The Express Stop

Transit + Technology = Algorithm of Multiple Possibilities

2012-01-31T08:31:00.000-08:00

If you are perturbed that the $230 transit benefit was not extended (the monthly benefit went back to $125 and the New York Times opinion page is not happy either), here are tools for transit and transit boosters.

According to 'I Hate the Blue Line' and Other Things Transit Systems Can Learn From Twitter, an article that appeared on the Atlantic's Cities page, transit systems should employ the free customer service data that twitter provides. What are the riders praising or complaining about? The answers are easier to find on twitter than via conventional tools, such as carefully-worded customer surveys, the author argues. I would agree that is the case in places where ridership is well connected - to apps and smartphones.

[Cute animal sculptures in Portland.]

What do people want in terms of public transportation? View this video from Kansas City. Lots of transit love and energy even from people accustomed to using their cars.

Penguins: Better than Mad Men?

And if you have 30 seconds of work time to waste, I mean be productive, view a transit ad from Belgium. Cute, has penguins; need I say more?

American Public Transportation Association
APTA's public transit ridership numbers are out and the numbers are up. What is causing the momentum in favor of transit? Thrift, environmental consciousness, quality improvements, free wifi, desire for a vacation from doing traffic battle before and after work?

This is a 2.0 percent increase over the same quarter last year, representing an increase of nearly 52 million trips. Ridership in all public transportation modes increased, led by light rail which increased by 5.8 percent.

This is also the first time in three years that ridership has increased for all three quarters. The ridership increase is attributed to a number of factors including high gas prices, improved real time passenger information, and a recovering economy.

The full ridership report is available. I usually read the whole thing, but this time I relied on the summary. If you have an extra 10 minutes or so, there are always thought-provoking details in the report as well as interesting statistics by mode and locations. APTA also posted an explanation about the transit benefit reduction and the increase in the parking benefit.

Can Technology Boost Ridership?

The answer is yes if the technology provides real-time information regionally. The Daily Iowan reports that ridership is up five percent in the one month since real-time information monitors were installed around the University of Iowa's campus - even in dorms. The article, Officials: Bus monitors help to increase ridership, goes into more detail, but implies that the transit system is the same otherwise, so that the jump in business is attributable to the one significant change. Thank you to the TransitWire for the link.

Interesting blog post from Planetizen about mapping health, commuting, income and educational patterns across the United States.

Apps for Local Trips and Long-Distance Travel Options

2012-01-25T07:39:00.000-08:00

Department of Transportation
None other than Secretary of Transportation Ray Lahood is getting on the smartphone apps bandwagon. The apps are providing transit riders in many places with real-time information. But not enough places, according to the Secretary.

In fact, a review of 276 transit agency systems revealed that only 45 of them provide some information on mobile devices. And of those 45 agencies, only 15 offered their riders the real-time information precise planning requires.

We think we can do better for our nation's transit riders. So last week, Deputy Secretary John Porcari and U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra gathered a variety of stakeholders to see what we can do to help millions more transit riders get better access to information.

Some transit agencies want to share this information with their customers, but lack the resources. So one of the challenges for the folks around the table was to find a way to reduce the cost of providing the data in a format that can make riders' lives easier.

For more information, visit the Fastlane.

Amalgamated Transit Union
ATU is featuring on its homepage links to articles with depressing news for transit workers and for public transportation - attacks against bus drivers and transit equipment.

[Buses and bikes at the Takoma Metro station, which serves the Washington,DC/Maryland border community.]

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
AASHTO's President is praising rail performance around the country. Systems in Virginia and Michigan, as examples, have recently delivered service to double the riders they had a few years ago. "Ridership on Amtrak's many long-distance lines are at all-time highs, ... From October 2010 to September 2011, more than 30 million trips were recorded on America's intercity passenger rail lines." More from AASHTO President John Horseley's post about rail in the AASHTO Journal.

American Bus Association
The ABA presents an update to its advocacy for the past few years that Congress should save money and fund essential bus service to rural residents far from airports. In a report issued in the fall, Keeping Rural Communities Connected: Comparison of EAS Program To Coach Bus Service, ABA "compares the cost and environmental impact of current subsidized air service provided to rural communities under the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, to an alternative method of connecting these rural communities to the nationwide air transport system." Costs for bus transportation would be almost 70 percent cheaper than EAS currently funded. However, travelers would spend more time en route were bus service to replace EAS, though two-thirds would only need an hour or less of extra time to reach their destinations.

According to ABA's data:

The use of scheduled coach bus service instead of air service would also reduce annual fuel use by 5.7 million gallons, would reduce annual CO2 emissions by over 63,000 tons, and would reduce annual emissions of NOx, HC, CO, and SO2 by 13.2 tons, 1,186 tons, 2,066 tons, and 27.8 tons respectively.

ABA also makes the case that buses could operate profitably on most of these routes, after initial expenses, whereas EAS is heavily subsidized. The report includes details about the methodology and assumptions that produced its conclusions.

[California landscape from Amtrak's Coast Starlight train.]

Transportation Camp

2012-01-23T12:28:00.000-08:00

A camp that does not require or supply duffel bags, trunks, bunks, tents, swim instruction, or counselors, Transportation Camp is an unconference - no pre-planned sessions or experts - with transit, alternative mode, planner and data, self-described geeks gathering for a day of exchanging ideas and learning.

I met friends from the worlds of transit technical assistance, mobility management, and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). I also ran into people whom I had not met before, but have been in contact with through twitter and blogs. Two surprises were meeting TransitWire (Susan Bregman, who started the blog/twitter service as a Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) project) (I felt like I was meeting a transit celebrity) and someone from Austria who knows all about mobility management in the European Union and pointed me to performance measures developed in Sweden. There were even a couple of people from my neighborhood who are involved in local transit and alternative mode issues.

[Multi-modal in Denver at the under-construction hub at Union Station.]

