eNews - November 22, 2023

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 Technical Assistance Conference - Final Agenda and Registration Deadline

Updated National RTAP Technical Brief on Responding to Transit Incidents

Hands-on Evaluation added to National RTAP ADA Driver Training eLearning Course

FTA Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility (ICAM) Pilot Program Opens

Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024 Signed into Law

Final Week to Register for the National RTAP Conference

The final Agenda has been posted for the 2023 National RTAP Conference, which will be December 3-6, 2023 in Myrtle Beach, SC. If you're not registered yet, there's still time! The deadline to register is November 28, 2023.

The Sunday Pre-Conference Training times and descriptions have also been posted, including a new Active Shooter training. If you're already registered, please modify your registration to finalize your selection(s). In addition, a few spots have opened up in the Transportation Safety Institute's SMS Principles for Transit training on December 5-7, being offered in conjunction with the conference. See the Agenda page for details.

The conference app will launch next week, with session descriptions, speaker bios, and exhibitor information. You can create your own schedule, interact with other attendees, ask questions of the keynote speakers, and more. Keep an eye out for an email with the link!

Updated National RTAP Technical Brief on Responding to Transit Incidents

National RTAP's updated Technical Brief on Responding to Transit Incidents outlines some of the challenges that arise during an incident. It also lists key players and their roles in managing an incident, identifies immediate actions that can be taken to control an incident, and discusses procedures to aid in the response to incidents.

In this update, we added information about law enforcement investigations, conducting post-incident drug and alcohol monitoring, and responding to a violent passenger. Thank you to Laura Corff, Transit Director, United Community Action Program, Inc./Cimarron Transit, for the review of this update.

FTA announced the opportunity to apply through February 13, 2024 for funding under the Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility (ICAM) pilot program. This funding opportunity seeks to improve coordination to enhance access and mobility to vital community services for older adults, people with disabilities, and people of low income. 

The Single Summary of Transit report (SSoT) is a new report that will be published annually by FTA to describe the state of public transit using the most currently available National Transit Database (NTD) data. It aggregates, groups, and summarizes the data along relevant identifiers that might not otherwise be available using other NTD data publications.

Phase 3 of FTA's Sustainable Transit for a Healthy Planet Challenge encourages transit agencies to take bold actions and prioritize investments to cut their GHG emissions to help tackle the climate crisis. Phase 3 will focus on incorporating resilience into transit agencies’ climate action plans, helping to protect infrastructure, while improving mobility. Plans for this phase are due March 1, 2024.

FTA is proposing revisions to the State Safety Oversight (SSO) regulation to implement new requirements of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, remove outdated references, and simplify notification requirements. Comments are due January 16, 2024.

Comments are requested through December 18, 2023 on information collection requirements for several FTA activities: Title VI as It Applies to FTA Grant Programs; Metropolitan and Statewide and Nonmetropolitan Transportation Planning; and Pre-Award, Post Delivery Audit Requirements Under Buy America. 

FTA’s November 2023 Transit Safety and Oversight Spotlight newsletter includes information on the upcoming launch of its Oversight Tracking System (OTrak) and a new National Transit Database (NTD) collection on Transit Worker Assault Data.

MCI Academy offers several free certifications and diploma programs, including technician certifications, and HVAC and electrical specialist diplomas.

The Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA) will be hosting a Driving Inclusivity: Community Forum on Access and Equity in Ames, IA, and online on December 14, from 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM ET. This event will focus on current challenges public transit is facing within driving inclusivity and how service agencies, as well as others, can help improve inclusion within transit in their communities. 

Listening to Riders and Providers is a report on the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center's (NADTC) focus groups and stakeholder meetings. Among the outcomes were that older adults expressed frustration with the lack of transportation that does not require scheduling a long time in advance and would also like expanded hours and weekend service. The study also found that limited transportation options impact where and when younger adults with disabilities can work. The report includes lessons learned and next steps.

APTA's Transit Workforce Shortage: Root Causes, Potential Solutions, and the Road Ahead analyzed the causes of the current transit workforce shortage, such as competition for workers and high rates of retirement. Potential solutions include improving worker schedules and improving workplace culture.

Strategies For Deploying Surface Transportation Funds for Workforce Development And Postsecondary Education by the National Governors Association outlines eligible workforce development, training, and education activities under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and examples of state approaches.

The Shared-Use Mobility Center's (SUMC) Coordination Through Discovery: Developing the ATL RIDES Trip Planning Platform, Atlanta, GA describes an initiative that provides trip discovery information for mobility services across six transit agencies and several counties and uses GTFS Realtime feeds.

