eNews - May 23, 2024

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 Review Board Transitions

New National RTAP/SUMC Tech Brief on Rural and Urban Transportation Coordination

U.S. DOT Strengthening Mobility & Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grant NOFO

New Rural Innovators Initiative will Include Recognition from the White House

 

National RTAP Review Board Transitions

John Andoh Headshot

John Andoh

Transit General Manager, Redding Area Bus Authority, Redding, CA

Dion Knipp Headshot

Dion Knipp, Operations Director, OATS Transit, Columbia, MO


Mallory Meier, Deputy Director, River Cities Public Transit, Pierre, SD


Much of National RTAP's work is overseen by a Review Board, whose experience helps inform the development of our products and services. Composed of fourteen rural and tribal providers and state transit officials, the Board provides expertise and local perspectives to ensure that our work is relevant, useful, and of the highest quality. 


At our Review Board meeting in Washington, DC on May 21, 2024, we welcomed three new board members (shown above):

  • John Andoh, Transit General Manager, Redding Area Bus Authority, Redding, CA
  • Dion Knipp, Operations Director, OATS Transit, Columbia, MO
  • Mallory Meier, Deputy Director, River Cities Public Transit, Pierre, SD


We also honored outgoing board members:

  • Deborah Bach, Rural Transit Programs Supervisor, New Mexico Department of Transportation, Past Review Board Chair
  • Kristin Haar, Public Transit Director, Iowa Department of Transportation
  • Jonnie Kusek, Director of Transportation, Open Plains Transit, Nebraska 
About Our Review Board

New National RTAP and SUMC Technical Brief on Rural and Urban Transportation Coordination


National RTAP and the Shared-Use Mobility Center (SUMC) collaborated on a Rural and Urban Transportation Coordination technical brief. It describes how to plan, fund, and sustain rural and urban transportation coordination projects and provides case studies of successful initiatives. Case studies include the Utah Urban Rural Specialized Transit Association (URSTA) / Utah Transit Authority (UTA) and the North Sound Transportation Alliance (NSTA).

Transit Day on the Hill
 

Photo of Transit Day on the Hill, courtesy of URSTA/UTA

Featured Resource

Upcoming National RTAP Events


In support of the NTD reporting requirements for GTFS for fixed and deviated fixed route service, National RTAP is offering free, live support on Thursdays from 1:00-1:30 PM ET. Meet with our instructor, share your screen, and ask questions. Use this link to join – no preregistration is needed.


Website Builder allows rural and tribal transit agencies and State RTAPs to create and design websites that are hosted on the National RTAP server free of charge. National RTAP now offers live technical support for Website Builder on Tuesdays from 1:00-1:30 PM ET. Share your screen, ask questions, and get help with your website. Use this link to join – no need to register.


National RTAP officially transitioned its Resource Library to its new Resource Share 2.0 platform. Resource Share 2.0 is a robust Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) with many new ways to search, filter, view, and order resources. View the User Guide. Register for a webinar on June 11, 2024 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET to learn how to navigate and maximize the new Resource Share 2.0 OPAC.


Our next State RTAP Manager Peer Roundtable will take place on July 10, 2024 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET. State RTAP Managers can join their peers for an informal discussion on GTFS, 5310 programs, scholarship policies, and other topics of interest.


For our August 6, 2024 meeting from 2:00-3:00 PM ET, the National RTAP Books in Transit Discussion Group will be reading Buses Are a Comin'. Charles Person, the youngest Freedom Rider and one of two surviving original Freedom Riders, wrote a memoir of his famous and history-shaping rides on Greyhound and Trailways buses in 1961 to end segregation on buses, in depots, and in waiting areas. The author is planning to attend! Register.


National RTAP and the Transportation Safety Institute (TSI) will be holding a Substance Abuse Management and Program Compliance Course on September 17-19, 2024, and a Reasonable Suspicion and Post-accident Testing Determination Seminar 

on September 20, 2024, both in Kalispell, Montana. Register.


Presentations Posted for National RTAP Rural and Tribal Capital Projects Training


Presentation slides and handouts have been posted for the National RTAP Rural and Tribal Capital Projects Training, which took place on April 22-24 in Spokane, Washington. Attendees were introduced to transit capital development and construction project management principles through all phases.


National RTAP Calendar Can be Added to your Website


A calendar like the one on our Calendar web page can be added to any website so your visitors can find and register for upcoming trainings. Links to our Calendar Widgets can be found at the bottom of the page. Both Website Builder users and others can add the Calendar. If you need help, contact technical support. 


