------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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Third Annual National RTAP Photo Contest Winners Chosen
National RTAP is pleased to announce the winners of its third annual photo contest, Photos Across Rural and Tribal America. The theme of National RTAP's third annual photo contest was "creating partnerships and coordination for rural transit solutions." Our Grand Prize Winner is Mary Billings, Transportation Director from Shelby Senior Services, in Shelbyville, Indiana with her photo, "Susie Goes to Work." She will receive a Canon Powershot S90. Our second place winner is Gary Rushing, Transportation Manager at Heart of Texas Council of Governments in Waco, Texas, for his photo, "Repairing Transit Assets through Partnerships." He will receive a $250 American Express Gift Cheque.
Honorable mentions include: Charolett Robinson, Executive Director, of Mat-Su Transit in Wasilla, Alaska for her photo, "MASCOT in the Community;" Keri Walker, Planning/Grants Supervisor, of St. James Parish Transit in Convent, Louisiana for her photo, "Rural Connections: St. James Parish Transit and River Parish Transit Authority;" and Susan B Richards, President, SR Concepts, of Charleston, South Carolina for her photo, "Transit Options Meeting," taken for BCD RTMA Tri-County Link, Moncks Corner, South Carolina and submitted by Barbara Flynn, Community Outreach Coordinator of Tri-County Link. We received many great photos and want to thank everyone who participated! For more information on our photo contest and to view the winning photos, please view our press release.
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Scheduling and Dispatching Disc Errors: Update
We want to inform our customers about an operating problem with the Scheduling and Dispatching Training Package for Rural Transit Systems self-training CD. We have discovered a problem when the CD runs on Windows Internet Explorer 9 (IE9). We are addressing the problem and will have a new disc available shortly.
Customers who are currently using Windows Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) will need to order a new Scheduling and Dispatching CD, so that Windows Internet Explorer will run the training program without error or interruption. The new discs will be available and ready to ship on August 15, 2012. Customers are encouraged to pre-order new discs before the shipment availability date. Please call our Resource Specialist at 888-589-6821 or [email protected] to order your new disc at your earliest convenience.
To determine which version of Windows Internet Explorer you are using:
1. Open Windows Internet Explorer by clicking the Start button, and click on Internet Explorer.
2. Press the ALT and H key simultaneously and the Help box menu will appear in the tool bar.
3. On the Help menu, scroll down and click on About Internet Explorer.
4. About Internet Explorer will display the version of Windows IE you are using.
For the full news release, click here.
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20th National Rural Public and Intercity Bus Transportation Conference
A message from the RIBTC Conference Planning Committee:
"The 20th National Conference on Rural Public & Intercity Bus Transportation (October 14-17, 2012 @ the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City, UT) is shaping up to be one of the best in years, and early registration fees of $395 per person are still available (www.ribtc.org). But, you must act quickly to secure that rate! The agenda promises the most up-to-date information on comprehensive topics relevant to your career. With the (unexpected and) last-minute passage of MAP-21, conference planners are making sure you get the facts on funding and important changes in the FTA 5310, 5311, 5311(f), 5317, JARC & New Freedom programs.
On Tuesday, October 16, join this lively dialogue with leaders of our national associations: Dale Marsico, Executive Director of the Community Transportation Association; Michael Melaniphy, President and CEO of the American Public Transportation Association; and Peter Pantuso, President and CEO of the American Bus Association will discuss the meaning of MAP-21 and the next reauthorization in 2014.
On Wednesday, October 17, participate in the traditional Town Hall Session --- The Future of Rural America: And What Are We Going To Do About It? --- an actively-facilitated program focusing on concerning demographic and economic trends for the future of rural America. And, contribute to an action research and political agenda for our industry and our industry partners."
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Correction: Narrowbanding Deadline Waived for Small Number of Agencies
Last eNews we issued a reminder that the narrowbanding compliance deadline will come up in January of next year. While this is still true for the vast majority of transit agencies, a reader brought to our attention that there is a waiver of the deadline for the T band, from 470-512 MHz. If your communications fall within this range, you are not required to comply with narrowbanding regulations as of January, 2013. This affects around 5% of transit agencies, according to a TCRP survey completed in 2007. For the official FCC notice about this change, please click here.
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Webinar and Online Course from ESPA
Easter Seals Project ACTION presents two upcoming online trainings of interest to rural and tribal transit professionals. A webinar entitled Transportation and Taxi Voucher Programs: Creating Flexible Options for People with Disabilities will take place on Wednesday, August 15th at 2PM EST. Register by August 13 by emailing [email protected] or contacting us at 800-659-6428 or by TTY at 202-347-7385. Click here for more information.
An online course, People on the Move: The ADA and Beyond, will provide information about fixed-route and paratransit operations as related to the ADA. To register, click on the provided link.
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New TCRP, TRB, and Other Reports
Several organizations and institutions have recently released new reports regarding older adult mobility, bus dispatching, maintenance, and fare-free transit. A University of Michigan study, Transportation, Mobility, and Older Adults in Rural Michigan, explores mobility and transportation issues in rural areas, focusing on Michigan. The National Center for Transportation Research and University of South Florida have released Best Practices in Bus Dispatch, outlining best practices in extraboard operator management. TRB Transportation Research Circular E-C163: Maintenance Management 2012 contains the proceedings of the July 2012 AASHTO-TRB Maintenance Management Conference. TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Synthesis 101: Implementation and Outcomes of Fare-Free Transit Systems examines case studies of agencies that have implemented fare-free systems.
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FTA MAP-21 Information Page
The FTA has created a web page housing the new MAP-21 transportation bill information. The resources provided on the page include apportionments and basic information about the MAP-21 bill. Visit http://fta.dot.gov/map21/index.html for more information.
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Did You Know? National RTAP's Web Apps Will Save You Time and Money!
National RTAP's free web applications will bring your transit agency further into the technological age. By registering for the Cloud, you will be able to build a website with our Website Builder, upload resources into an online library through the Resource Library, manage your procurement process in ProcurementPRO, and put your routes and schedules online with GTFS Builder. To find out more about these, and upcoming web apps, visit www.nationalrtap.org, contact us at [email protected], or call 1-888-589-5020.
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Contact Information
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phone: 888-589-6821
email: [email protected]
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