TRB provides a Snap Search on Construction Costs. Resources include Improving Cost Estimates for Preconstruction Services and Legal Issues Involving Surety for Public Transportation Projects.

The National Center for Applied Transit Technology (N-CATT) provides a Technology Toolbox containing tools including visualizations, calculators, and more. Data can be searched by type of tool, category, and date. The Toolkit includes National RTAP's GTFS Builder.

Transcor Data Services created a Network Transportation Information Tool with maps of intercity bus networks, including routes and station stops, for more than two dozen lines. They are planning to add public transit to the tool.

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) released an interactive map that displays the percentages of rural population with reasonable access to intercity transportation services. BTS found that 85% of U.S. rural residents have reasonable access to intercity transportation.

Logging Made Easy (LME) from the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) serves as a free security information and event management system for organizations.

The National Operations Center of Excellence will send two students to the 2024 TRB Annual Meeting, on January 7–11, 2024 in Washington, DC. Students can enter the competition by submitting a video or series of photos that demonstrate their understanding of Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) and how TSMO or new mobility applications directly impact the lives of the traveling public. Submissions are due December 1, 2023.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is holding a My Electric Ride competition. Entrants create a short video showcasing their personal experience with EVs (including electric buses) as part of EPA’s prize competition. Submissions close January 23, 2024.

FHWA announced an opportunity for State DOTS to partner with FHWA to demonstrate the application of the Database for Air Quality and Noise Analysis (DANA) tool for a variety of air quality and noise analyses. Proposals are being accepted through December 1, 2023. Proposers should contact David Kall or Aileen Varela-Margolles to receive the Call for Projects information.

FHWA is accepting applications for its Tier-3 Fiscal Years 2023-2024 Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Advanced Transportation Technologies and Innovative Mobility Deployment (ATTIMD) Grant Program. The 2-year grant will fund initiatives that deploy, install, and operate advanced transportation technologies to improve safety, mobility, efficiency, system performance, intermodal connectivity, and infrastructure return on investment. The application deadline is February 2, 2024. 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the establishment of the HHS Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Long COVID. The committee will bring perspectives from outside the government to make recommendations on research and innovation for a response to the longer-term impacts of COVID-19 and associated conditions. Nominations are due by January 16, 2024. 

On November 16, 2023, the President signed into law H.R. 6363, the Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024, which provides fiscal year 2024 appropriations to most federal agencies (including U.S. DOT) through January 19, 2024, for continuing projects and activities.

A Final Rule published on November 13, 2023 amended NHTSA's Bus Rollover Structural Integrity Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard. The final rule adjusted the definition of ‘‘transit bus’’ to include only buses that are operated by or on behalf of the Federal government and revised the maximum allowable weight of objects intruding into the survival space during the rollover test.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to amend its implementing procedures governing compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The changes would add a categorical exclusion for certain energy storage systems, revise categorical exclusions for upgrading and rebuilding transmission lines and certain systems, and make changes to related sections of DOE's NEPA regulations. Comments must be received by January 2, 2024.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes amendments to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Rubber Tire Manufacturing, as required by the Clean Air Act. EPA is proposing emissions standards for the rubber processing subcategory of the rubber tire manufacturing industry. Comments are due January 2, 2023.

A Presidential Document on Modernizing United States Spectrum Policy and Establishing a National Spectrum Strategy was published in the Federal Register on November 17, 2023. Its goal is to accelerate United States leadership in wireless communications and other spectrum-based technologies and to unlock innovations.

Effective November 17, 2023 FMCSA amended and made technical corrections throughout the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). One revision applies to behind-the-wheel training for commercial motor vehicles.

The Secretary of the Treasury issued an interim final rule on November 20, 2023 to amend the definition of obligation with respect to the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund and the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund established under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

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 6 for Hawaii.

Smart Growth America and National Complete Streets Coalition

Complete Streets Power Hour

November 28, 12:00-1:00 PM

TRB 

Accessible Floating Bus Stops Webinar

November 28, 2:00-3:30 PM

National Center for Applied Transit Technology (N-CATT)

Lessons in AV Deployment for Small Communities Webinar

November 28, 2:00-3:00 PM

NADTC

The Growing Involvement of Area Agencies on Aging in Community Transportation Webinar

November 28, 3:00 PM

TRB 

Advancing Equity in Travel Experiences—The Role of Gender and Identity Webinar

November 29, 12:00-1:30 PM

National Center for Rural Road Safety

Summit #4: Resources for Rurals Recap

November 29, 1:00-3:00 PM

Transit Workforce Center (TWC)