Welcome New Territorial RTAP Managers


National RTAP extends a warm welcome to new Guam RTAP Managers Mike Johnson and Margaret Nauta. If you would like to get in touch with them or any other RTAP Managers, visit our Directory of State RTAP Managers.

National RTAP Participation in Upcoming Conferences


We're presenting and exhibiting at the following conferences and meetings:


National RTAP Drug and Alcohol Programs Topic Guide Updated


National RTAP continues our annual Topic Guide updates with our Drug and Alcohol Programs Topic Guide. New resources include:


Get Ready for Rural Transit Day!


Rural Transit Day is July 16, 2024. We will be holding a Rural Transit Day Chat on July 16, 2024 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET, co-moderated by Stephanie Lewis, Florida RTAP; Caitlin Musselman and Jeremy Johnson-Miller, National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC); and National RTAP staff. If you would like to RSVP, please contact info@nationalrtap.org.


Each year we are adding to our Rural Transit Day Time Capsule. This year we are collecting transit tokens. If you can send us one (even if you no longer use tokens), please mail it to Cara Marcus, National RTAP, 5 Wheeling Avenue, Woburn, MA 01801.


Take the Rural Transit Day Pledge to show your commitment to rural transit. As of this writing, we are up to 264 pledges. Let's see if we can get 275.


We have a new Rural Transit Day Proclamation Template. Visit the Rural Transit Day web page and click on the second button in the right-hand column (under the Take the Pledge button). The template will download to your computer.


View other ideas for Rural Transit Day celebrations in the pop-up button under the Rural Transit Day logo.


National RTAP Technical Brief Matching Game Contest Answers and Winner Announced


Every spring, National RTAP launches a fun contest to help our users learn more about our training resources. This year's contest was a Technical Brief Matching Game. TRB Transportation Research Information Services Library Assistant Shaakira Jackson was the first person who correctly identified which technical brief each sentence belongs to and won a $25 gift card. Read the answers.

 
U.S. DOT and FTA Updates

U.S. DOT is accepting applications for its Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program through July 12, 2024. The program provides funding to conduct demonstration projects focused on advanced smart community technologies and systems that improve transportation safety and efficiency.


U.S. DOT is establishing a Climate Change and Transportation Research Center at the University of California, Davis. The Center is comprised of partner institutions, including California State University Long Beach, Texas Southern University, University of California, Riverside, University of Southern California, and University of Vermont.


The U.S. DOT Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Notice of Funding Opportunity was amended on April 16, 2024. The amendment covers the funding set aside for planning and demonstration activities, clarification that funding will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, with awards in later deadlines being contingent on the availability of remaining funds, information about a match waiver, and clarification that that Implementation Grant applicants are limited to one application.

Webinars and Training

Through the Local Infrastructure Hub, small and mid-sized municipalities can receive support to develop strong, competitive grant applications through pro-bono technical training and grant-writing Bootcamps. Registrations are being accepted for the Reconnecting Communities & Neighborhoods Grant, Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Program, and others.


The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is offering several upcoming training opportunities on transportation partnerships:

Publications

Transportation plays an important role in expanding access to and use of behavioral health services for people experiencing homelessness. SAMHSA's Expanding Access to and Use of Behavioral Health Services for People Experiencing Homelessness talks about the importance of co-located services. The location of services should be convenient for those experiencing homelessness who have limited access to transportation and should be co-located with other services whenever possible. 


NCHRP's Micromobility Policies, Permits, and Practices documents policies, permits, and practices that State DOTs are engaged with regarding micromobility. For example, bicycles are defined in North Carolina state statutes, and bicycles and motor vehicles have to abide by the same rules.


TransitMatters Mobility Hubs Toolkit is about empowering communities to implement relatively low-cost mobility hub solutions that can be scaled to fit an individual community’s needs. The toolkit discusses features of mobility hubs, including bus level boarding, bus shelters, seating, street lighting, and other features for hub accessibility, comfort, and safety.


The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation launched a new Powering Tribal Nations newsletter. Interested individuals are welcome to sign up to receive it by email.

Databases and Tools

The Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy provides a U-Finder database, to help organizations find EV charger utility partners. Users can search and filter for utilities by state or ZIP code and get contact information to learn about their EV charger installation efforts.


USDA Rural Development (RD) offers Rural Investments Through RD Programs Dashboards. The dashboards show how much financing RD is providing for infrastructure, local businesses, and other community development projects, and how effective RD’s outreach is to communities in need.

