eNews - October 10, 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

Upcoming National RTAP Webinar on the Newly Updated Marketing Transit Toolkit

National RTAP 2024 Photo Contest Winners Announced - The Art of Transit

Upcoming Webinar on National RTAP Community Rides Grantees

Updated FTA 5310, Award Management, and Rural Areas Formula Grant Circulars

IRS Proposed Rule on tax classification of entities wholly owned by Tribal governments

Upcoming National RTAP Webinar on the Newly Updated Marketing Transit Toolkit

National RTAP recently comprehensively updated and enhanced its Marketing Transit Toolkit. Join us for this webinar on November 12, 2024 at 2:00-3:15 PM ET for an overview of the Toolkit.

The new version includes:

• Additional guidance, case studies, and tools 
• Fresh, modern templates for passenger guides and other marketing materials
• New copyright-free photos and graphics, and much more

During this webinar, you will get a refresher on marketing strategies to raise awareness of the transit system, improve the rider experience, build support in your community, and increase ridership. You will also learn the components of the Marketing Toolkit and how to use them. Presenters are Elea Carey, Founder, Transit Happy, Selena Barlow, Owner, Transit Marketing, and Rick Schuster, Owner, THINK Graphic Design.

National RTAP 2024 Photo Contest Winners Announced

The Art of Transit

Our National RTAP 2024 Photo Contest – The Art of Transit – celebrates the creative side of transit. We asked transit agency staff and riders to draw, paint, sculpt, quilt, weave, make a collage, or create an artistic digital image that depicts rural or tribal transit and includes an original artistic image of a bus, bus stop, driver, and/or riders. This was still a photo contest; the final submissions were photos of the artwork - the winners are shown below and on our Photo Contest web page and all the entrants are shown in our Facebook Album. Congratulations to all the talented artists!

First Place

Artwork Title: Connecting Community

Artist: Kevin Tafoya, Assistant Manager

Transit Agency: Cherokee Transit, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee, North Carolina

Media: Digital Media

Honorable Mention

Artwork Title: Bus 66

Artist: John Lobser

Transit Agency: Steamboat Springs Transit, Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Media: Painting

Second Place

Artwork Title: BATA Bus 40

Artist: Kristine Madsen, Mobility Manager

Transit Agency: Brookings Area Transit Authority (BATA), Brookings, South Dakota

Media: Acrylic Painting on Canvas

Honorable Mention

Artwork Title: Sweet Rides and Cookeville Pride

Artist: Jacklyn Medley, Mobility Manager

Transit Agency: Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency (UCHRA), Cookville, Tennessee

Media: Procreate Digital Illustration

Third Place

Artwork Title: I Love Brazos Transit District

Artist: Sonya Tijerina, Human Resources

Transit Agency: Brazos Transit District (BTD), Bryan, TX

Media: Painting

Awards were paid to the artists:

First Prize: $400

Second Prize: $200

Third Prize: $100

Honorable Mention: $50

Winners also received plaques, and all entries also received certificates.

We are hosting a webinar on October 31, 2024 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET to showcase some of the grant projects to share successes and lessons learned.

Effective November 1, 2024, FTA is issuing an updated Enhanced Mobility for Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program Guidance (Section 5310) Circular (C. 9070.1H). New information will include Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), program administrative requirements, equipment management, vehicle use, leasing and title to vehicles, satisfactory continuing control requirements, reporting requirements, management plan, drug and alcohol testing requirements, and other topics.

FTA issued the final updated Award Management Requirements Circular (C 5010.1), which will be applicable November 1, 2024. The circular updates include FTA policies regarding real property status reporting, the incidental use of FTA-funded project property, and the transfer of real property to third parties for affordable housing.

FTA finalized an updated circular to assist recipients in their implementation of the Rural Areas Formula Program and the rural component of the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program, which will be effective November 1, 2024. The combined circular is titled Rural Areas Formula Grant Programs Guidance (C9040.1H). 

FTA's September 2024 Transit Safety and Oversight Spotlight Newsletter contains a recap of its recent bus manufacturers meeting and guidance on making safe choices when driving or walking near railroad tracks and trains.

