eNews - February 26, 2026

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 Community Rides Grants Announces Project Selections

Upcoming Tips to Becoming a National RTAP Resource Library Super-Use Webinar

Updated National RTAP Article Sharing Training with Agencies Coordinating Transportation

U.S. DOT/FMCSA Requires Commercial Driver License Tests to be Given in English

Regulatory Actions: EPA Repeals GHG Endangerment Finding; DOE Rule on NEPA

Upcoming Tips to Become a National RTAP Resource Library Super-User Webinar

Did you know that National RTAP has an online Resource Library with over 1,000 full-text, high-quality, curated resources about rural and Tribal transit? Join Cara Marcus, National RTAP Knowledge and Resource Manager, for a hands-on Tips to Become a National RTAP Resource Library Super-User workshop on March 10, 2026 from 2:00-3:00 PM, that will demonstrate pro-tips for using the library, finding and accessing the resources you need, ordering resources from our shipping center and circulating collection, and more.

Updated National RTAP Best Practices Spotlight Article on Sharing Training with Agencies Coordinating Transportation

National RTAP updated its Best Practices Spotlight Article on Sharing Training with Agencies Coordinating Transportation. The article includes case studies that provide best practices on developing shared training for drivers, dispatchers, managers, riders, and others across agencies that coordinate transportation. Updates include new data and new bibliographic citations.

Effective February 21, 2026, U.S. DOT and FMCSA are requiring Commercial Driver License (CDL) tests to be administered in English. The agencies also upgraded the registration system with identification verification.

U.S. DOT is soliciting nominations through March 16, 2026 for membership to serve on the Intelligent Transportation Systems Program Advisory Committee (ITSPAC), which is intended to provide information, advice, and recommendations to the Secretary of Transportation about Intelligent Transportation Systems program needs, objectives, plans, approaches, contents, and progress.

On February 10, 2026, U.S. DOT proposed to expand a Buy America public interest waiver for electric vehicle chargers that raises the required domestic content from 55% up to 100%. Once the updated waiver is finalized, the requirement will be immediately applicable to federally funded EV charger projects during acquisition or installation.

FTA announced funding to 34 transit projects in 19 states and Puerto Rico through its Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program and Low or No Emission Grant Program. The funds will deliver nearly 200 new buses and construct or rehabilitate approximately 11 bus maintenance facilities.

U.S. DOT requests comments through April 24, 2026 on its Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES) Initiative regarding unmet transportation infrastructure needs in rural communities, barriers that rural communities face in addressing those needs, and opportunities for ROUTES to improve its services and technical assistance to support rural and Tribal stakeholders.

FTA requests comments through March 26, 2026 on its Bus Testing Program information collection. At this time, there is one active Bus Testing Center. 

National Transit Institute (NTI) is holding a new course on Advancing Mobility Management in Linthicum, MD, on March 23-24, 2026. This course is designed for mobility management professionals who are ready to move beyond foundational concepts and advance mobility management within their organizations and communities.

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) is hosting a Rethinking the Road Test to Identify High-Risk Drivers Webinar on February 27, 2026, from 12:00-1:30 PM ET. This webinar demonstrates how current road test scoring captures, or fails to capture, key behavioral indicators linked to crash risk. Presenters will discuss the implications of these findings for improving driver assessment practices and share insights.

In conjunction with Arizona’s 39th Annual Statewide Transit Conference, Arizona DOT is holding a Drug & Alcohol Program Management & Compliance Training on April 9, 2026 in Mesa, AZ. Arizona transit agencies can use RTAP scholarship funds to attend.

BTSCRP's Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Education and Outreach offers tools, strategies, and processes for providing education and training about ADAS, and Evaluating and Delivering Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Education: A Guide provides practical guidance for identifying, creating, and modifying ADAS materials to support specific goals and objectives related to education and training.

NCTA, formerly the National Cable & Telecommunications Association and now the Rural Broadband Association, published its latest Broadband/Internet Availability Survey Report. The average number of business fixed broadband connections in service was 575 in 2025, an increase from 2024 (524) and 2023 (551).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published an article on Improving Health Through Transportation Policy. It includes a Safe Systems Pyramid graphic and recommendations to promote active transportation, encourage healthy community design, and expand public transportation.

In Bridging the Gap: Do Community Needs Assessments Enhance Public Participation in Transportation Planning, researchers from the Shared-Use Mobility Center identify the conditions under which additional engagement encourages traditionally hard-to-reach communities to participate in transportation planning, as well as when it does not. 

Minnesota DOT launched a Minnesota Transit Planner, which allows people without smartphones to plan trips. Transit agencies provide accurate and reliable trip information that is pulled into this tool, so that travelers can plan trips statewide.

Next Distro, a program of Next Harm Reduction, provides an interactive map and linked list with information on how to request Naloxone by mail for many states, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. Clicking on a link brings up additional local information about opioid harm reduction resources.

