National RTAP is pleased to announce the fourth annual Photos Across Rural and Tribal America photo contest, with the theme, "Putting Training to Work." Photo submissions should depict an aspect of training within your rural or Tribal transit system. Whether it is an image demonstrating an activity covered in training, or a photograph of training taking place, we want to see your interpretation of "Putting Training to Work!" Prizes for this year's winners are an Olympus TG-1iHS 12 MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom for the winner, and a $250 American Express Gift Cheque for the runner-up. 

To read the contest rules and download the consent forms needed with every photo submission, please view the press release on our home page. Questions can be directed to Pam DiGiovanni at pdigiovanni@nationalrtap.org, or 888-589-6821. 

The Federal Transit Administration has published a Federal Register Notice for the FY2012 Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program project selections. A total of $15.5 million was appropriated to Tribal projects, including planning activities, capital investment, and operating costs. For a list of amounts appropriated to Tribes, view the Federal Register Notice here. 

The Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at the University of South Florida released Volume 15, Number 4 of the Journal of Public Transportation. This issue includes an article about planning public transportation networks, a cost examination of a fare-free ADA complementary transit service in Illinois, and an evaluation of three wheelchair securement systems by transit operators. To view the articles, visit CUTR's Journal of Public Transportation page. 

Easter Seals Project Action (ESPA) will be running a free online course for new ADA Complementary Paratransit Managers, "Excellence in Service for Paratransit Managers." The 10-week course includes five learning modules presented in a variety of media. Topics covered include history of the disability movement, engaging the disability community in your area, and fostering a greater understanding of ADA and sensitivity towards people with disabilities. Easter Seals expects the course to take approximately 15 hours per participant, including homework, online discussions, and course activities. The starting date of the first class is January 14th, and the course runs until March 29th. To find out more information or to sign up, visit ESPA's Training Page. 

The Federal Transit Administration online dialogue on Transit Asset Management has been extended until January 18th. A Transit Asset Management plan is a new requirement under MAP-21, and the dialogue aims to allow transit agencies to give feedback on key aspects of the new legislation, including how the FTA will handle the new rule. To participate, go to http://tam.ideascale.com/.