For FTA award management, FTA no longer uses a DUNS number, the System for Awards Management (SAM) now uses a Unique Entity ID (UEI).

U.S. DOT is establishing a Mobility Equity Research Center at Florida A&M University, a Historically Black College and University. The new Center, Advancing Community-Centric Equitable Systems and Solutions in Mobility (ACCESS-M), established through a cooperative agreement with DOT, will support the Department’s goal of expanding accessibility and mobility to underserved communities, including people with disabilities, older Americans, Tribal Nations, and rural and disadvantaged communities.

FTA is seeking applications through November 6, 2024 for individuals to serve as members, for two-year terms, on the Transit Advisory Committee for Safety (TRACS). The TRACS provides information, advice, and recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation and FTA Administrator in response to tasks assigned to TRACS.

Join the Active Transportation Resource Center (ATRC) and the National Center for Applied Transit Technologies (N-CATT) on October 21 at 1:00 PM ET for ATRC Office Hours: Fare Payment Tech with N-CATT. N-CATT Director Andrew Carpenter will present on fare payment options and discuss how digital fare payment can impact accessibility.

The Assistive Technology Learning Hub launched as the new Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs (ATAP)/AT3 Center's online learning platform. The first course is the Director's Roadmap, a foundation course on assistive technology.

The Community Asset Builders Mobility Management Certificate Program offers free coursework for identifying community and transportation resources, addressing gaps or barriers, and building partnerships to become a strong advocate for those who rely on accessible transportation.

The Transit Workforce Center (TWC) case studies on Approaches to Childcare Support in the Transit Industry describes three successful models: a voucher system, an on-site center managed directly by the agency, and a discounted center managed by a contractor with supplemental referral services. One of the case studies is a rural transit system: Prairie Hills Transit in Spearfish, South Dakota.

Open-loop payment systems are those that can accept many payment options including credit and debit cards, smartphone applications, and wallets as well as other devices that are not specific to the transit agency. The National Center for Sustainable Transportation at the University of California Davis published All Aboard! Easier Transit Travel with Standardized Payments to examine the challenges and potential solutions of adopting open-loop payment systems.

TRB published a special edition of TR News entitled Transportation in Rural America. The issue includes articles about rural shared-use mobility, jurisdictional challenges in Tribal transportation, technology for rural transportation, and other topics.

The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center's (NADTC) Inclusive Transportation Planning: The Importance of Partnerships highlights why it is important to develop partnerships to ensure an inclusive planning process. The brief provides actionable partner engagement strategies, such as attending human services meetings, roundtables, or committees as well as sub-committees solely focused on transportation or related issues like healthcare, workforce, or aging and disability services.

The Addiction Policy Forum released new fentanyl awareness resources available in 12 languages to help increase knowledge of fentanyl-related overdose risks. The project is supported by the Cencora Impact Foundation and the Ethnic Communities Opioids Response Network – Missouri (ECORN-MO) to provide materials for communities with limited English proficiency.

Government Technologies published its interactive map of Digital States 2024. Users can hover over each state to see its "grade" and click on the states for more information. States that ranked high included features like cybersecurity and AI policies, digital licensing, and other components.

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics released an update to its National Transportation Statistics, including updated data on Principal Means of Transportation to Work, U.S. Gross Domestic Product Attributed to Transportation Functions, Injured Persons by Transportation Mode, and other topics.

The Rural Health Information Hub provides an Am I Rural? tool so users can determine whether their specific location is considered rural based on various definitions of rural, including definitions that are used as eligibility criteria for federal programs.

Covidtests.gov is now offering 4 free COVID tests to every U.S. household, courtesy of the Federal Administration for Strategic Preparedness & Response. The tests have a longer shelf life than previous tests.

The FHWA Transportation Planning Capacity Building (TPCB) Peer Exchange Program is a free resource for agencies in need of transportation planning assistance and pays for travel and accommodation expenses associated with on-site peer exchanges. The program offers virtual options and webinars to participants free of charge. Interested agencies are encouraged to apply for assistance by contacting TPCB@dot.gov.