Designing Your Own Unconference

Because there were so many sessions, maybe 10 at a time, everyone's experience was different. I attended a mix of sessions on topics I know something about and others about which I acknowledge total ignorance. So, on the ignorant side, I went to a demonstration of an open trip planner that provides route information for walkers, bikers, wheelchair users and transit riders. Incredibly impressive, especially for bikers because the program allows for input of preferences, but not on a real-time level. For example, for wheelchair users, the program has data about accessible streets and transit entrances and exits, but it does not collect or transmit data that an elevator just went out of service at a particular station. I do not doubt, however, that the techie folks will get there.

I also went to Greening the Suburbs, which connected two DC-exurban planners from far outside different circumference points on the Beltway, to discuss common issues of residents who drove til they qualified for a mortgage and others who want a country-like lifestyle. The question is not preference as the idea of green is popular (where would we be without Kermit?), but how to make green convenient, particularly in relation to travel habits, as that is a prime consideration of people with long commutes and no infrastructure to walk or bike to a convenience or grocery store even if it is only a few blocks away. Arlington's decades-long effort to be a green city/suburb and Houston's decentralized employment nodes were examples discussed. A Houston native said that high energy prices would soon green the suburbs whatever the preferences of their residents, while another decried the huge expenditures to support the expense and costs of the auto-centric lifestyle.

[A Portland tech-savvy bus stop with wait times, seating and protection from precipitation.]

I also went to a session in which a rural Virginia transit employee asked for ideas about promoting and improving transit, particularly for young professionals. Though, like many sessions, conversation veered off course at times, he walked away with suggestions about how to engage transit leadership, market transit and make low-cost improvements that will attract riders.

For a wonderful synopsis of the energy and connections made at Transportation Camp, read today's TransitWire.

AARP Informs Reauthorization Conversation with Equity Considerations

2012-01-17T10:51:00.000-08:00

AARP
Expecting transportation reauthorization to happen, AARP in Transportation Funding Reform: Equity Considerations for Older Americans "examines whether current or proposed transportation funding sources at all three levels of government are in some way inequitable for low-income people, rural residents, people with disabilities, or older adults."

AARP is analyzing this issue now because revenues from the gas tax are decreasing and are increasingly inadequate to pay for our transportation infrastructure needs.

Gas Tax Most Popular Road Fee

While the current gas tax is equitable in that users pay the fees, the current gas tax is described as regressive - disproportionately costing low-income users - and further distributing costs unevenly in that it is a relative bargain for those who own fuel-inefficient vehicles and it does not charge for peak-time usage of the roads. The report also looks at alternatives to the traditional gas tax that have been popping up at the state and local levels. These include tolling and mileage fees.

The report notes that the current federal gas tax only takes into account use, but not impacts.

Many analysts think it is only fair for travelers to pay a fee that takes into account the negative impacts their travel has on the highway itself (through the weight of their vehicle, for example) and the time and health costs they impose on other travelers (when they travel in the peak period or drive polluting vehicles). Without this link, drivers partially escape the financial, pollution, and health costs they impose on others and create excess demand for new highway capacity. Drivers who act to conserve gas end up subsidizing those who do not. For example, off-peak users subsidize peak-period users. Some highway advocates note that paying for public transportation (and underground storage tanks) from the HTF [Highway Trust Fund] breaks the link between those who pay and those who benefit. The transit advocates’ response to this argument is that payments into the Mass Transit Account help offset drivers’ pollution and congestion costs.

Three quarters of states charge a gas tax in addition to the federal tax. States also charge user fees for car ownership, licensing, and tolls. In terms of new types of taxes, the report analyzes the equity ramifications of fees based on vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and high-occupancy lane usage (which it finds relatively non-regressive because they are not usually located in areas where people with low incomes travel in great numbers). Not mentioned are public transit fare rates.

Sales and Other Taxes Unrelated to Driving

Though income taxes are the most progressive, they do not account for impact. Property and development-related infrastructure taxes are relatively regressive, while sales taxes are completely regressive.

The improvements funded by a retail sales tax, for example, while failing to link payment to transportation system use, may provide benefits even to people who infrequently travel by car or public transportation. Living in a community with uncongested roads, a good transportation system, or a safe cycling network may have intrinsic value.

The report calls for equity in terms of mobility availability for all.

Increased investment in public and community-based transportation options, highway modifications, driver assessment and training, pedestrian facilities, and attention to urban design and land use policies would help to ensure that those who pay receive their fair share of benefits.

Fairness for Older Americans

In terms of older Americans, the AARP report observes that they are more likely than the general population to live in rural areas (20 percent of rural residents are over 65) and more likely to live in suburban areas of metropolitan areas. The report's interpretation of the numbers is that 70 percent of older Americans live in "low-density places, where, for example, regular fixed-route public transit use may not be a practical option." Their travel patterns indicate that older people travel more during mid-day than those 16 to 64 and less during rush hours. Their cars are older; they travel less on highways and they do not drive for much of their miles traveled.

What Livability Means: Rural Areas and State Policies

2011-12-20T11:24:00.000-08:00

Last year, 32,885 people were killed on the nation's roads, according to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood in a recent blog post. Rural roads witness a far greater rate of accidents, injuries and deaths than urban roads. The Secretary's words are chilling.

[D]river distraction continues to be a significant safety problem. For example, in a survey we're releasing ..., more than three-quarters of the drivers told us they answer calls on all, some, or most trips when they're behind the wheel. They also said there are very few driving situations when they would not use the phone or text, and that they rarely consider traffic situations when deciding to use their phone. That behavior poses a safety threat to everyone on the road.

We owe our rural neighbors mobility options beyond the single-occupancy vehicle. To bring options to people in every type of community involves partnerships and an eye on the prize of what type of transportation options a community needs, or, given the realities of funding scarcity, what kind of transportation service a community or region desperately needs. This blog addresses the "how" of options that are available and what national organizations, government at every level, and other partners are doing to make getting from here to there (channeling Dr. Seuss) easier.

