|
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 Launches 2025 Photo Contest - Wrap It Up
Upcoming National RTAP Webinar on Multimodal Connectivity
National RTAP Welcomes New Team Member - Al Benedict
New FTA Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) Webpage
| | |
National RTAP Launches 2025 Photo Contest - Wrap It Up
Our National RTAP 2025 Photo Contest – Wrap It Up – is all about how you beautify your bus. We are looking for photos of visually appealing bus wraps, graphics, and decorations, including holiday embellishments. For those who enjoyed our 2024 Art of Transit Photo Contest, artistic creations are welcome. Your photo should embrace the theme - "No more boring buses!"
For inspiration, we're showing a winning entry from our 2023 Photo Contest, photographed by Marlen Davis of Ketchikan Transit.
Awards will be paid to the photographer: First Prize: $400, Second Prize: $200, Third Prize: $100. Winners also will receive plaques, and all entries will also receive certificates. Entries will be showcased on our social media and displayed at one or more upcoming conferences.
Each transit agency may submit up to 3 photos to info@nationalrtap.org by August 22, 2025. All photos must be accompanied by a Photo Release Form.
| | |
Upcoming National Webinar on Multimodal Connectivity
Paul Comfort, SVP, Chief Customer Officer, Modaxo Americas/ANZ and Producer/Host, Transit Unplugged will present at a National RTAP webinar on The Road to Multimodal Connectivity: Shaping the New Future of Public Transportation on July 10, 2025 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET. Paul Comfort explores how agencies and communities can connect transit, intercity rail, shared mobility, microtransit, active transportation, and more into one seamless rider experience. We’ll dive into how inter-agency cooperation, integrated fare systems, and emerging technologies are driving a new era of mobility—one that’s connected, convenient, and customer-centered.
| | |
National RTAP Welcomes New Team Member - Al Benedict
National RTAP is excited to announce its newest team member - Al Benedict. Al Benedict joined our team as our Technology Tools Lead in 2025. Al will also facilitate our biennial RTAP and Transit Manager Surveys and Community Rides Grants. He's worked for the Metropolitan Strategy Group in Cleveland on capital funding initiatives, the Center for Neighborhood Technology performing market and spatial analysis, and most recently for the Shared-Use Mobility Center (SUMC).
| | |
Upcoming National RTAP Events
In our Opportunities for Rural Mobility as a Service (MaaS) webinar on June 18, 2025 from 1:00-2:30 PM ET, we'll share lessons from 2 successful MaaS initiatives, one in rural Minnesota, the other from the San Joaquin Valley, which contains a number of rural areas. We'll demonstrate how scheduling and dispatch software can interface with existing MaaS platforms to seamlessly connect customers to fixed-route and demand-response transit, carshare, vanpool, taxi, and ridehail.
Register for the upcoming 2025 National RTAP Tribal & Rural Transit Mini-Conference that will take place on June 24-26, 2025 in Santa Fe, NM. National RTAP is providing three (3) full days of tribal and rural transit training.
The mini-conference kicks off with a two-day grant writing workshop. On the morning of Day 2, attendees not taking the grant writing workshop can attend the "Customer Service" and "Dealing with Problem Passengers" training modules. On Day 3, attendees can choose from either a day-long training on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or a concurrent 4-hour Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) Passenger Assistance Safety and Sensitivity (PASS) Driver Training workshop with the option to attend from 8:00 AM to noon or from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM. You must be present for the raffle drawing to win the prize.
National RTAP's next State RTAP Manager Peer Roundtable will be held on July 29, 2025, from 2:00-3:00 PM ET. This is an informal meeting for State RTAP Managers to discuss issues of interest to them. Topics will include how to find trainers, trainer succession planning, the role of State RTAPs in mobility management, and others.
Please note that this Roundtable is only for managers of State RTAPs. Stay tuned for an upcoming Transit Manager Peer Roundtable.
The National RTAP Books in Transit Discussion Group selected Bus People: 30 Days on the Road with America's Nomads by Mike Pentecost for its August 19, 2025, 2:00-3:00 PM ET meeting. Bus People focuses on the stories, hopes, and dreams that accompany the passengers that Greyhound serves. Register for the meeting. The author will be joining us! If you would like to borrow the book, please contact us.