OS-CONNECT is a statewide connected pedestrian network dataset for Washington State. It includes sidewalks, crossings, and related pedestrian features intended to support accessibility analysis, planning, and data stewardship. Use this Viewer to explore the map, inspect feature attributes, and open summaries by jurisdiction or unincorporated area. 

The Transit Workforce Center (TWC) updated its Transit Workforce Data Dashboard with the newest data release from the National Transit Database. The Dashboard now features employment statistics from 2024, as well as trends from 2018 to 2024.

The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) is conducting a TCRP study on Building Safe, Accessible Bus Stops in Rural, Exurban, Suburban, and Tribal Communities. Interested individuals can fill out the project survey through March 13, 2026. The study goal is to better understand how tribal and rural transit agencies plan, prioritize, and implement safe and accessible bus stops in communities across the country. 

Interested and qualified individuals are invited to serve on the TRB's Transportation Research Record (TRR) journal as a handling editor. This volunteer role ensures a thorough peer review process and recommends what is published. Articles include administration, operations, and management of transportation agencies, legal aspects of transportation, transportation economics and finance, and other topics.

AASHTO Technical Training Solutions seeks to expand its curriculum and is asking industry stakeholders to let them know if you have an idea for a course to be developed or have course materials to contribute that would make a good training.

The Main Street America and T Mobile Hometown Grant program funds small towns by awarding up to 100 towns with up to $50,000 each. This opportunity is open to communities with a population of 50,000 or less. Applications are due March 31, 2026.

The Transit Workforce Center (TWC) is launching the Transit Core Competencies Curriculum (TC3), a skills development program designed to help transit agencies attract, prepare, and strengthen their frontline workforce. TWC is seeking agencies interested in hosting pilot sessions, with electrical training as the immediate priority and additional opportunities in mechanical, computers, industry awareness, and soft skills. If you are interested in hosting, please contact Kristen Ribaudo. 

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service, a Rural Development agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing a Notice of Funding Opportunity to announce acceptance of grant, loan, and combined grant and loan applications under the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program.

FMCSA has amended or clarified several regulations and requirements:

• Effective March 16, 2026, FMCSA amends the regulations for State Driver’s Licensing Agencies issuing commercial driving credentials to non-domiciled individuals.
• Effective March 23, 2026, FMCSA clarifies the requirement to complete a Driver Vehicle Inspection Report (DVIR), which may be done electronically.
• Effective March 23, 2026, FMCSA amends the Federal Motor Carrier Safety regulations to allow dual-status military technicians to qualify for the exception for certain military personnel from commercial driver's license standards.
• Effective April 20, 2026, FMCSA amends the emergency equipment rules to remove the requirement for commercial motor vehicles to be equipped with at least one spare fuse for each type and size of fuse needed for the operation of the CMV. 
• Effective March 23, 2026, FMCSA removes the requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations that a liquid fuel tank manufactured on or after January 1, 1973, be designed and constructed so that it cannot be filled with a quantity of fuel that exceeds 95% of the tank's liquid capacity.

Effective April 20, 2026, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) repealed its 2009 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Endangerment Finding and all subsequent federal GHG emission standards for all vehicles and engines of model years 2012 to 2027 and beyond.

On February 24, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) adopted a Final Rule on National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Implementing Regulations. DOI retained and made updates to provisions relating to emergency responses to ensure that DOI can respond timely to any such event. DOI also codified the procedures by which federal agencies and state, local, and Tribal agencies with special expertise continue to be involved in the development of agency NEPA reviews.

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).

AASHTO

2026 AASHTO Washington Briefing

Washington, DC, February 23-26

National RTAP

GTFS Builder Office Hours

February 26, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

TRB 

Rethinking the Road Test to Identify High-Risk Drivers Webinar

February 27, 12:00-1:30 PM

National Transit Institute

Transit Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment

Austin, TX, March 2-4

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

March 3, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

FTA

FTA Drug and Alcohol Training Special Topics Seminars: MIS Overview

March 3, 1:00-2:30 PM

National Transit Institute

Introduction to Transportation Conformity

Chicago, IL, March 3-5

National Transit Institute

Ridership Forecasting with STOPS for Transit Project Planning

Portland, OR, March 3-5

New

Partners for Automated Vehicle Education (PAVE)

Revisiting the Road Ahead: Navigating AV Policy and Progress in 2026 Virtual Panel

March 4, 2:00-2:30 PM

Crawford Area Transit Authority (CATA)

Transit Retreat

Mobile, AL, March 4-5

We're presenting!

CTAA, SWTA, IPTA, OkTA, and CalACT

CTAA Legislative Fly-In

Washington, DC, March 4-6

National RTAP

GTFS Builder Office Hours

March 5, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA)

2026 NADO & DDAA Washington Conference

Arlington, VA, March 8-11

We're participating!