Technical Assistance

Local coordination stories are featured in today's NRC Technical Assistance News about how communities are growing or reconsidering transit and transportation services. Stories come from York, Pa., Corpus Christi, Tx., and Portland, Or.

From our technical assistance network, an offering that national organizations and state and local stakeholders may be interested in is the National Transit Institute webinar on Jan. 12, 2012, Public Transportation Systems as the Foundation for Economic Growth (RRD 102), which examines the experiences of four cities outside the U.S., Istanbul, Cairo, Johannesburg, and Cape Town, through the eyes of staff from much-smaller American transit systems and cities who participated in the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) international study mission.

[A light rail area of Denver's upcoming new Union Station multi-modal hub.]

What Is Rural Smart Growth?

Federal Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities
Supporting Sustainable Rural Communities is a partnership report that presents brief case studies and explanations of benefits of livability for rural communities. The report seeks to make the practical case for livability outside its usual metropolitan area or urban contexts. Walking, biking, transit and economic development are part of the usual cast of livability characters discussed by the federal partner agencies, the Department of Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture. A list of staff contacts at each agency appears in Appendix B.

The agencies are promoting community self-determination in rural areas, espousing particular strategies for economic vitality that also support transportation-challenged populations, historic downtowns and rural landscapes and agriculture. In an agency-cross-cultural exchange, the report explains the relevant programs of each agency to rural areas. Performance measures are suggested for each type of goal - whether environmental, housing, land use, transportation, economic. Case studies are from many sparsely populated places, especially from the Plains to the West Coast. My favorite transit-focused case studies are the Opportunity Link in Montana, the Tennessee Intercity Bus Program, and the Downeast Transportation and Island Explorer transit service in Maine, which grew out of a meals-on-wheels program.

State Legislation and Livability

AARP
I attended the recent AARP Public Policy Institute forum on aging in place and read the report connected with the event. Aging in Place: A State Survey of Livability Policies and Practices was a joint venture with the National Conference of State Legislatures. It presents case studies about transit, human services transportation, pedestrian safety, volunteer driver programs, transit-oriented development, and housing-related issues. There is an appendix with a summary of state laws and programs. AARP and NCSL "offer state legislators and officials concrete examples of state laws, policies and programs that foster aging in place."

The report gives many state legislative examples and points out which ones are mandatory and which do not actually require changes. One concrete example given of the dollars-and-cents ramifications of sprawl and exclusively auto-centric communities versus more compact and mixed-use development concerns emergency service delivery in Charlotte, N.C.

Connectivity also reduces the cost of providing emergency services. In Charlotte,
the most efficient fire station—in a connected 19th-century neighborhood—served 26,930 households in 14.1 square miles with a per capita life cycle cost of $159 per year. In contrast, the least efficient station—in a sprawling community built in the 1980s and 1990s—served only 5,779 households in 8 square miles at a per capita life cycle cost of $740 per year.

[Portland's round-the-block food cart destinations are a wonderful example of a transit-oriented, mixed-use, neighborhood's potential offerings.]

Variety of State Action

The report discusses what is necessary in terms of transportation and pedestrian-friendly street networks for people to age in place and the movement at the state legislative level on related policies. From Virginia's complete streets legislation to Utah's transit-oriented development, the report contains many examples of programs and laws that are the starting blocks for communities to be hospitable to a wider range of transportation modes. An example of progress is Montana, a very sparsely-populated state.

Three years ago, the state had nine rural transportation systems; today, there are almost 40. To achieve this, the state went to city and county governments and several county Councils on Aging (each of which already operated some type of bus service) and offered to help them devise and pay for a coordinated plan. “We went to these Councils on Aging and said, ‘You’re already running a senior bus service; if you open your doors to everyone, print a schedule and follow the FTA guidelines, we will help you pull it all together and receive FTA funding,’” said [Audrey] Allums. The localities have provided matching funds by using Title III-B Older Americans Act money, property taxes, donations and other local government money.

What Is a Citizen to Do?
Idaho Smart Growth
Idaho Smart Growth releases a citizen's guide that could easily function as a template for other states and communities. Language is plain for laypeople. It defines livability concepts and walks through jurisdictional responsibilities and steps for becoming involved in planning and community participation in land use, transportation, and public health decisions. Included is information specific to Idaho and local organizations, but most of the guide and resources listed are relevant nationally.

Models to Improve Transportation for Veterans, Patients and People with Disabilities

2011-12-13T10:38:00.000-08:00

Community Transportation Association of America
CTAA's National Resource Center for Human Service Transportation Coordination released NRC Report: Transportation for America's Veterans and Their Families, which discusses improving transportation for our nation's veterans through partnerships and coordination. Examples of the work of regional ambassadors are given. The NRC also maintains a webpage "bookshelf" with veterans transportation resources.

Life-Saving Transportation

CTAA also distributed the Dialysis Report, which discusses the dire, complicated transportation demands that dialysis patients present.

The crux of the transportation challenge is that the majority of dialysis patients are covered by Medicare, which — unlike Medicaid — does not offer non-emergency transportation as a benefit. Three out of four dialysis patients in the U.S., are Medicare primary, meaning that Medicare sets the reimbursement rate and pays 80 percent of that amount ...

Indeed, in background discussions with community and public transit officials around the country for this article, a common refrain was the difficult position in which many transit operators find themselves — how to continuously add new dialysis patients to the transit schedule with no means of payment.

The situation places transportation providers between the proverbial rock and a hard place. CTAA is advocating for a funding mechanism within Medicare and for increased kidney organ donation. "Transplants can add decades to people’s lives and significantly forestall the need for dialysis, but only when the needed organs are available."