2025 National RTAP Technical Assistance Conference Info
The 6th National RTAP Technical Assistance Conference, Wrangling Access and Mobility in Rural and Tribal Transit, will take place in Austin, Texas between December 7-10, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Austin on 208 Barton Springs Road.
We will post more information on our conference web page when available.
Students are invited to submit a poster for the Conference to be shown on December 7, 2025. Posters for consideration must be sent by October 1, 2025 to info@nationalrtap.org and students must be able to present their posters in-person.
The Walk of Fame will take place at the conference to recognize exemplary staff for dedication, innovation, customer service, and professionalism. Send the nominee’s name, title, transit agency, email address, and phone number, a photo of the nominee in jpeg or png format, and a paragraph (500 character limit) about why they should be honored, to info@nationalrtap.org by October 10, 2025.
Technology Tools Office Hours
National RTAP offers free, live GTFS Builder support on Thursdays from 1:00-1:30 PM ET. Use this link to join. National RTAP also offers live technical support for Website Builder on Tuesdays from 1:00-1:30 PM ET. Share your screen, ask questions, and get help. Use this link to join – no need to register for either session.
Financial Management eLearning Request for Proposals Q&A Document Posted
National RTAP held a Pre-Proposal Call for its Financial Management eLearning Request for Proposals. The Q&A document has been posted. Proposals are due by 3:00 PM ET today, June 5, 2025.
| |  | |
National RTAP Participation in Upcoming Conferences
We're presenting, exhibiting, and participating at the following conferences and meetings:
- Special Libraries Association 2025 Annual Conference & Expo, Pittsburgh, PA, June 7-10
- MDOT 101 Training, Flint, MI, June 16-18
- Transit Retreat, Des Moines, IA, June 25-26
- NADO National Regional Transportation Conference, Des Moines, IA, July 15-17
- National TTAP/LTAP Conference, Kansas City, MO, July 20-24
- 2025 LPTA & SWTA Summer U Joint Conference & EXPO, New Orleans, LA, July 27-30
- ATI Annual Conference, Quincy, MA, July 29-31
- Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Accreditation Commission (NEMTAC) Transform 2025 Annual Conference, Dallas, TX, August 24-26
- Tri-State Transit Conference, Portland, ME, September 3-5
- 2025 Midwest Transit Conference, Kansas City, MO, September 3-5
- Montana Rural Transit Workshop, Helena, MT, September 3-5
- URSTA Conference and Roadeo, St. George, UT, September 10-13
- National Transportation in Indian Country (NTICC), Gila, River AZ, September 21-25
Updated National RTAP Intercity Transportation Topic Guide
National RTAP continues its annual Topic Guide update with our Intercity Transportation Topic Guide. New resources include:
Get Ready for Rural Transit Day
Rural Transit Day is July 16, 2025. We will be holding a Facebook Live Rural Transit Day Chat on July 16, 2025 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET. The chat will be moderated by John Andoh, Stephanie Bushong, Stephanie Lewis, and National RTAP staff. If you would like to participate, please RSVP. There will also be a Rural Transit Day Prequel on X where we will showcase all the entries to our Art of Transit Photo Contest. No need to preregister; just click on the link between 1:00-2:00 PM ET on July 16, 2025.
This year we are requesting smart cards for our Rural Transit Day Time Capsule. If you have any that you can send us (no fares need to be loaded), please mail them to Cara Marcus, Knowledge and Resource Manager, National RTAP, 5 Wheeling Avenue, Woburn, MA 01801.
National RTAP Bus Roadeo Toolkit Update Request for Proposals (RFP)
National RTAP will be updating its Bus Roadeo Toolkit and has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP). We will be holding a Pre-Proposal Call on July 29, 2025 between 2:00-3:00 PM ET. Proposals must be received by 5:00 pm EST on Thursday, August 28, 2025.