Opportunities

The newly launched federal Rural Innovators Initiative invites nominations through June 14, 2024 for Rural Innovators who are making a positive impact in their rural communities. Rural Innovators will be recognized by the White House. Eligible individuals include those from the public and private sectors, local, state, Tribal and territory governments, non-profits, businesses, and others.


TCRP provides an online portal to collect ideas for research topics to address challenges facing public transportation and public transit agencies. TCRP is accepting submittals through June 14, 2024.


The Transportation Access Pilot Program is an opportunity to build data and methods to incorporate transportation access into the planning process. FHWA will provide technical support to agencies exploring how well transportation systems provide opportunities to access jobs, education, recreation, health care, and other destinations in a state or region by different transportation modes. Applicants may submit a Letter of Interest by June 7, 2024 to be considered for Round 1 of the pilot.


The Common Counsel Foundation and Native Americans in Philanthropy opened the Native Voices Rising 2024 grant cycle. The grant addresses critical issues facing Indigenous communities. The deadline for submissions is June 28, 2024.


FHWA invites eligible agencies to express interest in participating in the Transportation Access Pilot Program (APP). Pilot participants will collaborate with FHWA, other participants through case studies and peer exchanges, and nationally with ongoing data efforts such as geospatial bike, pedestrian, and accessibility. Letters of interest are due June 7, 2024.

Legislation

The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau seeks comments on mechanisms to implement multilingual Wireless Emergency Alerts. The Bureau proposes to require commercial mobile service providers participating in these alerts to support a set of pre-translated messages in English, the 13 most commonly spoken languages in the U.S., and American Sign Language. Comments are due June 12, 2024.


The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a Final Rule on Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule: Revisions and Confidentiality Determinations for Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems, effective January 1, 2025. This rule aims to ensure that reporting is based on empirical data, reflects total methane and waste emissions, and allows owners and operators of applicable facilities to submit empirical emissions data that appropriately demonstrate the extent to which a charge is owed under the Waste Emissions Charge.

Upcoming Events

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).


Gladstein, Neandross & Associates (GNA)

Advanced Clean Transportation Expo (ACTexpo)

Las Vegas, NV, May 20-23


The Transportation Alliance

Legislative Fly-In

Washington, DC, May 21-23


National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

May 23, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


National Center for Rural Road Safety

Sneak Peek: Rural Road Safety Awareness Week 2024 Webinar

May 23, 1:00-2:30 PM


Joint Office of Energy and Transportation 

Reliability Strategies for Electric Vehicle Charging Webinar

May 23, 1:30 PM


Native Learning Center

CISA Priority Telecommunications Services: Learn How You Can Enhance Your Emergency Communications Capability Webinar

May 23, 2:00-3:30 PM


Administration for Community Living (ACL)

Back to Basics Series: Title III/VI Coordination Webinar

May 23, 3:00 PM


U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

USDA Tribal Consultation and Listening Session on Build America, Buy America Purchase Preference Requirements Webinar

May 23, 3:00-5:00 PM


National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

May 28, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


Administration for Community Living (ACL)

Overview of HHS’ Final Rule Implementing Section 504 of the Rehab Act Webinar

May 28, 2:00 PM


National RTAP and AASHTO

State DOT Medicaid Guidance & Transit Coordination Roundtable 

May 29, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM


Government Technology Industry Navigator

Top 10 Tech-Funded Grants and How to Leverage Them

May 29, 12:00 PM


FMCSA

FMCSA Registration Modernization Stakeholder Day II

May 29, 1:00-3:00 PM


National Transit Institute

Violence in the Transit Workplace - Prevention, Response and Recovery (Train the Trainer) Online Course

May 29, 1:00-4:30 PM


Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center (SARTAC)

Plain Language: A Webinar for Government and Non-Profits Agencies

May 29, 4:00 PM


U.S. DOT

DOT Climate Change Center 2024 Webinar Series: Climate Adaptation and Resilience in Transportation

May 30, 1:00 PM 


National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

May 30, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


Native Learning Center

Strategies for Navigating Change with Your Tribal Department Staff Webinar

May 30, 2:00-3:30 PM


Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC)

Streets are for People! Livable Streets 2.0 and Five Decades of the Conflict, Power and Promise of our Streets Webinar

May 31, 2:30-3:30 PM


FPTA/FDOT/CUTR

2024 FPTA/FDOT/CUTR Professional Development Workshop & Transit Safety and Operations Summit

Tampa, Florida, June 3-5

We're presenting!