Utility and Grid Operator Technical Assistance is offered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to disseminate technical solutions that accelerate clean energy and transmission deployment.

The EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality is seeking applicants through December 6, 2024 for its Diesel Emissions Reduction Act Tribal and Insular Area Grants. The program provides funding assistance to accelerate the upgrade, retrofit, and turnover of the legacy diesel fleet.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is requesting public comments through October 23, 2024 on its National Disaster Recovery Framework, which explains the federal government’s roles and responsibilities for organizing and deploying disaster recovery assistance. Download the Comment Matrix on the page and submit comments.

S. 656, the Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act of 2023, was signed into law on October 1, 2024. It signifies that a commercial driver education program offered at a new branch of an educational institution may be approved if it is appropriately licensed and uses the same curriculum as a commercial driver education program offered by the educational institution at another location that is already approved for purposes of VA educational assistance.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) proposed regulations regarding the federal tax classification of entities wholly owned by Tribal governments. The proposed regulations would provide that entities that are wholly owned by Tribes and organized or incorporated exclusively under the laws of the Tribes that own them generally are not recognized as separate entities for federal tax purposes. The proposed regulations would also provide that, for purposes of making certain elective payment elections for certain energy credits, these entities and certain Tribal corporations are treated as an instrumentality of one or more Tribal governments or subdivisions thereof. Comments are due January 7, 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).

HIRTA Public Transit

Beyond the Bus | Rural Mobility Solutions: Enhancing Access, Sustainability, and Resilience

Newton, IA, October 10, 10:00 AM - 4:45 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

October 10, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

October 15, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National RTAP

Intercity Transportation Update Webinar - Part 1

October 15, 2:00-3:30 PM 

AASHTO

AASHTO Safety Summit & Peer Exchange

Houston, TX, October 15-17

METRANS, University of Southern California

Stochastic Ride Sharing System with Flexible Pickup and Drop-Off Webinar

October 16, 3:00 PM

AARP

2024 AARP Livable Communities Online Workshop

October 16-17, 1:00-5:00 PM

Transforming Transportation Advisory Committee (TTAC) 

TTAC Public Meeting

October 17, 11:00 AM - 3:30 PM

SWTA

Bridging the Gap for Rapid/Temporary Fleet Deployment

October 17, 12:00-1:00 PM

TRB 

Transformational Technologies and Mobility Inclusion Webinar

October 17, 12:00-1:30 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

October 17, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

Mpact

Mpact Transit + Community Conference

Philadelphia, PA, October 20-23

ATRC and N-CATT

ATRC Office Hours: Fare Payment Tech with N-CATT

October 21, 1:00 PM

FMCSA

FMCSA Registration System Modernization Meeting

Washington, DC and Virtual

October 21, 1:00-4:00 PM

Registration must be received by October 14, 2024

National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) 

2024 NADO Annual Training Conference

New Orleans, LA, October 21-24

National Transit Institute

Public Involvement in Transportation Decision-Making Online Course

October 21-24, 1:00-5:00 PM

U.S. DOT 

U.S. DOT Project Delivery Center of Excellence Thought Leadership Series: Making Good on the Potential of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

October 22, 1:00 PM

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

October 22, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

APTA, Caltrans, University of Florida Transportation Institute, U.S. DOT Tier-1 Center for Equitable Transit-oriented Communities University Transportation Center, UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies, Mineta Transportation Institute

2024 Research to Practice Transit Online Symposium

October 22-24

National Center for Applied Transit Technology (N-CATT)

Putting Your GTFS Data to Work Workshop

October 22-24, 2:00-4:30 PM

Smart Grid Observer (SGO)

V2G Business, Policy & Technology Forum

Detroit, MI, October 22-24

National Transit Institute

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

October 23, 1:00-4:30 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

October 24, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

Oregon Transit Association

Annual Oregon Public Transportation Conference

Seaside, OR, October 27-30

Please stop by our Table!