National RTAP Webinar about Finding Transportation Resources Recording Published
National RTAP Knowledge and Resource Manager Cara Marcus presented a Massachusetts Library System webinar on How to Find (Almost) Anything in Transportation on May 27, 2025. Access the recording.
National RTAP Featured in Kansas RTAP Newsletter
Kansas RTAP featured National RTAP in its Spring 2025 Transit Reporter. The issue includes an article on Making Succession Planning Successful (page 13) and an article about our newly updated Marketing Toolkit (page 14).
| | |
FTA launched a new webpage on Federal Transit Administration Funding and Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT). The page includes a chart detailing FTA programs that may fund NEMT, FTA Technical Assistance Centers that have resources about NEMT (including National RTAP), and additional resources.
U.S. DOT published a downloadable and filterable spreadsheet of its approved projects that have received funding for the fiscal years 2021-2026. Individuals can filter by agency, such as FTA, to view grant programs, applicants, project titles, and additional data.
U.S. DOT is rescinding a number of regulations across FHWA, NHTSA, and FMCSA, including FHWA Projects of National and Regional Significance Evaluation and Rating, FHWA Requirements Regarding Required Contract Provisions for Federal-Aid Construction Contracts, FMCSA Motor Carrier Routing Regulations, FMCSA Removal of Self-Reporting Requirement, NHTSA Side impact protection, NHTSA Fuel system integrity, and others.
| | |
The Association of Mobility Managers (AMM) is hosting a webinar on Creating a One-Call/One-Click Mobility Center: A Step-by-Step Guide for Mobility Managers on June 26, 2025 at 2:00 PM ET. Attendees will gain insights into best practices for coalition-building, fostering partnerships, and advocating for funding and policy support.
The Southwest Transit Association (SWTA) will hold a webinar on Inbox Zero - From Chaos to Control on July 10, 2025 from 12:00-1:00 PM ET. This webinar will instruct on how to set up Outlook rules to automatically file, flag, and categorize emails, and provide best practices for daily email triage and long-term organization
| | |
The Transit Workforce Center (TWC) provides a collection of case studies on topics such as recruitment, retention, mentorship, apprenticeship, and more. The TWC research team has been compiling examples of innovative practices in these and other areas to help transit systems and their partners learn from each other to develop and maintain their own workforce initiatives.
Case studies in TransitCenter's Part of the Solution: Transit's Role in Addressing Homelessness detail empathetic and effective responses to the homelessness crisis at transit agencies, such as community partnerships with social service agencies, community intervention specialists, and providing affordable housing near transit stations. The report ends with actionable recommendations that transit agencies can put in place to help unhoused individuals in their communities.
NCHRP's Effects of American Indian Treaties on Development and Operation of Transportation Facilities explains that treaty obligations cannot be altered, nor reservations diminished, without express congressional authorization. That principle raises important questions explored in this legal digest about planning, development, and operation of transportation infrastructure that crosses lands reserved by Tribal treaties.
FHWA's Organizational Safety Culture Self-Assessment for Transportation Agencies was developed for transportation agencies to determine their level of organizational safety culture and identify opportunities for improvements. The toolkit is divided into two focus areas: internal safety culture and programmatic safety integration. It includes a questionnaire to determine levels of maturity across a variety of safety culture areas and an improvement plan template.
| | |
Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) provides a Resource Library on safety topics. Users can search by keyword or use filters such as ADA, contracting, post-crash care, and others.
The Transit Workforce Center (TWC) launched a Transit Career Explorer. This online platform provides information and resources, many from local transit providers across the country, for those interested in learning about frontline transit careers. Each of the four sub-sections of the site cover key areas that help support knowledge about and exploration of the opportunities the industry provides, including wages, benefits, and hiring information.
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) updated its National Transportation Statistics (NTS). The update included the following data: U.S. passenger miles, transportation fatalities by mode, national transportation and economic trends, and other statistics.
TRB and the National Academies launched a new Connecting Rural Communities Collection that can be searched by keyword. Resources in the collection include Rural Transportation Issues: Research Roadmap, Best Practices in Rural Regional Mobility, and others.
| | |
Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) is conducting a survey through June 13, 2025 as part of TCRP Project SH-25: Building Safe, Accessible Bus Stops in Rural, Exurban, Suburban, and Tribal Communities. This study aims to uncover the real-world practices, challenges, and gaps that agencies face when planning and improving bus stop infrastructure.
The Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund, managed by GRID Alternatives, is accepting applications for its Tribal Energy Capacity Building Grant through June 30, 2025. The grant helps Tribes and Tribal organizations gain the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to independently manage and develop clean energy projects for long-term sustainability. For more information, contact grants@colusaindianenergy.com.
TRB has restructured its Standing Technical Committees, and interested individuals may express their interest in becoming a member or a friend of a Committee. The deadline to express interest is June 27, 2025.
| | FMCSA provided guidance on what a motor carrier should do to assess a CMV driver’s English language proficiency (ELP) during the driver qualification process. FMCSA also repealed the for-hire motor carrier routing regulations which concern servicing municipalities and unincorporated communities. In addition, FMCSA proposes to amend its regulations to remove the grandfathering provision under the physical qualifications standards for interstate drivers operating under the vision waiver study program. Comments on this proposed rule are due July 29, 2025. | | |
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).
National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE)
PSE Spotlight Series Webinar
June 5, 1:00 PM
TRB
Emerging Roadside Chemical Testing for Impaired Driving Investigations Webinar
June 6, 1:00-2:30 PM
Special Libraries Association (SLA)
SLA 2025 Annual Conference & Expo
Pittsburgh, PA, June 7-10
We're presenting!
New
WisTech
WisTech 2025 Webinar # 3 Tribal Members with Disabilities: Assistive Technology Services and Relationship Building
June 10, 11:00 AM
National RTAP
GTFS Office Hours
June 10, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
New
Access Ingenuity
How to Create Accessible Videos Digital Accessibility Webinar
June 11, 1:00-2:00 PM
New
ITS America
Factors in Funding, Costing, and Procuring V2X Deployments Webinar
June 11, 3:00-4:00 PM
Minnesota Department of Transportation
Research Radar: Driver Behavior Webinar
June 12, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
New
Southwest Transit Association (SWTA)
ADA Hot Topics – Service Animals, Direct Threat/Denial of Service & Reasonable Modification Requirements Webinar
June 12, 11:30-1:30 PM
National RTAP
Website Builder Office Hours
June 12, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
New
TRB
Advances in Analysis and Visualization for Safe Streets and Roads for All Webinar
June 13, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
U.S. Small Business Administration
Tribal Consultation for 8(a) Business Development Program and Mentor-Protégé Program Issues and Best Practices
Anchorage, AK, June 13, 1:30-5:00 PM
Registration deadline - June 6, 2025
Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE)
One-on-One Transit Event
Binghamton, NY, June 16-18
New
Michigan Public Transit Association (MPTA)
MDOT 101 Training
Flint, MI, June 16-18
We're providing training resources
Accessible Transportation Resource Center
Accessible Autonomous Transportation in Rural Minnesota Webinar
June 17, 1:00 PM
National RTAP
GTFS Office Hours
June 17, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
New
Transportation for America
The Future of Federal Transportation: Safety over Speed and Invest in the Rest Webinar
June 18, 12:00-1:00 PM
National RTAP
Opportunities for Rural Mobility as a Service (MaaS)
June 18, 1:00-2:30 PM
New
TRB
Legal Insights for Micromobility Integration Webinar
June 18, 1:00-2:30 PM
National Center for Rural Road Safety
How Human Factors Impacts Rural Road Safety Webinar
June 19, 1:00 PM
National RTAP
Website Builder Office Hours
June 19, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
Community Action Partnership and Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility Technical Assistance Center (CCAM-TAC)
What is CCAM-TAC and How can it Impact your Program and Transportation in Your Community Webinar
June 23, 1:30 PM
TRB
TRB National Conference on Tools of the Trade
Albuquerque, NM, June 23-25
National RTAP reviewed session abstracts
National RTAP
GTFS Office Hours
June 24, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
National RTAP
2025 National RTAP Tribal & Rural Transit Mini-Conference
Santa Fe, NM, June 24-26
New
Transportation for America
The Future of Federal Transportation: Reauthorization 201 Webinar
June 25, 12:00-1:00 PM
New
Access Ingenuity
Part 1: Creating Accessible Microsoft Word Files — Headings, Tables, Lists, Styles, and Structure Digital Accessibility Webinar
June 25, 1:00-2:00 PM
NPMA and HIRTA
Transit Retreat
Des Moines, IA, June 25-26
We're presenting and exhibiting!
