The CTAA has put together a comprehensive list of Covid-19 resources and news. The original web page can be found here. Several of the resouces listed are also below.
Resources for the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
CTAA will be holding a series of virtual meetings on Wednesday, March 18 to best identify ways in which the coronavirus is impacting transit systems across the country. There will be a brief presentation on the current situation, followed by opportunities for questions and comments.
- Small-Urban Transit Operators: join us from 12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. (Eastern)
- Rural Transit Operators: join us from 1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. (Eastern)
- NEMT and Specialized Transit Operators: join us from 2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. (Eastern)
Best practices when it comes to dealing with the coronavirus (COVID-19):
CTAA’s Fed Central – legislative, policy and regulatory news, resources and information.
U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Increased Flexibility to Help Transit Agencies Respond to Coronavirus
Source: US DOT
The FTA has announced that in states where the Governor has declared an emergency, transit agencies can use their federal formula funds for operating expenses in addition to capital expenses and that operating expenses are covered at an 80 percent federal share rather than 50 percent.
US DOT Releases New Grant to Help Improve Transit Service in Economically Distressed Areas
Source: US DOT
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to apply for $8.5 million in Fiscal Year 2020 competitive grant funding for projects that help lift communities out of poverty and support recovery from substance abuse. The new Helping Obtain Prosperity for Everyone (HOPE) program supports planning, engineering and technical studies or financial planning to improve transit services in areas experiencing long-term economic distress. Projects will be evaluated by criteria outlined in the NOFO. Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 4, 2020.
Senate Bill to Promote Transportation Jobs
Source: Transportation Today
A new bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate in February will help fill projected vacancies in the transportation industry. If passed, the Senate bill, Promoting Service in Transportation Act, S. 3303, proposed by U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Gary Peters (D-MI), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Catherine Cortez Mastro (D-NV), will create a public awareness campaign from the U. S. Department of Transportation that would focus on the availability of jobs within the transportation industry.
Rural & Tribal – The latest developments in improving mobility in rural and tribal communities
CTAA Member Western Maine Transportation Services Receive a Grant to Continue Service
Source: Sun Journal
CTAA Member Ozark Regional Transit (Mo.) Starts Construction on Administrative Office
Source: Talk Business
CTAA Member Country Roads Transit (W.Va.) Seeks Funding
Source: The Record Delta
Small Cities Could Boost Transit Options with Transportation Climate Funds
Source: Energy News
Rural Areas in Georgia Get Creative to Address Lack of Transportation
Source: Valdosta Daily Times
Urban – News, trends, and updates of transit in small urban areas
Support Transit Efforts to Improve Air Quality Through the Alternative Fuels Tax Credit
Source: AFTC
CTAA Member Lane Transit (Oregon) Awards Contract to CTAA Member New Flyer for Mobility Solution that Includes Electric Buses and Depot Chargers
Source: New Flyer
CTAA Member RoadRUNNER Transit (N.M.), Dial-a-Ride Temporarily Eliminate Fares
Source: Las Cruces Sun
CTAA Member TransIT (Md.) Leading the Way in Incorporating Green Technology for Bus Fleet
Source: The Frederick News-Post
Bus Shelters for CTAA Member Athens Transit (Ga.) Are Arriving: Public Art Project Strengthens Sense of Place
Source: Flagpole
CTAA Member Intercity Transit (Wash.) Ridership Grows 20 Percent in First Month of Zero-Fare Bus Service
Source: Mass Transit Magazine
Source: Mass Transit Magazine
Specialized & NEMT – opportunities & challenges of providing specialized and non-emergency medical transportation
CTAA Member Delmarva Community Services (Md.) Present Transportation Overview to Commissioners
Source: Kent County News
Free Public Transportation to Opioid Treatment in West Virginia
Source: WSAZ 3
New Ride Service in Clairton, McKees Rocks (Pa.) Is a More Nimble Solution to Low-Income Transportation Gap
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Transportation Options Are Increasing for Seniors in Dallas (Texas)
Source: Dallas News
OKC-Based SendaRide Expands Beyond Oklahoma
Source: The Oklahoman
Accessible Transit Signage Can Work for Everyone. Here’s How.
Source: Greater Greater Washington
The Porter’s Station – Technical assistance resources, documents and events, including webinars, conferences, and training
Webinar: Cost Allocation Calculator
Source: National RTAP and NCMM
On March 25, from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Eastern), join National RTAP and the National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM) to learn about the fundamentals of two-variable cost allocation, how to use National RTAP’s Two-Variable Cost Allocation Calculator and ways to utilize the results for data reporting, pricing, and planning of services. Speakers include, Amy Conrick (the NCMM Director), Rich Garrity (RLS & Associates) and Todd Hansen (Texas A&M Transportation Institute). Register today.
