National Transit Institute
The National Transit Institute (NTI)has upcoming classes related to coordination.
Public Involvement in Transportation Decisionmaking
This course will:
* Identify public involvement challenges
* Describe U.S. DOT transportation decision-making processes, including those that trigger the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
* Describe the relationship between public involvement and decisionmaking
* Develop a public involvement plan with stakeholder assistance that includes attention to non-traditional populations as an evaluation component
* Describe interest-based problem solving and their underlying values
* Identify ways to enhance public involvement plans
Public Involvement in Transportation Decisionmaking will be given Dec. 8-10 in Arlington, VA; but check NTI's webpage for the course for future offerings.
Managing Community Mobility
This course will:
* Introduce the concept of mobility management and its application to transportation operations at the community level.
* Identify funding resources available for implementing and operating mobility management programs.
* Describe how to develop the Coordinated Public Transit and Human Service Transportation Plan “Coordinated Plan.”
* Identify the necessary tools and resources to effectively implement a mobility management program.
* Present case studies of successful mobility management models.
* Discuss the skills of a mobility manager.
The course is being held in three different locations from December through April.
Easter Seals Project ACTION
Easter Seals Project ACTION has a new Livable Communities page on its website. Featured are ESPA's publications about accessible streets, transit, and universal design as well as links to government and other resources.
ADA Essentials for Transit Board Members: Fundamentals of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Transit Public Policy, produced with the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), is a primer on transit's responsibility in realizing the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the legal obligations that the ADA established. The publication addresses traditional fixed-route service and transit facilities, but does not discuss deviated route or other types of service to which the ADA does not apply. It also provides information about federal transportation initiatives related to the ADA, such as United We Ride.
ESPA is hosting an audio conference, Developing Flexible Policies to Empower Transit and Customers with Disabilities, on Dec. 8. The audio conference will cover modifications to transit policies that enable access by customers with disabilities and legal requirements for modifications to policy. The program will also feature several examples of ways in which flexibility can help create a more accessible transportation experience for customers with disabilities.
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
The next Pedestrian Safety Webinar will take place on Tuesday, November 23 from 1:00-3:00 Eastern Time. Learn about pedestrian safety initiatives in New York City and California. For information, go to https://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/webconference/web_conf_learner_reg.aspx?webconfid=21797.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
DOT Recognizes Excellence in Rural Transit
Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood blogs this morning about the Outstanding Rural Transit System awards, announced at this week's National Transportation Research Board Rural Public and Intercity Bus Transportation Conference. The Secretary specifically thanks our fellow TA center, the National Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP) program, for evaluating the award applications.
News from NTI
The National Transit Institute (NTI) announces a survey that explores alternative training approaches. NTI is looking to understand the needs of its trainees and identify alternative training methods most suitable for them. The survey is located at http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22BCTUZ6YTZ.
NTI will also be presenting its Managing Community Mobility course. The course covers mobility management and coordination topics.
* December 15 - 16, 2010 - Chicago, IL
* April 27 - 28, 2011 - Phoenix, AZ
News from NTI
The National Transit Institute (NTI) announces a survey that explores alternative training approaches. NTI is looking to understand the needs of its trainees and identify alternative training methods most suitable for them. The survey is located at http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22BCTUZ6YTZ.
NTI will also be presenting its Managing Community Mobility course. The course covers mobility management and coordination topics.
* December 15 - 16, 2010 - Chicago, IL
* April 27 - 28, 2011 - Phoenix, AZ
Monday, October 25, 2010
Rural Transit System Profiled
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity highlighted a new Montana transit system in its newsletter. Usually RWJF concentrates its efforts on safe routes to school and complete streets. The transit service profile demonstrates the importance of connectivity over great distances to services, jobs, education and stores. It discusses the needs of the community as well as the popularity of the service.
As a lesson in coordination, the profile shows how a large rural area can use outreach and partnering among organizations to plan and provide a valuable public service.