New

ActiveEnviro

Active Living + Outdoor Health Summit 2026

Minneapolis, MN, March 8-13

New

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

2026 AASHTO re:source Technical Exchange

Louisville, KY, March 9-12

National RTAP / Transportation Safety Institute (TSI) 

Fundamentals of Bus Collision Investigation

Hollywood, FL, March 9-13

The course is full. Contact Neil Rodriguez to be added to the waitlist.  

World Resources Institute

Transforming Transportation

Washington, DC, March 9-13

NHTSA

NHTSA Automated Vehicle Safety Public Meeting

Washington, DC, March 10, 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Registrations must be completed by March 5, 2026

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

March 10, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National RTAP

Tips to Become a National RTAP Resource Library Super-User

March 10, 2:00-3:00 PM

National Transit Institute

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

March 11, 1:00-4:30

New

The World Bank Group

Fourth Paratransit/Popular Transportation Day

Washington, DC, March 12, 8:30 AM - 1:00 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Builder Office Hours

March 12, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

Transportation Choices

Rural Transportation Advocacy 101 Workshop

North Bend, WA, March 14



National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

March 17, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

The Center for Tribal Transportation

Contracts Training Course

Fountain Hills, AZ, March 18-19

National RTAP

GTFS Builder Office Hours

March 19, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

National Transit Institute

Advancing Mobility Management

Linthicum, MD, March 23-24

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

March 24, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

Administration for Community Living (ACL)

National Caregiver Support Collaborative (NCSC) Aging Network Innovation Conversation Webinar 

March 24, 2:00 PM

Alaska Tribal Transportation Work Group (ATTWG)

22nd Annual Alaska Tribal Transportation Symposium

Anchorage, AK, March 24-26

We're participating!

National RTAP

GTFS Builder Office Hours

March 26, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

ThinkTransit

Executive Summit

Boston, MA, March 29 - April 1

New

South West Transit Association and New Mexico Transit Association

2026 SWTA & New Mexico Joint Annual Conference & EXPO

Albuquerque, NM, March 30 - April 2

Please visit our table!

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

March 31, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

New

TRB 

Using TRID to Find the Best Transportation Research Webinar

March 31, 2:00-3:00 PM

New

National RTAP

Rural Transit Manager Peer Roundtable: Rural Mobility Hubs

April 1, 2:00-3:00 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Builder Office Hours

April 2, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

Arizona Transit Association (AzTA) and Arizona DOT

Arizona’s 39th Annual Statewide Transit

Mesa, AZ, April 6-8

Please visit our booth!

National Transit Institute

Public Involvement in Transportation Decision-Making Online Course

April 6-9, 1:00-5:00 PM

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

April 7, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National Transit Institute

Crisis Communications for Transit Managers Online Course

April 7-8, 1:00-4:30 PM

New

Tribal Self-Governance

2026 Tribal Self-Governance Conference

Chandler, AZ, April 7-9

National RTAP

GTFS Builder Office Hours

April 9, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

American Public Transportation Association (APTA)

APTA Legislative Conference

Washington, DC, April 12-14

New

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

2026 AASHTO Spring Meeting

Savannah, GA, April 12-15

National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA) Fleet Management Association

NAFA 2026 Institute & Expo

Cleveland, OH, April 13-15

National Transit Institute

Public Involvement in Transportation Decision-Making

Philadelphia, PA, April 13-15

California Association for Coordinated Transportation (CALACT)

CALACT Spring Conference

Temecula, CA, April 13-16

Please visit our booth!

National Transit Institute

Transportation Planning Process Online Course

April 13-16, 1:00-5:00 PM 

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

April 14, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National Transit Institute

Ridership Forecasting with STOPS for Transit Project Planning

Boston, MA, April 14-16

National RTAP

GTFS Builder Office Hours

April 16, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

Pennsylvania Public Transportation Association (PPTA)

PPTA Annual Meeting & Expo

Lancaster, PA, April 20-23

Please visit our table!

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

April 21, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

2026 AASHTOWare Connect

Des Moines, IA, April 21-22, 2026

National RTAP

GTFS Builder Office Hours

April 23, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

North Carolina Public Transportation Association (NCPTA)

2026 NCPTA Conference, Expo, Roadeo and Golf Tournament

Cherokee, NC, April 26-29

Association of Mobility Managers (AMM)

AMM Conference/Rural Transit and Mobility Management Caucus

Oklahoma City, OK, April 27-29

We're participating!

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

April 28, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National Transit Institute

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

April 28, 1:00-4:30 PM

New

Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy

2nd Annual Tribal Clean Energy Finance Forum

Reno, NV, April 29-30

National RTAP

GTFS Builder Office Hours

April 30, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

Texas Transportation Association

TTA Conference and Roadeo

Lubbock, TX, April 28-May 2

We're participating!

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

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