Solutions Possible to Realize Decades-Old Commitments

Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living
APRIL's Executive Director, Billy Altom, testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee about the need for affordable, accessible and available rural transportation. Forty years after the Urban Mass Transportation Act and 20 years after the passing of the ADA, Altom argues, "minimal or nonexistent transit services in rural areas still create serious barriers to employment, accessible health care, and full participation in society for people with disabilities."

Altom sees some solutions that are working - mobility management and voucher programs. Altom praised the Easter Seals Project ACTION Mobility Management Independent Living Coaches program and he cited as an example the Center for Independent Living for Western Wisconsin Regional Mobility Management/New Freedom Program, which provided 12,000 rides last year and coordinates in seven counties with public and private transportation providers. More than 140 volunteer drivers provide the rides and the program is expanding into an 18-county area. Already weekly rides are being supplied to 130 veterans.

Partnership for Mobility Management member Denise Larson is the mobility manager for the program. She also serves on the Partnership's advisory committee.

Another Type of Coordination

American Public Human Services Association
Bridging the Divide: Leveraging New Opportunities to Integrate Health and Human Services is APHSA's new report about the value added of coordinating and aligning health and human services for clients beyond eligibility and enrollment for a "customer‐focused, one‐stop shop, 'service home'." Such coordination makes sense, according to the report, because:

Many of the same people who qualify for Medicaid, CHIP or some level of premium subsidy identified through the Exchanges also qualify for one or more human service assistance programs.

The positive impact of coordinated care and integrated case management on improving the overall health and well‐being of individuals and populations— strengthening families, achieving employment and independence, improving the well‐being of children, youth, people with disabilities, seniors and other vulnerable populations—is well documented. Better outcomes mean healthier, safer, stabilized individuals and families with a better chance of sustainable independence from government services and long‐term personal success.

The report contains case studies of what several states are doing and the impending impact of the new healthcare law.

What it Takes to Walk - When You Cannot See

2011-12-07T06:32:00.000-08:00

American Council for the Blind
ACB releases an updated Pedestrian Safety Handbook, a publication that informs the visually impaired and blind communities "about contemporary approaches to assuring safe paths of travel for blind pedestrians and effective ways to advocate for accommodations like accessible pedestrian signals, tactile warnings at the edges of curb ramps, and mechanisms for routing travelers safely through problematic intersections." This is a valuable resource for two reasons. First, this handbook is an excellent guide to the ADA and how it is implemented in states and localities. Step-by-step advice is given about how to work within the ADA's requirements and when and how to advocate for accessible pedestrian sidewalk and intersection features. Its value is not limited to those who are visually impaired.

Second, the handbook provides detailed information for people who are blind and visually impaired about navigating streets and intersections and what improvements are currently available. Considering how much we who are sighted rely on visual cues, this resource aims to supply those types of details via senses other than sight. For example, cues are described and possibilities explained for what happens at the end of the building line. Airflow changes and a curb is the most frequent, but not the only, possibility of what is in close proximity.

Local Success Stories

2011-12-06T13:42:00.000-08:00

In the NRC Technical Assistance News
State coordinating council profiles
Mobility management grants
Livability briefs
Online dialogue about senior transportation
I&R training
FTA procurement facts

[Details high up inside Chicago's Union Station.]

Planning Assistance

National Association of Regional Councils
NARC's newsletter welcomes communities to apply for the American Planning Association's Community Planning Assistance Team (CPAT) program. Communities facing a range of challenges including, but not limited to, social equity and affordability, economic development, sustainability, consensus building, and urban design are well-suited for assistance through the program. Demonstrated need for assistance is an important qualification. The deadline for applications is Dec. 13, 2011.

Transit Partnerships

American Bus Association
The ABA celebrates the new bus deck at Union Station in Washington, D.C., making the station truly multi-modal, with intercity bus and train services as well as local transit and bikeshare. The Union Station parking garage now accommodates Megabus, Bolt Bus, Washington Deluxe, DC2NY and tour bus parking.

[Chicago Transit Authority bus outside Union Station.]

American Public Transportation Association
APTA awards six Local Transit Coalition Grants, which "support grassroots coalitions and their advocacy efforts to achieve public transportation goals on the state and local levels." These include education and advocacy campaigns. The current winners are:
* Arizona Transit Association (AzTA), Gilbert, AZ, which will use the grant award to support a first-ever statewide poll of voter preferences for public transit in Arizona.
* Community Transportation Association of Idaho (CTAI), Boise, ID, which is working with Idaho Smart Growth and community leaders to place the question of local option tax authority on the November 2012 ballot.
* Friends of Transit for Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, MI, which will support grassroots advocacy efforts to secure local funding for public transportation services in Kalamazoo County and to increase public transportation funding in the state and federal budgets.
* Transit Alliance, Denver, CO, which will continue its educational efforts on the benefits of public transit in the Denver metropolitan region. The group is working with other regional stakeholders to identify ways to solidify long-term leadership and advocacy for the region’s livability.
* Transit Now Nashville (TNN), Madison, TN, which is partnering with the Metro Nashville Public Health Department to develop a pilot educational program focused on incorporating public transportation as a component of a healthy lifestyle.
* Washtenaw Partners for Transit (P4T), Ypsilanti, MI, which advocates for reliable funding to implement the 30-year Ann Arbor Transportation Authority Transit Master Plan.

Smart Growth Achievement Awards

Environmental Protection Agency
Last week at EPA, the agency celebrated this year's Smart Growth Achievement Awards. Terms like mixed-use, transit-oriented and walkable figured prominently. While none of the projects was a transit project, some provided access to transit and sought to engineer transit-oriented living. Two stand out from a transit perspective.
* LEED-platinum residential project in downtown Albuquerque, N.M., which is affordable and placed near transit, intercity transportation, restaurants and shopping. The site was previously a bus holding facility.
* Plan El Paso that envisions three mixed-use, transit-oriented neighborhoods that will make possible responsible environmental stewardship and reduced car usage. Bus rapid transit service has already started.

[View of California coast.]