As a lesson in coordination, the profile shows how a large rural area can use outreach and partnering among organizations to plan and provide a valuable public service.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Mobility Management
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) must be mentioned for its mobility management resource page. The page explains the topic to the transit audience and discusses the economic aspects of mobility management.
Mobility management resources can be obtained at the website of the Partnership for Mobility Management. National organization members include CTAA, APTA, the American Bus Association, AASHTO, TLPA and Easter Seals Project ACTION.
CTAA President Eloquent Word on Community Transit
If you missed CTAA's president speaking during a piece on National Public Radio recently, the wonders of video and the Internet bring you the extended interview of Charles Carr. In seven minutes, Carr discusses the need for transit and "right sizing" it to fit a community's circumstances. Carr discusses those who are transportation challenged and also the situation of so-called "choice riders."
Mobility management resources can be obtained at the website of the Partnership for Mobility Management. National organization members include CTAA, APTA, the American Bus Association, AASHTO, TLPA and Easter Seals Project ACTION.
CTAA President Eloquent Word on Community Transit
If you missed CTAA's president speaking during a piece on National Public Radio recently, the wonders of video and the Internet bring you the extended interview of Charles Carr. In seven minutes, Carr discusses the need for transit and "right sizing" it to fit a community's circumstances. Carr discusses those who are transportation challenged and also the situation of so-called "choice riders."
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
ADA Paratransit: Driver Satisfaction
A quality workforce in almost any field requires experience and incorporation of employee opinions about how to do the job well. TCRP Report 142: Vehicle Operator Recruitment, Retention, and Performance in ADA Complementary Paratransit Operations lists pay, workable schedules, the support of dispatchers and management, and installed GPS systems as high on the list of what paratransit drivers are looking for.
In many ways, the report simply lays out common sense management practices that keep keep employees happy, with specific examples and suggestions for the particular field of paratransit services.
Happy Birthday
Such recognition as celebrating employee birthdays, having comfortable and attractive facilities for drivers, and bonuses for good performance were cited as important to drivers. However, the low pay was recognized as a key factor in high turnover, which "for private paratransit contractors average 30% per year and range as high as 80% per year."
The report notes that low wages can result in higher costs due to the reduced productivity that results from high turnover. The report has a good discussion of the benefits of better driver pay. A detailed study appears about halfway through the report that measures the productivity benefits of driver experience in two systems.
The report also discusses the gap between pay for fixed-route drivers and their paratransit counterparts. "Wages for ADA paratransit vehicle operators were found to be lower than for fixed-route operators. Fringe benefits for ADA paratransit operators were also found to be minimal, especially for services operated by private contractors."
In many ways, the report simply lays out common sense management practices that keep keep employees happy, with specific examples and suggestions for the particular field of paratransit services.
A common theme in systems that were identified to have stable workforces was that there was a good overall work environment. Vehicle operators from these systems reported that the organization was like a “family” and that they enjoyed the people they worked with. They indicated that the organization had a real interest in its employees and looked out for their interest.
Happy Birthday
Such recognition as celebrating employee birthdays, having comfortable and attractive facilities for drivers, and bonuses for good performance were cited as important to drivers. However, the low pay was recognized as a key factor in high turnover, which "for private paratransit contractors average 30% per year and range as high as 80% per year."
The report notes that low wages can result in higher costs due to the reduced productivity that results from high turnover. The report has a good discussion of the benefits of better driver pay. A detailed study appears about halfway through the report that measures the productivity benefits of driver experience in two systems.
The report also discusses the gap between pay for fixed-route drivers and their paratransit counterparts. "Wages for ADA paratransit vehicle operators were found to be lower than for fixed-route operators. Fringe benefits for ADA paratransit operators were also found to be minimal, especially for services operated by private contractors."
