Missed last week's announcement of our newest technical brief,

The American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO), AASHTO's Multistate Technical Assistance Program (MTAP) and the Small Urban and Rural Transit Center (SURTC) have partnered to produce FTA 101, a brief guide to the history and grant-making activities of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The free learning module is designed for new State DOT employees, but any transit agency will benefit from the overview. The course is also bolstered by frequent quizzes to reinforce the material, which includes segments explaining the different modes of transportation covered by FTA, and grant administration.

National RTAP staff will be presenting the updated version of Website Builder during a webinar on August 25th at 3PM. Anybody who does not currently have a live website using Website Builder is encouraged to attend. A live demo will emphasize the ease of use for Website Builder Version 2, as well as the new, streamlined design options and a ready-made template. 

Register now for the webinar.

The National Rural Transit Assistance Program (National RTAP) is soliciting nominations for National Review Board members. The deadline for submitting nomination forms is August 22nd. 

National RTAP has three upcoming vacancies on the National RTAP Review Board for state transit officials, and one for a rural or tribal transit provider. The term of office is for three years beginning in the fall of 2014. Section 5311 or RTAP managers and representatives of a transit provider that receives 5311 or Tribal Transit Program funds are eligible to be nominated. Any group or individual involved in rural transit is encouraged to nominate a representative to the Board. An individual may also nominate him/herself for consideration. For more information about the responsibilities of Review Board members and the selection process, please see the nomination form.

 

FTA Drug and Alcohol Update Issue #55 is available.

 

The FTA issued a Federal Register Notice of Request for Comments on Updates to National Transit Database Information Collection. 

Partnership for Sustainable Communities: Five Years of Learning from Communities and Coordinating Federal Investments describes the state of sustainability in the US, as well as impacts that the Partnership has had on several communities.

TCRP Report 171: Use of Mobility Devices on Paratransit Vehicles and Buses addresses issues around the use of mobility devices in transit vehicles. It includes guidance on accessible design, and discusses level of service issues for heavier and larger occupied mobility devices.

TCRP Report 169: Developing Best Practice Guidelines to Improve Bus Operator Health and Retention is a guide for transit managers and others interested in developing programs that improve health issues for bus operators. The materials include an evaluation and Return on Investment (ROI) template.

METRO Magazine has posted two new blog entries, one about maximizing performance of new transit maintenance facilities, and the other on the "safety blitz," a process for randomly making sure bus operators are following safety protocol.  

NTI has developed a new course, Developing a Transit Emergency Management Plan.