Webinar: Urban Planning, Transportation and Public Health Collaborations
Source: Eno Center for Transportation
On March 24, from 2:00 p.m. (Eastern), the Eno Center for Transportation will host a webinar to discuss several ways in which urban planners are working with data sources and colleagues in public health and healthcare. Case studies show how collaboration is being used to improve planners’ ability to make data-driven decisions, measure the outcomes of a program that expands transit access, and broaden their understanding of how well the built environment and transportation access are helping to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of residents. This webinar will inform planners, DOTs, and researchers of existing resources that can be used in new ways.
Outreach Questionnaire for TCRP H-58: Prioritization of Public Transportation Investments
Source: TCRP
The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP), part of the Transportation Research Board (TRB), is conducting a project titled “Prioritization of Public Transportation Investments.” As part of the project, the research team is seeking input from a broad community of transit agencies, MPOs, and state DOTs through an online questionnaire. Your response to the questionnaire will help them identify key areas of need with respect to transit prioritization and examples of innovative or particularly successful transit prioritization practices. The research team is looking for agencies interested in sharing their experience with transit prioritization, including contact information of knowledgeable individuals who we can interview in the next phase of this research project. The deadline for responses is Monday, March 31, 2020, 4 p.m. EDT.
National Aging and Disability Transportation Center Has Released New Grant Opportunities
Source: The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
NADTC invites applications for implementation of “ready-to-launch” program innovations to increase accessible transportation options for older adults and people with disabilities living in the community and maximize the utilization of Section 5310 and other federal funding investments. This grant opportunity is intended to support develop program innovations for increasing accessible transportation in the community that are ready to implement on Day 1 and can realistically be fully implemented within the six-month timeframe set for this grant funding program. Grants of up to $30,000 each will be awarded to as many as 10 communities for a six-month period. Local and regional private nonprofit or government organizations that directly provide transportation services may apply for this funding opportunity. Applications are due by April 8, 2020. Learn More.
Massachusetts Grants Will Fund Ideas to Accelerate Transportation Electrification
Source: Energy News Network
A clean energy agency in Massachusetts is offering $1.4 million to pilot projects that could help accelerate the electrification of the state’s transportation sector. The funding is open to a wide range of proposals, including educational programs, financial models, vehicles, software, and infrastructure systems. “There is a lot of great technology out there,” said Rachel Ackerman, senior program manager at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, the agency running the grant program. “We just want to see it adopted at a faster pace.”
Maryland Bill Would Usher in Zero-Emission Transit Buses
Source: WTOP
Maryland could begin replacing old diesel and hybrid state-operated transit buses with electric and zero-emission ones no earlier than July 2022 if a bill passes the General Assembly, jolting Maryland’s fleet into the future. Republican Gov. Larry Hogan set a goal for Maryland’s bus fleet to be 50 percent zero-emission by 2030, laid out in the state’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act Draft Plan.
Autonomous Shuttles Are Beginning to Close Real Transit Gaps
Source: Government Technology
Small self-driving shuttles are evolving from being a piece of shiny demonstration technology to serving real transit needs and providing transportation to destinations like grocery stores and community centers.
The Whistle Stop – Commentary and analysis on developments in community and public transportation
Why Good Transit is the Key To a Disability-Friendly City
Source: Streets Blog USA
At a recent Advisory Council meeting there was a discussion of the Metropolitan Planning Council’s Toward Universal Mobility study of accessibility gaps in the regional transit network. Finance industry professional Michele Lee, a power wheelchair user who is one of the people with disabilities profiled in the report (on page 33), kicked things off by talking about how good public transportation access is crucial for getting where she needs to go, but non-accessible stations and other barriers in the built environment limit her travel options.
New Mobility Services Are Only Sustainable When Combined with Public Transportation
Source: Traffic Technology Today
A new study, commissioned as part of the Mobility and Fuel strategy (MFS) of the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, shows that the efficiency and environmental benefits of micromobility and other new mobility services, will only be fully realised if they are integrated into existing public transit offerings.
Here’s What Happens When Public Transit Is Free
Source: Huffington Post
Free transit might seem far-fetched to riders who have long taken the farebox for granted, but more and more cities in the United States and around the world are now exploring the possibility. Questions remain, including how to make up the lost revenue and if free transit even makes sense without simultaneous improvements in frequency and reliability. But if mobility is a human right, as many have argued, then this radical move may be a necessary step toward a world where everyone has equal access to jobs, services and recreation. Free rides could also prove a powerful tool against climate change if they can tempt people who would otherwise drive to try a greener mode of transportation.