for these positions.  Read the press release.

As we shared in the last GoNews, R & J Transportation, Inc., and R & J Tours (R&J) announced that it would be ceasing its charter and motor coach tour operations as of December 31, 2023.

In response, R&J received a tremendous amount of support and feedback from its customers and its colleagues. Specifically, C & R VIP, Inc. (C&R) a local motorcoach company out of Schuylkill County reached out immediately about its desire to continue serving R&J’s charters.

As a result, PBA Members R&J and C&R VIP, Inc. (C&R) are now proud to announce a strategic alliance to serve the customers of R&J and to meet the local needs of the charters in the future. Both R&J and C&R VIP, Inc. (C&R) pride themselves on providing quality service at the highest of safety standards to their customers such that this alliance will be a seamless transition of all charter operations.

Accordingly, R&J will continue to operate all existing tours through December 30, 2023. All R&J customer payments will be honored by C&R VIP, Inc. (C&R). 

Additionally, all R&J customers that are interested in charter for 2024 and beyond are strongly encouraged to utilize the services of C&R.

For further information, please contact C&R VIP, Inc. (C&R) at 570-429-2200.

PBA Member, Distinctive Systems is excited to welcome Sean Mueller and Jennifer Lawler to further expand their Support Team. With Sean's 25+ years of motorcoach experience at Coach USA and Jennifer’s 20+ years of experience at Badger Bus Lines, they provide a wealth of industry knowledge and Coach Manager experience that will further support their growing portfolio of accounts throughout North America. Sean also brings in a wealth of knowledge of their Tour Booking System. Read the press release.

PBA Member, LancasterHistory's Randy Harris was recently celebrated by the National Park Service's National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.

Randy won two awards: the Robert G. Stanton Award, given to those who demonstrate a commitment to engaging with and promoting the Network to Freedom program, and the Wilber H. Siebert Award, for outstanding research and scholarship in the field. He's also the first person in the program's history to win both awards. Congratulations, Randy! Read more...

Each year, NorthCoast 99 winners represent the best workplaces for top talent in Northeast Ohio. These organizations can also receive a Special Category award, an Award of Excellence for company size or industry, and recognition for being a 10-time or 20-time winner.

Congratulations to PBA Member, National Interstate Insurance for winning for the 12th time! See their Facebook post.

PBA Member, Wind Creek Bethlehem has named its new executive vice president and general manager.

Patrick Ryan, succeeding Kathy McCracken, is now serving in the position. McCracken had been on the job since February 2020 until her retirement on Sept. 30 this year.

According to Wind Creek, Ryan brings a wealth of expertise gained from various sales, marketing and operations roles with over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry.

September 6, 2023 Joint Meeting Guest Speaker Presentations

If you are interested in viewing the guest speaker presentations from the Joint Meeting held on September 6, 2023, please login to your member profile and click on Resources in the left hand navigation.

Have You Contacted Your Senators and Representatives Yet?

Senators. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Bob Casey, Jr. (D-Pa.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) introduced the Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services (CERTS) Tax Exemption Act in the Senate (S.1944). S.1944 is companion legislation to the House bill (H.R. 3510) re-introduced in May.

Bill H.R. 3510, reintroduction of a bill that would eliminate the tax burden for those who received CERTS Act money during the pandemic, was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means after being sponsored by Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.). The bill has since garnered the support of Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Jared Golden (R-Maine), Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), and John Rose (R-Tenn.).

The House bill currently has 13 sponsors, and the Senate bill has 5 sponsors. We need your help to advocate for our industry! Please contact your Senators and ask them to support S. 1944 and contact your Representatives and ask them to support H.R. 3510. Below are two easy forms that will only take a few minutes of your time to complete.

TSA Free Training Session on their Exercise Information System (EXIS) Platform 

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is offering an upcoming training session on how to utilize their Exercise Information System (EXIS) platform. 

EXIS is a FREE online exercise tool that guides users through the exercise (discussion tabletop to functional exercises) planning process and provides resources to design, document and evaluate exercises for all transportation modes. EXIS is designed to provide transportation operators with a scalable exercise design process that allows them to plan, conduct, and evaluate their operations against clear and consistent performance measures. *In addition, EXIS provides users with exercise design and conduct resources. 