Approaches to Childcare Support in the Transit Industry Webinar

November 29, 2:00-3:00 PM

National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC)

NADTC DEI Lunch and Learn: Transportation DEI Initiative

November 30, 12:00-12:45 PM

National Institute for Congestion Reduction (NICR)

Transit Priority-Oriented Vehicle Scheduling at General Conflict Areas under Connected and Automated Environment Webinar

November 30, 12:00-1:00 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

November 30, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

FHWA Local Aid Support

Tribal Transportation Safety: Resources, Funding & Successes Webinar

November 30, 1:00-2:30 PM

Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA)

BTSCRP Update - The Latest Research and How States Can Use It Webinar

November 30, 3:30-4:30 PM

National RTAP

5th Technical Assistance Conference: Navigating the Tides of Change with Rural & Tribal Transit

Myrtle Beach, SC, December 3-6

National Safety Council (NSC)

SAFER Summit 2023

December 5, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Truckers Against Trafficking

Connecting the Dots: Addressing the Demand for Commercial Sex and Its Role in Human Trafficking

December 5, 12:00 PM

Center for Connected and Automated Transportation (CCAT)

Creating a Culture of Innovation While Advancing Safety and Operations Webinar

December 5, 1:00-2:00 PM

National Digital Education Extension Team (NDEET), Penn State Extension, Southern Rural Development Center 

BEAD Broadband Navigator Webinar

December 5, 2:00 PM

Safe-D 

Developing Artificial Intelligence Driven Safe Navigation Tool Webinar

December 5, 2:00 PM

Center for Connected and Automated Transportation (CCAT) 

Creating a Culture of Innovation While Advancing Safety and Operations Webinar

December 5, 2:00-3:00 PM

FTA

Virtual Public Listening Session on Hours of Service and Fatigue Risk Management for Transit Workers

December 5, 2:30-3:45

U.S. DOT

USDOT Navigator December Webinar

December 5, 3:00 PM

National RTAP/Transportation Safety Institute

SMS Principles for Transit Training

Myrtle Beach, SC, December 5-7

National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE)

Update on ICM Deployments and Resources Webinar

December 6, 1:30-2:30 PM

White House

2023 White House Tribal Nations Summit

Washington, DC, December 6-7

Registrations must be received by November 27

FTA

Transit Advisory Committee for Safety (TRACS) Public Meeting

Washington, DC and online, December 6-7

Requests to attend must be received by November 29

United Motorcoach Association (UMA)

2023 UMA Safety Management Seminar

Annapolis, MD, December 6-7

Georgia Transit Association

2023 GTA Annual Conference

Athens, GA, December 6-8

Please visit our booth!

National RTAP/National Transit Institute 

Rural National Transit Database (NTD) Reporting Training

Myrtle Beach, SC, December 7

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

December 7, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National Safety Council (NSC)

Empowering Youth Through Mobility Safety Webinar

December 8, 2:00-3:00 PM

Environmentally Responsible Transportation Center for Communities of Concern (ERTC3)/Missouri Center for Transportation Innovation (MCTI) 

Innovative Practices for a Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure

December 8, 3:00 PM

National Transit Institute

National Transit Database: Annual Reporting for Indian Tribes Course

December 12-13, 1:00-4:30 PM

National Transit Institute

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

December 13, 1:00-4:30 PM

HIRTA 

Driving Inclusivity: Community Forum on Access and Equity!

Ames, IA and Online, December 14, 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

December 14, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

FTA

Developing Community-Based Public Safety Programs for Transit Webinar

December 14, 1:00-2:00 PM

AASHTO

AASHTO 5310/5311 Program Managers Forum

December 14, 2:00 PM

Email Rebecca Anger for meeting details.

National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE)

2024 TTT: Why You Should Join Webinar

December 14, 4:00-5:00 PM

FHWA

Value Capture Strategies Toolkit for Practitioners: An Overview Webinar

December 20, 1:00-3:00 PM 

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

December 21, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

December 28, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

January 4, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

TRB

2024 TRB Annual Meeting

Washington, DC, January 7-11

We're participating

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

January 11, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National RTAP

State RTAP Manager Peer Roundtable

January 16, 2:00-3:00 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

January 18, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National RTAP and Rural Health Information Hub

Resources for Rurals Rural Health Chat

January 18, 2:00-3:00 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

January 25, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

Safe-D 

Measuring the Safety of ADS: How Safe is Safe Enough Webinar

January 25, 2:30 PM

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.

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