National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

June 4, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


Local Infrastructure Hub

A SMART Approach to Transportation Technology for Accessibility Webinar

June 4, 2:00-3:00 PM


National Transit Institute

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

June 5, 1:00-4:30 PM


National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

June 6, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


Government Technology

Getting Identity Right Online: Insights from the State of Digital Identity 2024 Report Webinar

June 6, 2:00 PM


U.S. Access Board

Title II – Accessibility for State and Local Government Funded Facilities Webinar

June 6, 2:30-4:00 PM


Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA)

CTAA Expo

Palm Beach, FL, June 9-12

Please visit our booth!


National Center for Applied Transit Technology (N-CATT)

The First Steps to Defending Your Agency in Cyberspace: an N-CATT Forum

West Palm Beach, FL, June 10, 10:15 AM - 2:00 PM


National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

June 11, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


U.S. DOT

Public Engagement Workshop

Atlanta, GA, June 12, 8:15 AM - 4:45 PM


Intelligent Transport

Transforming Customer Journeys: Enabling Seamless Travel with the Latest Ticketing & Payment Technology Integration Webinar

June 12, 9:00 AM


Administration for Community Living (ACL)

Navigating Successful Partnerships: Benefits and Strategies Webinar

June 12, 1:00 PM


National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

June 13, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


Clarion Events

Transport Ticketing North America 2024

Chicago, IL, June 17-18


U.S. DOT

DBE Final Rule Changes: DBE Open Ended Performance Plans (OEPP) for Design-Build Contracts Webinar

June 18, 1:00 PM


National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

June 18, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


The Transportation Alliance

RevUp 2024

Niagra Falls, NY, June 18-20


National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

June 20, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


Rural Grocery Initiative

National Rural Grocery Summit

Montgomery, AL, June 24-25

Please visit our booth!


TRB

TRB's 4th International Conference on Access Management

Boston, MA, June 24-26


National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

June 25, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


National Center for Applied Transit Technology (N-CATT)

Transit Data Dashboards 201 Workshop

June 25-27, 2:00 PM


Administration for Community Living (ACL)

Navigating Partnerships with Healthcare Organizations Webinar

June 26, 1:00 PM


Accessible Transportation Resource Center (ATRC)

ATRC Virtual Office Hours

June 26, 1:00-2:00 PM


National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

June 27, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

July 2, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


TRB

TRB’s Workshop on Transportation Law

Kansas City, MO, July 7-10


USAging 

Answers on Aging Annual Conference and Tradeshow

Tampa, FL, July 8-11


National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

July 9, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


Conference Of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO)

COMTO 2024 National Meeting & Training Conference

Houston, TX, July 9-12


National RTAP

State RTAP Manager Peer Roundtable

July 10, 2:00-3:00 PM


National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

July 11, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


Special Libraries Association

SLA 2024 Annual Conference & Expo

Kingston, RI, July 13-16

We're presenting!


TRB 

TRB Conference on Advancing Transportation Equity

Baltimore, MD, July 15-18

We're participating


National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

July 16, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


National RTAP

Rural Transit Day Chat

July 16, 2:00-3:00 PM


National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

July 18, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


National Local Technical Assistance Program Association (NLTAPA)

National LTAP/TTAP Annual Conference

Albuquerque, NM, July 21-25


National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

July 23, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


U.S. DOT

Final Rule Prompt Payment and Return of Retainage Requirements with Rollout of a Tool and Toolkit for Optional Use by Recipients/Subrecipients Webinar

July 24, 1:00 PM


Administration for Community Living (ACL)

Navigating Partnerships Between State Government, Local Government, and Program Providers Webinar

July 24, 1:00 PM


National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

July 25, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


FTA/AASHTO/APTA 

State Public Transportation Partnerships Conference

Fort Worth, TX, July 29-30

We're participating


National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

July 30, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


U.S. DOT

Requirements for TVMs in the New DBE Rule Webinar

July 30, 3:00 PM


FTA

2024 FTA Transit Asset Management (TAM) Roundtable

Chicago, IL, July 30-31


National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) 

2024 National Regional Transportation Conference

Greenville, SC, July 30 - August 1


Association of Travel Instruction (ATI)

2024 ATI Annual Conference 

Charlotte, NC, July 30-August 1


National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

August 1, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

August 6, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


National RTAP

Books in Transit Discussion Group - Buses Are a Comin'

August 6, 2024, 2:00-3:00 PM ET


National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

August 8, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

August 13, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

August 15, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

August 20, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

August 22, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


National Transportation in Indian Country Conference (NTICC)

NTICC

Durant, OK, August 25-29

We're Presenting and Exhibiting!


National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

August 27, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

August 29, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting


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

Calendar of Events

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

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