Big Partnerships in a Big State

From the newsletter of the National Complete Streets Coalition:

Though most everything else is bigger in Texas, AARP Texas isn't convinced mobility options for the state's aging population are the right size. Volunteers have begun conducting pedestrian safety audits across the state, including in El Paso, Dallas, Houston, Beaumont, Sherman, San Angelo, Austin, San Antonio, and McAllen. This information will be used to make the case for more Complete Streets solutions, including a renewed push for a state law when the legislature meets again in 2013. A bi-partisan group of legislators put forward a Complete Streets bill this year, but it failed to reach the floor in either chamber.

Events and Local Coordination Stories

2011-11-29T12:22:00.000-08:00

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Webinar - Tackling the Question: Will Complete Streets Cost Too Much? - Dec. 1, 2011. Communities Putting Prevention to Work Webinar series presentation about implementing Complete Streets policies and strategies for responding to the cost concern, including examples and resources. The webinar will provide information both about the low cost of many complete streets treatments, as well as ways to talk to transportation professionals about the added value and community support that result from complete streets implementation.

National Association of Regional Councils
Annual conference - Feb. 12-14, 2012, Washington, DC. The conference will focus on the Administration's priorities, Congressional activities, critical policy issues and pending federal legislation that will impact regions. Environmental and transportation policy, livability and the effect of the current U.S. fiscal situation will be addressed.

[View of mid-renovation Union Station area in Denver at dusk.]

Coordination Stories

The Rio Grande Valley in Texas is realistically appraising its coordination and connectivity challenges via its coordinated transportation plan. "The public transit coordination plan was completed this month to comply with Federal Transit Administration rules requiring similar plans to be in place for access to its funding streams, but the study also provided an overview of how well the Valley’s providers have implemented existing coordination efforts." An article in the Brownsville Herald, Study: Valley's Transit Providers Must Connect Services, also explains the plan for further coordination to enable commuting from one city to another in the area. Other transportation services on the horizon are medical and shopping trips and routes with consistent schedules "throughout the day in the Valley’s urbanized areas."

Binghamton, a city in Upstate New York is using its half million dollar Community Challenge Grant, the only one awarded in the state, to engage the community to envision what type of community it should be in the future and follow up on that vision by writing it into its zoning code. A brief television news piece explains.

Legislative Push to Improve Transportation for People with Disabilities

2011-11-28T06:58:00.000-08:00

National Council on Independent Living
NCIL published a new position paper on transportation that starts out with the observation that 80 percent of federal transportation funding goes to highways, which discriminates against people with disabilities, along with the unfulfilled promise of the ADA for transit service accessible to all and the lack in rural areas of transportation options and accessible streets for people with disabilities.

NCIL declares 11 goals that it is seeking via the next transportation authorization bill. The following list is edited, but quotes from the position paper.

1. Address the continued discrimination against individuals with disabilities by ensuring through legislation that all public transportation is accessible to and for individuals with disabilities. According to the Rural Transportation Institute, a recent study indicates that only 7 states require public transportation to be wheel-chair accessible under Section 5310. ...

2. Provide major new investments in public transportation and complete street designs ... . The lack of transportation and pedestrian safety and right of way options in many communities is a major barrier to employment of individuals with disabilities. Individuals with disabilities heavily rely on public transportation and the expansions of transportation and complete street options will significantly improve the mobility of individuals with disabilities. ...

3. Include the creation of innovative, creative, universally designed, and accessible and energy efficient vehicles in any future Economic Stimulus, Climate Change, or Surface Transportation Reauthorization Legislation. ... Legislation should maximize the development of federal incentives to increase local and state transit investment. All community and public transportation systems should be able to decide locally when and how to best deploy federal and local investment for either operating or capital uses.

4. Require states to establish an advisory committee to the state Department of Transportation including at least 51% of persons with disabilities and senior citizens, for all types of transportation services. An advisory committee should also be created in counties and/or areas where there are no transportation services, in order to help establish a transportation system to meet the needs of that county. ...

5. Develop a federal standard that requires all taxi fleets to be wheelchair accessible/universally designed that can be adopted by the U.S. Access Board. At a minimum private transportation services such as taxis, limousines and/or shuttle services, must have 10-20% (with a minimum of at least one accessible vehicle) wheelchair accessible/universally designed vehicles.

6. Make all train cars, stations, and any mechanism used to assist with boarding, doorways and vestibules accessible. According to the Amtrak staff at The Piedmont in Charlotte, North Carolina, there are no accessible cars for wheelchair users. As a result, one may be able to get to his or her destination on a car that is accessible but may not be able to travel home because the car on the return train may not be accessible. ... Also, all stations must maximize accessibility improvements including stations not designated as key stations.

7. Create legislation that requires support for mobility management and coordination programs and voucher programs among public transportation providers, other human services agencies providing transportation services, and volunteer driver and aide programs ... by establishing a dedicated funding source for these services. The mobility needs of individuals with disabilities in rural communities are significant. New initiatives to address their unique needs, such as the need for accessible transportation services to transport individuals between the various Municipalities, must be included in any transportation reauthorization.

8. Expand Section 5310 [rural general purpose], the Job Access and Reverse Commute program and the New Freedom program that serves a critical need in the disability community. ... The program should be strengthened by improved oversight and transparency to help nonprofit partners understand how to access the program and assist policy makers understand how the program is being used.

9. Produce all information by transportation authorities for the purpose of informing the general public of their function and schedule of operations in an accessible format upon request. Such formats must address the needs and requests of the patron requesting such an alternative format like large print (18 size font), braille, and computer disk (digital format). In addition, transportation websites must meet the requirements set forth under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

10. Establish a federal standard that requires all commercial airline carriers, as well as small air carriers, to provide personnel with adequate training in safe methods of transfer for passengers with mobility disabilities onto both small and large aircraft. ...