Thursday, September 16, 2010
How Communities Are Planning - Coordination and Mobility Management
Some updates on mobility management and coordination in action:
Wasatch Front Mobility Management Project Final Report: This is a comprehensive assessment of one region's community transportation and a demonstration of its mobility management perspective in planning for transportation-challenged populations.
Illinois website with links to three-step primer on building public transportation, coordination, and service in rural areas. Cool map of public transit in Illinois counties. The website is part of the state's Interagency Coordinating Committee on Transportation (ICCT) Clearinghouse. The primer received a NADO award in 2007.
TA Coordination: Peer Exchanges
The Transportation Planning Capacity Building Program (TPCBP) recent peer exchanges include the Colorado Department of Transportation hosting the Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington State departments of transportation. Colorado was looking for voices of experience about establishing a rail and transit division in a state department of transportation.
A peer exchange on exurban to urban regional transportation planning compared the experiences of a few regions with mid to large-size cities and their fringe communities. The exchange partly discussed collaboration about across jurisdictional lines.
Write ups of the peer exchanges are available online. They go quite in depth and are terrific case studies about specific challenges.
Wasatch Front Mobility Management Project Final Report: This is a comprehensive assessment of one region's community transportation and a demonstration of its mobility management perspective in planning for transportation-challenged populations.
Illinois website with links to three-step primer on building public transportation, coordination, and service in rural areas. Cool map of public transit in Illinois counties. The website is part of the state's Interagency Coordinating Committee on Transportation (ICCT) Clearinghouse. The primer received a NADO award in 2007.
TA Coordination: Peer Exchanges
The Transportation Planning Capacity Building Program (TPCBP) recent peer exchanges include the Colorado Department of Transportation hosting the Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington State departments of transportation. Colorado was looking for voices of experience about establishing a rail and transit division in a state department of transportation.
A peer exchange on exurban to urban regional transportation planning compared the experiences of a few regions with mid to large-size cities and their fringe communities. The exchange partly discussed collaboration about across jurisdictional lines.
Write ups of the peer exchanges are available online. They go quite in depth and are terrific case studies about specific challenges.
How Communities Are Planning - Placemaking
Placemaking
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces its five Greening America’s Capitals technical assistance recipients. EPA will "fund a team of designers to visit each city to produce schematic designs and exciting illustrations intended to catalyze or complement a larger planning process for the pilot neighborhood. Additionally, these pilots could be the testing ground for citywide actions, such as changes to local codes and ordinances to better support sustainable growth and green building."
Except for Boston, the cities are all small, at least by my NY childhood standards. (Okay, when I lived in Boston, that seemed pretty small.)
Charleston, WVa, will have its transit hub's streetscape addressed to give it a "sense of place." There is also a transit connection in the Hartford, Conn. plan. There is no transportation or transit TA mentioned in connection with any of the projects.
Placemaking Resources
If you are ever providing TA with a placemaking component, here is a website with resources that quickly explain what placemaking is and how to achieve it. Entitled Livability for All Ages-Best Practices, the site envisions placemaking as a crucial livability component. The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is listed as one of the resource sites.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces its five Greening America’s Capitals technical assistance recipients. EPA will "fund a team of designers to visit each city to produce schematic designs and exciting illustrations intended to catalyze or complement a larger planning process for the pilot neighborhood. Additionally, these pilots could be the testing ground for citywide actions, such as changes to local codes and ordinances to better support sustainable growth and green building."
Except for Boston, the cities are all small, at least by my NY childhood standards. (Okay, when I lived in Boston, that seemed pretty small.)
Charleston, WVa, will have its transit hub's streetscape addressed to give it a "sense of place." There is also a transit connection in the Hartford, Conn. plan. There is no transportation or transit TA mentioned in connection with any of the projects.
Placemaking Resources
If you are ever providing TA with a placemaking component, here is a website with resources that quickly explain what placemaking is and how to achieve it. Entitled Livability for All Ages-Best Practices, the site envisions placemaking as a crucial livability component. The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is listed as one of the resource sites.
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