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National RTAP is a program of the Federal Transit Administration dedicated to creating rural and Tribal transit solutions through technical assistance, partner collaboration and FREE training materials.

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Still One Month to Enter National RTAP's Photo Contest
Send us your winning photo! You still have until June 30th to enter the 2012 National RTAP Photo Contest. You could win a Canon Powershot S90. Send up to two digital photos depicting an aspect of partnership and collaboration in your rural or Tribal transit system to [email protected]. Whether you capture your transit team, dispatcher, customer on a bus or transit manager, we want to see and share your photography on partnership and coordination! Please send consent forms with your photos, found here.

Winner of iPod Touch Announced!

Congratulations to Milton Batiste III, Transportation Director at the Arc of Greater New Orleans for winning our raffle at last week's CTAA conference in Baltimore! And thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hi, gave us your business card, and picked up some of our training materials. We hope to see you all soon!

Putting Transit to Work in Main Street America
Reconnecting  America, with support from CTAA and the Rockefeller Foundation, recently released Putting Transit to Work in Main Street America: How Smaller Cities and Rural Places are Using Transit and Mobility Investments to Strengthen Their Economies and Communities. This report details ways that small cities and rural towns have integrated transit into their locales, and the impact of transit on their communities. Nine case studies are highlighted, and the authors focus on transit solutions to several challenges faced by small communities, including an aging population, limited economic resources, and a population spread out over large geographic areas. Connect to this report through the National RTAP Resource Library. 
ESPA Webinar on Customer Service for People with Disabilities
Easter Seals Project Action will be hosting a webinar presentation on "Customer Service for People with Disabilities: Taking Your Training to the Next Level." Designed for transit managers interested in improving staff customer service sensitivity training, this two-part series will cover the business incentive for providing this type of training, and allow participants to work through scenarios while providing and receiving feedback from one another. Registration for the series ends on June 15th, and the webinar takes place on two Wednesdays, June 20th and 27th from 2-3:30 Eastern Time. To find out more about the series and to register,click here.
Community Transformation Grant Opportunity
Health and Human Services (HHS) announced $70 million in grants to be used for projects that will improve the health of small communities. The funds will be administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and are part of the Community Transformation Grants program. The funds are open to a wide range of community organizations, including rural and Tribal transportation authorities. Grant applications are due by July 31st in grants.gov. For more information and to apply, visit the grants.gov synopsis page.
National LTAP/TTAP Conference to be Held in Grapevine, TX
The 30th annual National Local Technical Assistance Program/Tribal Technical Assistance Program (LTAP/TTAP) conference will be held from July 30th-August 2nd in Grapevine, TX. Hosted by the Region 2 TTAP centers, the conference will be "Celebrating 30 Years of Innovative Excellence" with its Blazing Trails theme. Attendees can expect to find a variety of sessions on topics including safety plans, managing and growing transportation centers, and evaluating training and ROI. For the draft agenda and to find out more information about the conference, visit the Grapevine 2012 conference page.

Two Weeks Left to Contribute to the National Online Dialogue on Veterans Transportation

ESPA's Press Release: On this Memorial Day, we honor the brave men and women who valiantly gave their lives to protect our nation. As we remember their sacrifices and dedication, we also honor their comrades, the men and women in uniform returning home to their communities. Community living and community re-integration requires community transportation. Entering the third week of the National Online Dialogue on Veterans' Transportation, we express our appreciation to the more than 340 participants who have shared more than 165 comments, 348 votes, and 51 ideas. We are learning a lot about the needs, barriers, and solutions that our veterans, active duty military and their families have associated with transportation services. There are only two more weeks for us to gather input! Please take a moment to add your voice and give us an idea, comment on someone else's idea or vote. Your input will assist us in compiling a set of recommendations for specific activities as next steps in this project. Thus far, some hot topics are:

* The importance of ensuring access to transportation near medical facilities and in rural areas;
* Technology solutions that streamline access to transportation information such as smart cards, smart phones and one call centers;
* The importance of broad coalitions and partnerships.
One participant recently commented, "My 20-something brother is in the Army and has a huge network of friends using Facebook. Given the camaraderie and existing support within the military network, it seems that modern social networks would be a powerful tool for linking veterans to services, finding volunteers, etc."

Please visit the dialogue website by June 8 and add your voice!

This national online dialogue is sponsored by the Federal Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility and the U.S. Department of Defense. The dialogue is managed and operated by Easter Seals Project ACTION through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration, using funds from the U.S. Department of Labor. 

Did You Know? National RTAP's ProcurementPRO Can Help You Buy Vehicles!

Ever wonder if you have all of the necessary paperwork, including federal, state and local clauses and certifications, when buying vehicles or doing other procurement projects? If you haven't checked out our ProcurementPRO web-based application, then now's the time! For all users, Federal clauses and certifications are included. State and local clauses and certifications can be added by the appropriate authority, then used by all agencies within their boundaries. Once your state or local government sets up a portal, you automatically download their clauses and certifications! For more information about ProcurementPRO and how you can use it to save time and energy, visit our ProcurementPRO information page.

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