11. Allow service animals including psychiatric service dogs & emotional support animals (ESA) to follow their user.

ABLE Act

NCIL and other disability rights organizations, particularly those representing people with cognitive disabilities, are advocating for the ABLE Act, which stands for Achieving a Better Life Experience Act. Modeled on the qualified tuition program, the Act would amend the tax code to encourage saving for "disability-related expenses on behalf of designated beneficiaries with disabilities that will supplement, but not supplant, benefits provided through private insurance, the Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act, the supplemental security income program under title XVI of such Act, the beneficiary's employment, and other sources." These expenses include housing, transportation, education, employment supports, health and wellness, and assistive technology, among others, including spending on public transit or modifying personal vehicles.

Smart Growth Community Assistance and Walkability News

2011-11-04T07:42:00.000-07:00

Environmental Protection Agency
EPA has school siting guidelines that include access to transit and biking, as well as walkability.

Connecting a school to a network of sidewalks, bike paths and other infrastructure encourages physical activity by making walking or biking safe and enjoyable. It is also important to provide walking and biking routes that do not bring children close to large roads, highways and other major pollution sources (for both health and safety concerns). Site size, location and design all play a role in determining whether walking or biking will be an option for students. Locations that provide access for students and staff via public transit will also reduce vehicle use as well as potentially promote increased physical activity in getting to the transit stops from both home and school.

More EPA Technical Assistance Opportunities

Through an EPA grant to the Project for Public Spaces under the Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program, Livability Solutions will be offering free technical assistance workshops to six to 12 communities around the country. This technical assistance will take the form of one- to two-day workshops utilizing livability tools such as a Community Image Survey (CIS) public engagement tool, a Walk Audit workshop, a Safe Routes to School workshop or a Design Mini-Charrette, among other community-focused analyses and exercises. Selected communities will also be linked to a network of other communities with similar goals and challenges. Each community team will be led by Livability Solutions coalition members.

The application deadline is Nov. 22, 2011. Visit the Livability Solutions technical assistance page for details and the application.

A webinar next week will cover four technical assistance programs under the Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program program.

[Bicycle promoting the goods from a bakery in Hood River, Oregon.]

Streets for All Walkers and Wheelchair Users

Access Board
Three weeks left for public comment on Accessibility Guidelines for Public Rights-of-Way. The US Access Board posted the proposed guidelines on its website these are available for public comment through November 23, 2011.

The guidelines will cover sidewalks, street crossings, medians and traffic islands, overpasses, underpasses and bridges, on-street parking, transit stops, toilet facilities, signs, and street furniture. They will apply to permanent as well as temporary facilities, such as temporary routes around work zones and portable toilets.

Issues related to particular disabilities and pedestrian safety are noted.

Wheelchair users usually have a lower eye height above the street than most adult pedestrians, and may be hidden from motorist view behind parked vehicles, plantings, or other visual obstacles. People may have vision, hearing, cognitive, or other considerations that must be considered within the public right-of-way.

Please be aware that certain public comments will be allowed regarding the Access Board's Advance NPRM (notice of public rulemaking) for Shared Use Paths, announced on on March 28, 2011. Although comments were due June 27, 2011, these guidelines are in initial development stages. The proposed guidelines will consider differences between public right-of-way guidelines and recreational trail guidelines. More information is available in the FHWA's Pedestrian Forum newsletter.

Please note that a public hearing will be held in Washington, DC on Nov. 9 at the Access Board Meeting Room, 1331 F Street, NW, Suite 800.

[Buses on Central Park South on a June morning.]

Template for Multi-Modal Street Networks

National Complete Streets Coalition
The coalition is recommending the Model Design Manual for Living Streets. Offered as a street-design template, the manual:

focuses on all users and all modes, seeking to achieve balanced street design that accommodates cars while ensuring that pedestrians, cyclists and transit users can travel safely and comfortably. This manual also incorporates features to make streets lively, beautiful, economically vibrant as well as environmentally sustainable.

For more information about walkability best practices and places, visit the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center's walkinginfo.org website, which also houses information about the Walk-Friendly Communities Program. More walkability news and resources are available from America Walks and the Federal Highway Administration's pedestrian resources website.

Events, Proposals Sought: Transit, Aging & Sustainability

2011-11-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

Environmental Protection Agency
Webinar - Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities - Nov. 9. The webinar will describe the Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program and how it can help communities achieve the kind of development they are seeking. Discussed will be EPA’s direct technical assistance and each of the four grantee’s programs to provide free technical assistance. The webinar will also cover important deadlines and the application process.

National Center on Senior Transportation
Webinar - Successful Collaboration Between Aging and Transit: The Experience of Kent County, Michigan - Nov. 15, 2011. Sponsored by the Administration on Aging and NCST, the webinar will cover a successful collaboration between aging and transit that uses person-centered mobility management as a tool to assist older adults in identifying the right mobility option to meet their needs. Featured will be the experience of Ridelink, a transportation system for seniors in Kent County, Michigan.

NCST is a technical assistance center administered by Easter Seals Inc., in partnership with the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging.

[Fort Collins - First Colorado snow of the 2011-2012 season.]

National Transit Institute
Webinar - Public Transportation Systems as the Foundation for Economic Growth - Jan. 12, 2012. The International Transit Studies Program (ITSP) of the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) conducted a study mission of four cities where large investments in public transit are being made. The webinar will focus on how public transit investments drive economic growth in Istanbul, Cairo, Johannesburg, and Cape Town, and will discuss how population growth, congestion, urban sprawl, and inequalities in society are leading to unique patterns of transit expansion. Transit professionals who were members of the study team will present their observations and analysis.

Seeking Proposals (Non-matrimonial)

National Council on Independent Living
NCIL is requesting proposals for its 2012 conference, which will take place in Washington, DC on June 11-14, 2012. NCIL seeks workshops about transportation, social media, best practices, and the work of centers for independent living in hard times, among others. The deadline for submitting proposals is Dec. 2, 2011.