National RTAP
Website Builder Office Hours
June 26, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
New
Association of Mobility Managers
Creating a One-Call/One-Click Mobility Center: A Step-by-Step Guide for Mobility Managers Webinar
June 26, 2:00 PM
National RTAP
Website Builder Office Hours
July 1, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
National RTAP
GTFS Office Hours
July 3, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
National RTAP
Website Builder Office Hours
July 8, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
National Transit Institute
Public Involvement in Transportation Decision-Making
Richmond, VA, July 8-10
U.S. Access Board
U.S. Access Board Town Hall Meeting
New Orleans, LA, July 9, 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Registrations must be received by July 2, 2025
New
Southwest Transit Association (SWTA)
Inbox Zero - From Chaos to Control Webinar
July 10, 12:00-1:00 PM
National RTAP
GTFS Office Hours
July 10, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
National RTAP
The Road to Multimodal Connectivity: Shaping the New Future of Public Transportation
July 10, 2:00-3:00 PM
National RTAP
Website Builder Office Hours
July 15, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
National Association of Development Organizations (NADO)
2025 National Regional Transportation Conference
Des Moines, IA, July 15-17, 2025
Please stop by our table!
National RTAP
Rural Transit Day "The Art of Transit" Chat Prequel
July 16, 1:00-2:00 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the prequel
National RTAP
Rural Transit Day Facebook Live Chat
July 16, 2:00-3:00 PM
National RTAP
GTFS Office Hours
July 17, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
New
National Transit Institute
FTA Uniform Act Basics for Transit Agency Personnel Online Course
July 17, 1:00-5:00 PM
NLTAPA
National TTAP/LTAP Conference
Kansas City, MO, July 20-24
Please visit our booth!
USAging
Answers on Aging 2025
Chicago, IL, July 20-23
National Transit Institute
Transit Academy
Pittsburgh, PA, July 21-25
Bobit
Fleet Forward: The Tour
Irvine, CA, July 22
National RTAP
Website Builder Office Hours
July 22, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
New
Access Ingenuity
Part 2: Converting Accessible Microsoft Word Files into PDFs — Cleaning Tags and Final Fixes in Adobe Acrobat Digital Accessibility Webinar
July 23, 1:00-2:00 PM
National RTAP
GTFS Office Hours
July 24, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
LPTA & SWTA
2025 LPTA & SWTA Summer U Joint Conference & EXPO
New Orleans, LA, July 27-30
Please visit our booth!
National RTAP
Website Builder Office Hours
July 29, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
National RTAP
State RTAP Manager Peer Roundtable
July 29, 2:00-3:00 PM
Association of Travel Instruction (ATI)
ATI Annual Conference
Quincy, MA, July 29-31
Please visit our booth!
National RTAP
GTFS Office Hours
July 31, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
New
National RTAP
Website Builder Office Hours
August 5, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
New
National Transit Institute
Public Involvement in Transportation Decision-Making
Minneapolis, MN, August 5-7
New
National RTAP
GTFS Office Hours
August 7, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
New
National RTAP
Website Builder Office Hours
August 12, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
New
National RTAP
GTFS Office Hours
August 14, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
New
National RTAP
Website Builder Office Hours
August 19, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
New
National RTAP
GTFS Office Hours
August 21, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
New
Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Accreditation Commission (NEMTAC)
NEMTAC Transform 2025 Annual Conference
Dallas, TX, August 24-26
Please visit our table!
New
National RTAP
Website Builder Office Hours
August 26, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
New
National RTAP
GTFS Office Hours
August 27, 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. To submit an event, email info@nationalrtap.org.
| | | | |