Incorporating exercises into your operation is a great way to test your security plans/Emergency operations plans. 

Date/Time: November 8, 2023 1:00 PM

Location: Virtual

Cost: $0.00

Register: Send an email to Alena Kent, Transportation Security Inspector – Surface TSA - Department of Homeland Security, at Alena.Kent@tsa.dhs.gov.

The website for the platform is https://exis.tsa.dhs.gov/ Feel free to sign-up to become a registered user and explore the platform prior to the training event.

Shapiro Administration Announces Additional Federal Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Funding, Community Engagement Sessions 

PennDOT announced additional conditional awards for Round 1 of the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funding. These awards further the Shapiro Administration's work to address climate change, grow the Commonwealth's economy and ensure that the future of Pennsylvania transportation is on track to be cleaner, safer, more affordable, and more reliable than ever before. Read more...

Real ID Documentation Change Is Designed To Help Customers 

PennDOT recently announced that the requirement for proof of Social Security Number for REAL ID products will expand to include additional documents. Read more...

The Museum of Bus Transportation Elects New Bus Committee Chair/Board Member

The Museum of Bus Transportation/AACA Museum is proud to announce that Tom McCaughey has been elected as the bus group’s member on the AACAM Board of directors. The museum is excited about having someone with Toms achievements and skills leading efforts to preserve the history of the bus industry… and ideal combination of experience and energy. Read the Facebook post.

Tour Buses Catch on Fire in Upper Milford

Three tour buses caught on fire Sunday night in Upper Milford. Epic Tours, a charter bus company is without half of its fleet following the fire. Read more...

House Uncertainty Puts Shutdown Specter Right Back on the Table

Time on the floor working on appropriations now must be spent figuring out who the next speaker will be. Read more...

IRS Releases New Income Tax Brackets for 2023

The Internal Revenue Service released higher federal tax brackets and standard deductions for 2023 amid soaring inflation. Read more...

NTSB Staffing up for Safety

The National Transportation Safety Board has dramatically increased hiring this year to keep up with emerging technologies and reduce the average time it takes to complete investigations. Read more...

CVSA Releases 2023 Operation Safe Driver Week Results 

Law enforcement officers in Canada and the U.S. initiated 11,448 traffic stops of commercial motor vehicle drivers and passenger vehicle drivers who were engaging in unsafe driving behaviors during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Operation Safe Driver Week traffic-enforcement and safe-driving awareness and educational initiative. From July 10 to 16, officers issued 4,494 tickets/citations and 5,756 warnings to drivers – commercial motor vehicle and passenger vehicle drivers combined. Read more...

FMCSA Revises Notice Regarding 68 MPH Speed Limit 

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has revised its speed limiter entry in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s September 2023 Significant Rulemaking Report to eliminate a top speed in the summary. Read more...

FMCSA: Financial Responsibility for Motor Carriers of Passengers and Motor Carriers of Property

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FMCSA announces its plan to submit the Information Collection Request (ICR) described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for its review and approval and invites public comment. FMCSA requests approval to renew an ICR titled, “Financial Responsibility for Motor Carriers of Passengers and Motor Carriers of Property.” The information collected will be used to help ensure that motor carriers of passengers and property maintain the statutorily mandated levels of financial responsibility to operate on public highways. Read more...

6 Ways Limo Companies Are Using AI To Drive Business 

Technology is transforming the ground transportation industry. From ChatGPT to green metrics, limo companies are implementing the latest technology to enhance their businesses and provide superior service. Read more...

Could Bus Travel Actually Be Better—and Faster—Than Flying?

These days, flying is rarely comfortable or hassle-free, and you might spend more time in the airport than actually flying to your destination. Read more... 

ICYMI

Alerts, Invitations, Press Releases, and more are sent out to our Members as needed. Here are the emails we sent out since last Go News below.

• You Are Invited to BISC East, Hosted by GNJMA Virtually on November 15, 2023
• TSA Free Training Session on their Exercise Information System (EXIS) Platform November 8, 2023