NARC Speaks Up for Rural Development Funding

2011-11-02T06:01:00.001-07:00

National Association of Regional Councils
In a letter to the Senate dated Oct. 31, NARC opposes Senator Coburn's proposed amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2012, which NARC maintains would reduce Fiscal 2012 federal rural development spending by $1 billion or about 40 percent. Rural development funds pay for such programs as expansion of rural broadband and clean drinking water facilities. NARC states:

The amendment sponsored by Senator Coburn will further decimate an agency and programs already hard hit by budget cuts. In recent years, Congress and the Administration have repeatedly reduced annual appropriations for rural development. The FY 12 level recommended in the Senate’s version of H.R. 2112 is some $175 million below the FY 11 rate. Between 2003 and 2011, appropriations for rural water sewer, business programs and community facilities were cut by 30% and rural housing direct lending and related grant programs by over 50%.

The Coburn amendment will not only curtail improvements in housing, water and waste facilities, broadband deployment, and economic opportunity; it has the potential to displace thousands of families living in rural rental housing developments. The Senate bill contains appropriations to renew 205,000 expiring rural rental assistance contacts. The Coburn amendment requires that each rural development account is proportionately reduced (by 40%) to achieve a $1 billion reduction. Over 80,000 rural families – all of whom are low-income and most of whom are elderly or persons with disabilities – will face almost certain loss of their apartments if the amendment is approved and their rental assistance is terminated.

Sharing the Truth about Transportation Services & Transit

2011-10-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Community Transportation Association of America
CTAA's Director, Dale Marsico, provides historical context for the Federal Transit Administration's proposed changes to current policies on implementing the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

[K]eep in mind that it is fair for us to be asked if we are living up not just to our responsibilities on Civil Rights under Title VI. Remembering that these proposals represent something more for us than a typical government regulation, I believe that everyone who has questions or concerns about them use the full range of comment procedures and meetings to discuss them with the FTA. I'd also urge you to suggest different strategies to provide the kind of factual information that tells our ongoing story of the role we play in expanding Civil Rights for everyone.

Visit the FTA site for information about the proposals relating to civil rights and environmental justice and the ADA.

CTAA has a new blog, Truth in Transit. The blog contains stories about transit systems, rider experiences, and funding. It is a resource for community and public transportation leaders and advocates to share best practices in building effective, strategic relationships with local, state and federal elected officials and with other key partners. I really like the 101 piece written by a Wisconsin legislator about how to approach political leaders. The advice applies everywhere and beyond transportation.

[Portland's Union Station.]

American Public Transportation Association
APTA releases the APTA Primer on Transit Funding - The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, Extensions, and Other Related Laws, FY 2004 Through FY 2011, a report that explains all of the transit funding programs and how many dollars are authorized and appropriated for them. In another report, APTA analyzes what will happen if cost-cutting proposals become the law of the land in the next reauthorization. An Analysis of Proposed U.S. House of Representatives Actions and Their Impact on Public Transportation looks at impacts on riders, jobs, service, maintenance and new projects.

AARP
AARP has written a report about the safety and mobility considerations involved with golf-cart-like vehicles, called Low-speed vehicles (LSVs). Use in specific communities is analyzed as well as accident rates. Use of these vehicles has increased, though they are not designed for car-like speeds or impacts.

Map of Senior Transportation Programs

The Beverly Foundation has compiled a map of senior transportation that shows the number of programs in each state, where they are and a link to further information about each program.

Local Stories

Ohio Valley of West Virginia announces plans to revisit its coordinated transportation plan. The study's director sees challenges in mobility needs as well as perceived barriers of liability and funding to interstate service. See the local news video.

Like many areas of the country, Palm Beach County, Florida, is seeing an increase in transit ridership. This increase remained even during a dip in gas prices. Sundays, the only day for which there was no increase, remained steady in ridership, though service has been cut.

[Tile art on Portland building.]

Solar Decathlon Reflects Transportation, Accessibility Thinking Among College Students

2011-10-04T12:03:00.000-07:00

In this era of linking transportation and housing to find solutions to energy-related problems, it is heartening that the link was reflected in the wish list of solar/low carbon-emission houses produced for the 2011 Solar Decathlon that just took place in Washington, DC. For any of you not in the know, the Solar Decathlon is a finalist competition of 20 college and university teams from across the country and around the world. The teams are from all types of schools along the collegiate spectrum, this year including an impressive entry from a small liberal arts school (my husband's alma mater) in New England to giant state universities (one of which my sister works for and another 10 minutes from my house). Many of the homes are designed for specific regions and affordability is one component of the competition.

This year, two homes were designed as possible units in multi-family buildings. The City University of New York (CCNY) (my dad's alma mater) entrant was a house that could sit atop an apartment building, surrounded by a rooftop farm or other similar units. I have to admit I used to love spending time on the roof of my building when I was growing up. It is an oasis-in-the-city idea. It also made gorgeous use of light green recycled glass in the kitchen and bathroom. Team Tidewater from Virginia's Old Dominion University and Hampton University, produced a lovely house, the most formally decorated and architecturally detailed in the competition, designed as a unit for a small apartment building in a walkable old small city.

[CCNY house.]

I was happy to see that these schools thought about the energy use of their occupants beyond their front doors to where people travel in their daily lives.

Accessibility: Garden State and Beyond

New Jersey was not far behind in this respect. Its design assumed that homes are usually placed close enough together that privacy is desired and that floor-to-ceiling windows in every room do not provide that. (Disclosure: I had a private tour of the New Jersey house from my cousin, an architecture student, who was on the team.)

Another plus from Team New Jersey that reflected larger societal trends was its complete accessibility, even in the bathroom, for wheelchair users, so that a person in a wheelchair can do more than visit for a few hours, but can actually visit over night or live in the house. Other teams with equal accessibility were Florida International, Maryland, Illinois, Tennessee, and Appalachian State. Indeed, Florida International's design included grab bars throughout the bathroom.