National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)

81st Annual Convention & Marketplace

Las Vegas, NV, October 27 - November 3

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

NHTSA Safety Research Portfolio Virtual Public Meeting

October 28-30

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

October 29, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

AASHTO

AASHTO Annual Meeting & Expo 

Philadelphia, PA, October 29 - November 1

U.S. Access Board 

U.S. Access Board Meeting and Webcast

October 30, 1:30-3:00 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

October 31, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National RTAP

Community Rides Grant Project Outcomes and Lessons Learned

October 31, 2:00-3:00 PM

National Transit Institute

National Transit Database 2024-2025 Data Publications Release Overview Webinar

October 31, 2:00-3:30 PM

National RTAP

Mobility Wallets 101

November 4, 2:00-3:00 PM

Bobit

Global Fleet Conference

San Diego, CA, November 4-6

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

November 5, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

METRANS, University of Southern California

The Environmental Impacts of Living Far from Work Locations: Examining the Roles of Housing, Migration, and Long-Distance Commuting Webinar

November 6, 3:00 PM

Bobit

Fleet Forward & Fleet Safety Conferences 

San Diego, CA, Nov. 6-8

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

November 7, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

U.S. Joint Office of Energy and Transportation

Right-Sizing E-Mobility Webinar

November 7, 2:00 PM

Transit Workforce Center (TWC)

Making Connections 2024 - The National Transit Workforce Conference

Baltimore, MD, November 11-13

We're presenting!

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

November 12, 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

November 13, 1:00-4:30 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

November 14, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

U.S. DOT

Resilient Transportation Infrastructure: DOT Climate Adaptation Plan 2024-2027 Webinar

November 14, 2:00 PM

UMass Amherst and Massachusetts DOT

Innovation Webinar: Cross-Modal Impact Assessment for Sustainable Transportation Networks

November 14, 2:00 PM

Micromobility America

Micromobility America Conference

Costa Mesa, CA, November 14-15 

National Transit Institute

Public Involvement in Transportation Decision-Making Online Course

November 18-21, 1:00-5:00 PM

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

November 19, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National Transit Institute

NTD Reporting Security Events on the S&S-40 and S&S-50 Form Webinar

November 19, 2:00-3:30 PM

National Center for Applied Transit Technology (N-CATT)

N-CATT November 2024 Data Dashboards 201 Workshop Series

November 19-21, 2:00-4:30 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

November 21, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

November 26, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

December 3, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

Georgia Transit Association (GTA)

2024 GTA Annual Conference

Columbia, GA, December 4-6  

Please visit our booth!

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

December 5, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

American Public Transportation Association (APTA)

APTA Safety and Risk Management Seminar

Atlanta, GA, December 8-11

American Public Transportation Association (APTA)

APTA Transit Ballot Initiatives Workshop

Cincinnati, OH, December 9-11

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

December 10, 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

December 10, 1:00-4:30 PM

National Transit Institute

Crisis Communications for Transit Managers Online Course

December 10-11, 1:00-4:30 PM

Intertribal Transportation Association (ITA)

2024 ITA Annual Meeting

Las Vegas, NV, December 10-12

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

December 12, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National Transit Institute

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

December 16, 1:00-4:30 PM

National Transit Institute

Project Management for Transit Professionals Online Course

December 16-19, 1:00-4:30 PM

National Transit Institute

Introduction to Paratransit Management and Operations Online Course

December 16-19, 1:00-5:00 PM

National Transit Institute

Public Involvement in Transportation Decision-Making Online Course

December 16-19, 1:00-5:00 PM

National RTAP

Website Builder Office Hours

December 17, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National Transit Institute

National Transit Database: Annual Reporting for Indian Tribes Virtual Course

December 17-18, 1:00-4:30 PM

National RTAP

GTFS Office Hours

December 19, 1:00-1:30 PM

No preregistration necessary - join at the time of the meeting

National RTAP

Succession Planning LinkedIn Learnalong

January 7, 2:00-3:00 PM

National RTAP

State RTAP Manager Peer Roundtable

January 9, 2:00-3:00 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