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
Register for the National RTAP 2023 Technical Assistance Conference
Webinar on Client Self-Advocacy Training for Transportation and Mobility Professionals
Updated National RTAP Technical Brief: Implementing a Grant Management Program
National RTAP Team Spotlight: Julianne Sullivan
NADTC Creative Solutions to Rural Transportation Course
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Register for the National RTAP 2023 Technical Assistance Conference and Find Out More
In addition, several awards will be presented at the conference:
- The Tribal Transit Champions, Agencies, and Capital Projects Awards honor tribal transit innovation, commitment, and best practices. The deadline for nominations is October 20, 2023.
- The Wall of Fame will recognize exemplary rural and tribal transit industry staff for their dedication, innovation, and professionalism. All honorees will be showcased on the wall and the National RTAP website and receive a commendation. Nominations are due November 10, 2023.
- Students are invited to submit a poster by October 6, 2023. Three students will be recognized with an award at the conference.
There are also many opportunities for vendors to participate in the 5th National RTAP Conference, including a Vendor Expo and an additional Bus Expo during our evening event. A Rapid Fire Intro segment will provide exposure for all exhibitors and sponsors. Please see the Vendor Prospectus for details, pricing, and sponsorship opportunities. |
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Upcoming National RTAP Webinar on Client Self-Advocacy Training for Transportation and Mobility Professionals
Transportation and mobility professionals can play an important role in helping the people they serve to advocate for themselves to get their transportation needs met.
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The instructor for the training will be Mary Maruscak, Director of Community Health at the Rural Health Network of South Central NY, which was one of National RTAP's Community Rides grantees in 2021-2023. |
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Updated National RTAP Technical Brief on Implementing a Grant Management System in Your State
National RTAP updated its Implementing a Grant Management System in Your State technical brief, which highlights features to consider when implementing a cloud-based award management system. This brief was originally named The Benefits of Electronic Grants Management Systems. The updated brief includes new case studies and a new section on lessons learned.
National RTAP offers grateful acknowledgements to the following individuals for their contributions to and review of this technical brief: Deborah Bach, New Mexico DOT; Jaimie Baldwin and Sharon Peerenboom, Oregon DOT; Brent Paulsen and Travis Estep, Iowa DOT; Monte Meier, South Dakota DOT; and Kari Banta, Texas DOT.
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Upcoming National RTAP Events
In support of the forthcoming 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. GTFS support is also available weekdays by contacting info@nationalrtap.org.
National RTAP's first LinkedIn Learnalong will focus on best practices in communication. Participants will watch videos on stressful situations, empathy, and conflict engagement. Moderators Marianna Hanefeld, Washington DOT, Kevin Wassom, Michigan DOT, and Jaimie Baldwin, Training and Transportation Specialist, will lead a discussion on our LinkedIn page about applying these lessons to transit scenarios. Please RSVP.
iNTD, TACL, and GTFS Builder Webinars and Transit Manager Peer Roundtable Follow-Ups
National RTAP held an iNTD Webinar on August 24, 2023. This webinar re-introduced the iNTD (Integrated National Transit Database), provided demonstrations of how it is used, offered detailed instructions on performing peer comparison and trend analyses, and provided a discussion on how the tool and data can be used by State DOTs and transit managers. Presenters were Albert Gan, Ph.D., Florida International University, and Kristin Haar, Iowa RTAP Manager. Access the webinar recording and presentation slides.
National RTAP hosted a three-part GTFS: Three Steps to Trip Planning and Meeting New NTD Reporting Requirements workshop series on August 8, 15, and 29, 2023. Access the recordings of the 3 sessions. This series offered free, targeted, hands-on training to help you develop your General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) data and publish your services online.
National RTAP held a Training Focused Transit Manager Peer Roundtable on August 30, 2023. Transit managers discussed training-related topics such as corrective action training plans, CDL training strategies, tailgate training, and driver training checklists. The summary will be posted on our Peer Roundtables and Chats webpage.
Books in Transit Discussion Group Selects Next Book
Our Books in Transit Discussion Group has selected A Purposeful Path by Casey Beaumier, SJ, as our next book to read. The book answers: "How far can you go with $30, a bus ticket, and a dream?" Our next meeting will be on February 15, 2024 and the author will be joining us! Register.
National RTAP Participates in TCRP Day
TCRP Day is September 21, 2023. National RTAP is a participant partner this year. We will have a table of TCRP reports in the library available to read and visitors can enjoy TCRP cookies. If you are interested in visiting us in Woburn, MA on TCRP Day, please RSVP.
National RTAP Directory of Trainers Updated
We completed our annual update of our Directory of Trainers with new training topics and expanded biographies of trainers listed. If you would like to be listed in our Directory, please contact us.
National RTAP Resource Library Integrated Library System Pre-Proposal Call Q&As Published
We've posted our National RTAP Resource Library Integrated Library System RFP Q&A document. Proposals are due September 29, 2023. Please see our RFP webpage for more information. |
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National RTAP Team Spotlight: Julianne Sullivan
Julianne Sullivan joined National RTAP in June of 2023 as an Administrative Assistant. Julianne just graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell with a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing and management and she's already been such an asset to National RTAP. She’s a cracker-jack editor and no typos will be safe from her eyes. Julianne is an avid Harry Potter fan who also likes drawing, painting, and baking. We’re excited to have Julianne join our team and hope you get to meet her soon. Read more about Julianne.
National RTAP Participation in Upcoming Conferences
We're presenting and exhibiting at the following conferences and meetings:
- Tri-State Transit Conference, September 6-7
- URSTA Conference & Roadeo, September 7-9
- NEMTAC TRANSFORM 2023 Conference, September 10-12
- NADO National Summit on Rural Road Safety, September 12-14
- CASTA Fall 2023 Conference and EXPO, September 12-15
- HTA 2023 Annual Conference, September 13-14
- 2023 DTA Fall Conference and Roadeo, September 15-19
- National Transportation in Indian Country Conference (NTICC), September 24-28
- CTE Zero Emission Bus Conference (ZEB Con), September 26-28
- MassDOT 2023 Moving Together Conference, October 4
- Wisconsin/Minnesota Public Transit Expo, October 23-25
- AzTA Maintenance Forum, October 25-26
- Louisiana Transit Conference, October 29 - November 1
National RTAP GTFS Hot Topic Guide Published
National RTAP continues publishing our annual Hot Topic Guides in our Find Anything Toolkit. These guides list resources about the most highly requested topics from National RTAP users within the past year. Our second Hot Topic Guide is on GTFS. Resources include:
Thank you to San Jose State University student Olivia Nix-Sifuentes for help with resource selection for this topic guide.
Last Day for the TACL Utilization Study
We are conducting a study through August 31, 2023 to see how users utilize TACL. We are looking to see how users find resources and how they use the resources to solve actual transportation coordination challenges. If you (or a member of your team) are working on a transportation coordination project and would like to participate, contact us at info@nationalrtap.org.
The Official Commercial Bus Blue Book Added to the National RTAP Reference Collection
The Official Commercial Bus Blue Book by Bus Solutions Holdings, LLC lists high retail values, low retail values, and average sale values for buses 25 years old or newer. Values can be viewed by vendors, for intercity, midsize, minibus, theme trolley, transit, and van vehicles. The National RTAP Resource Library has a copy in its reference collection, which can be viewed by visitors. Our staff can also look up values for rural and tribal transit agencies that contact us at info@nationalrtap.org or 888-589-6821.
New Mexico Transit Association and Maryland TAM/RTAP Newsletters Publish Article about National RTAP
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FTA is seeking comments on information collection through September 20, 2023 for its New Freedom program. The New Freedom program was repealed in 2012; however, grant recipients for funds previously authorized are required to make information available to the public and to publish a program of projects that identifies the subrecipients and projects for which the state or designated recipient is applying for financial assistance.
The FTA Emergency Relief Program has been reopened with a new submission deadline of October 31, 2023. Applicants who submitted proposals prior to May 26, 2023, do not need to re-submit. |
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The AASHTO Council on Public Transportation and the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) are co-hosting an AASHTO & ACT Joint Webinar: State DOT Rural TDM on September 26, 3:00-4:00 PM ET. AASHTO, ACT, and a panel of State DOT speakers will discuss rural TDM programs and the opportunities and intersections for public transportation and rural transportation demand management (TDM).
Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT), the Colorado Attorney General's Office, Colorado Motor Carriers Association, Colorado State Patrol, Colorado Human Trafficking Council, and Colorado Association of Transit Agencies (CASTA) are hosting a free, half-day human trafficking awareness event on October 10, 2023 in Glenwood Springs, CO.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers a free eLearning course on Visualizing Data Stories. It is designed to help people use data to identify and address health disparities in their community.
Registration is open for the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center's (NADTC) new online course, Creative Solutions to Rural Transportation, running from October 23 to November 17, 2023. The course focuses on rural transportation funding, volunteer transportation, technology, and coordination, and incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion in rural transportation planning. Registration closes on October 13, 2023.
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Pathway to Promote Diversity within Public Transit Workforce by the Mineta Transportation Institute highlights the issue of resiliency within the transportation industry and emphasizes the need for enhancing diversity and inclusion to foster creative problem-solving and ensure the industry's growth and sustainability.
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FHWA provides an interactive map for Tribes to find information about their regional Tribal Technical Assistance Program (TTAP). Data includes region, states, point(s) of contact, local address, and website.
The Center on Rural Innovation's Broadband Climate Risk Mitigation Tool provides hazard risk data alongside broadband access data for the purpose of infrastructure decision-making while considering natural hazards. It provides information at the county, address, or census tract level.
Bobit's Fleet Solution Directory lists vendors for fleet vehicle management. Categories include technology and software, accident management and collision repair, alternative fuel, and more. |
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AmeriCorps is offering several funding opportunities: State and National Grants and State and National Native Nations Grants. These grants fund programs that provide additional benefits to its stakeholders, including transportation, as well as initiatives that prioritize the investment of national service resources. The deadline is for the first one is January 4, 2024 and the deadline for the second one is April 5, 2024.
The FHWA Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects Program Notice of Funding Opportunity is open for applications through November 6, 2023. The program provides funding to projects of national significance for construction, reconstruction, or rehabilitation of transportation facilities within, adjacent to, or providing access to federal or Tribal lands.
The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration published a Notice of Funding Opportunity for its Recompete Pilot Program - Phase 1. This program seeks to alleviate persistent economic distress and support long-term comprehensive economic development and job creation, in places with a high prime-age employment gap. The application deadline is October 5, 2023. |
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On May 23, 2023, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) published a notice proposing security vetting of certain public transportation employees. TSA is extending the comment period to October 1, 2023.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a Final Rule to update regulations issued under the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts. As the first comprehensive regulatory review in nearly 40 years, revisions to these regulations intend to promote compliance and provide appropriate and updated guidance. The Rule is effective on October 23, 2023.
The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is revising its guidance in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The revisions implement the requirement for the Director of OMB to issue guidance to the head of each federal agency to assist in the implementation of the requirements of the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA). The effective date for the revised guidance is October 23, 2023.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeks to explore methods for modifying the Universal Service Fund (USF) high-cost program to promote affordable and available broadband services in the years to come. Comments are due October 23, 2023.
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) released the fiscal year 2024 continental United States (CONUS) per diem reimbursement rates for federal travelers, effective October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024. For FY 2024, the maximum lodging allowance rates in some existing per diem localities will increase, and the standard CONUS lodging rate will increase from $98 to $107.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is updating its Cybersecurity Framework and seeks feedback on whether this draft revision addresses organizations’ current and anticipated future cybersecurity challenges, is aligned with leading practices and guidance resources, and reflects comments received so far. Comments are due November 4, 2023. |
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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.
National RTAP
August 31, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
Transit Planning 4 All
August 31, 1:00-2:00 PM
Native Learning Center
August 31, 2:00-3:30 PM
United Tribes
Bismarck, ND, September 5-7
FEMA
September 6, 10:30-12:00 PM
FHWA
September 6, 2:00 PM
New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine DOTs
Killington, VT, September 6-7
Please stop by our booth!
MPTA, IPTA, KPTA, NATP
Kansas City, MO, September 6-8
National RTAP Ambassadors are attending.
U.S. DOT Project Delivery Center of Excellence (COE)
September 7, 1:00 PM
National RTAP
September 7, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
Vision Zero Network
September 7, 1:00-2:00 PM
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
September 7, 1:00-4:00 PM
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
September 7, 3:00-4:00 PM
Utah Urban Rural Specialized Transit Association (URSTA)
Kanab, UT, September 7-9
Please visit our table!
Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Accreditation Commission (NEMTAC)
Jacksonville, FL - September 10-12
Please stop by our table!
FORTH
September 12, 1:00-2:00 PM
TRB
September 12, 1:00-2:30 PM
National Association of Development Organizations (NADO)
Oklahoma City, OK, September 12-14
We're participating
Colorado Association of Transit Agencies (CASTA)
Crested Butte, CO, September 12-15
Please stop by our table!
Fleet Forward
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ, September 13
Launch Alaska and the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE)
Anchorage, AK, September 13
Hawaii Transportation Association (HTA)
Honolulu, HI, September 13-14
We're participating
National RTAP
September 14, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
TRB
September 14, 1:00-2:30 PM
FHWA
September 14, 1:00-3:00 PM
NADTC
September 14, 2:00-3:00 PM
World Road Association (PIARC)
September 15, 8:00-9:00 AM
Dakota Transit Association (DTA)
Minot, ND, September 15-19
Please visit our table!
TRB
September 19, 12:00-1:00 PM
National Institute for Congestion Reduction (NICR)
Thursday, August 31, 12:00-1:00 PM
National EV Charging Initiative (NEVCI)
September 19, 12:00-3:00 PM
National Advisory Committee on Seniors and Disasters (NACSD) and National Advisory Committee on Individuals With Disabilities and Disasters (NACIDD)
September 19, 1:00-3:00 PM
U.S. DOT
September 19, 1:30-2:30 PM
ITS4US Deployment Program
September 19, 2:00-3:30 PM
The Transportation Alliance
Myrtle Beach, SC, September 19-23
National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC)
September 20, 12:30-1:15 PM
National RTAP
Woburn, MA and online, September 21
If you would like to visit, please RSVP
National RTAP
September 21, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
Latinos in Transit
Washington, D.C., September 22-23
NTCA: The Rural Broadband Association
Boston, MA, September 24-27
National Transportation in Indian Country Conference (NTICC)
Anchorage, AK, September 24-28
Please stop by our booth!
National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA)
Cherokee, NC, September 25-29
AASHTO Council on Public Transportation and the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT)
September 26, 3:00-4:00 PM
Move America
Austin, TX, September 26-27
National Transit Institute
September 26-27, 1:00-4:30 PM
Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE)
San Diego, CA, September 26-28
Please stop by our booth!
U.S. DOT Project Delivery Center of Excellence (COE)
September 27, 1:00 PM
American Bus Association
September 27, 2:00-3:00 PM
AARP
September 27-28, 1:00-5:00 PM
Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship
Keene, NH, September 27-28
International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR)
Scottsdale, AZ, September 27-30
American Public Works Association (APWA) - New England Chapter
September 28, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
National RTAP
September 28, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
National RTAP
September 28, 2:00-3:30 PM
Fleet Forward
Dallas, TX, October 3
Clean Mobility Options
Los Angeles, CA, October 3
Massachusetts DOT
Boston, MA, October 4
Please visit our booth!
National RTAP
October 5, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
American Public Transportation Association (APTA)
Orlando, FL, October 8-11
Truckers Against Trafficking, Colorado AG, Colorado Motor Carriers Association, Colorado State Patrol, Colorado Human Trafficking Council, and CASTA
Glenwood Springs, CO, October 10, 12:00-4:00 PM
Volpe Center
October 12, 1:00 PM
National RTAP
October 12, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
Kansas City, MO, October 17-19
National RTAP
October 19, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
National RTAP
October 19, 2:00-3:00 PM ET
National Safety Council (NSC)
New Orleans, LA, October 20-26
WPTA/MPTA
La Crosse, WI, October 23-24
Please stop by our table!
EVNoire and Forth
Washington, DC and Virtual; October 25 - Virtual and October 26 - In Person
Arizona Transit Association (AzTA)
Mesa, AZ, October 25-26
Please stop by our table!
Volpe Center
October 26, 1:00 PM
National RTAP
October 26, 1:00-1:30 PM
No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting
Louisiana Public Transit Association
New Orleans, LA, October 29 - November 1
Please visit our booth!
University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies (CTS)
Minneapolis , MN, November 2, 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
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