[Bathroom of Appalachian State's house.]

Affordability

We can all have a dream house with enough money, but providing housing that meets societal and personal needs at an affordable price is a challenge. Affordability was well displayed in Team Belgium's entry. The home was made from a house kit the students designed that will enable do-it-yourself building. It is compact, livable and flexible for multiple uses. It also features a design element missing in the 2009 Solar Decathlon, two bedrooms, so that a family could live there.

A few other teams also featured two bedrooms, including Middlebury College (an impressive entrant with a green indoor vegetable wall in the kitchen) and Appalachian State (also beautiful with tin wall in bathroom and outdoor shed storage spaces). Florida International's design also seemed amenable to family use for long-term living.

Something heartening beyond the creativity and commitment of the students was the attention of many teams to universal design, cost concerns, and options (such as solar technology) that are available now. That a few teams actually placed their homes in specific types of walkable - and transit-friendly - locations was a big plus, and one that I hope extends beyond the competition.

[Middlebury's green wall in kitchen.]

Emergency Preparedness Events & A Program for Older Workers

2011-09-19T13:47:00.000-07:00

This small collection of resources and events do not focus on transporting people, but for the programs they cover, all necessitate somehow moving individuals, some frail, from one point to another. I think they show the critical role that mobility plays and the complications that ensue in difficult circumstances.

American Public Works Association
APWA is developing an emergency management peer network. It requests that members share their expertise about the different facets of emergency preparedness, response, mitigation, planning, and recovery. The "database will operate as an in-house listserv for APWA members who need advice or information on emergency management matters."

How to be FEMA Ready When Disaster Hits (Rebroadcast) - audio/web broadcast - Oct. 11, 2011 - Pointing out that within the last five years, every state has had at least one disaster declaration, APWA presents this program to help identify what should be ready before disaster strikes and what can be expected when dealing with FEMA after the disaster. Participants will learn how to justify the value of a good asset management system that gives quantifiable information to help identify the cost of bringing assets back into use and how to estimate the length of time and resources involved in the recovery process.

[In LA, Amtrak's Coast Starlight passes environmental message.]

Preparedness Considerations for Aging Americans - webinar - tomorrow, Sept. 20, 2011 -
This webinar will provide information about specific preparedness steps for Aging Americans. Speakers will include representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and leaders at the forefront of Aging American Preparedness. Advanced registration for this webinar is not required.

Impoverished, Working and Getting Old

National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities
NASUAD releases a primer for the Senior Community Service Employment Program, which explains how the over-40-year-old program works. It is the only "federally mandated job training program that explicitly serves low-income adults, age 55 years and older." One of the family of services for which recipients may receive assistance is transportation. Tight restrictions on who is eligible exist, but the program provides individualized supports for recipients.

Supportive services commonly provided to the participant—either by the subgrantee or through referrals to other agencies—include transportation, legal assistance with access to a benefits specialists, subsidized housing, caregiver support, personal and financial counseling, health care, and medical services. Participants may also be offered rent and utility assistance, payment of reasonable costs for transportation and money for incidentals such as uniforms, shoes, badges, safety glasses, and tools.

[Portland bus stop offers a high-tech, urban image.]

Not Just Vehicles: Access to Long-Term Care, Food Assistance & Mobility

2011-09-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

American Public Human Services Association
APHSA's concerns about Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) closure of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) offices include transportation barriers. It sees technology as a solution. "[I]implementation of office closures that are accompanied by the appropriate alternative methods and technology could not only avoid negative effects but can very likely on balance improve access and integrity." APSHA is also objecting to an FNS requirement for the SNAP that allows deduction from income of transportation costs for dependent care, which requires documentation of actual transportation expenses. "[T]he great variety of possible arrangements opens the door to errors, and requires an unwarranted amount of effort by the worker." APSHA would prefer either a federal standard or a state-by-state standard amount. Both of these documents are available on APSHA's homepage.

Long-Term Care Report Card

AARP
AARP issues its State Scorecard on Long-Term Services and Supports for Older Adults, People with Physical Disabilities, and Family Caregivers. The report asserts that quality of life, including engagement in the community, requires a long-term care support system where:

there is effective coordination or integration between health-related services (such as clinician services, medications, home health, and physical therapy) and supportive services (such as personal care, adult day, homemaker, transportation, and other services).

One concrete result of high quality home and community support is the cost-saving reduction of hospital readmissions. The report emphasizes that limited data to measure services such as transportation and assistance in the home means that currently the performance of programs cannot be effectively measured. A state-by-state scorecard website looks at several measures, but does not examine anything directly related to transportation.

Events

Easter Seals Project ACTION
Public Involvement in the Transportation Planning Process - webinar - October 12, 2011. This webinar will provide a guide to taking and utilizing a seat at the table for transportation planning and implementation. This event will prepare transportation advocates to offer effective input that will be heard, understood and incorporated into the over-all plan.

Transcripts from ESPA's summer webinars can now be found at its website.

Reauthorization - National Organizations Talk Transportation Investment

2011-09-08T06:42:00.000-07:00

There's an uptick in reauthoriztion talk due to the impending Sept. 30 deadline and whether the old transportation authorization, SAFETEA-LU, will continue to be extended as is - a "clean" extension. A further question is whether a short-term extension will be followed by a reauthorization.

National organizations are advocating for a reauthorization. Their priorities have generally remained the same in the last couple of years. This is what they are saying to the public and to their members.

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
AASHTO supports President Obama's position to extend SAFETEA-LU to "as a prelude to completing a new reauthorization bill." AASHTO's reauthorization recommendations include doubling the use of transit by 2030, encouraging more efficient land use, streamlining transportation programs, and increasing investment in highways, transit and intercity passenger rail. On AASHTO's homepage, it is asking Congress to provide "[f]lexibility to enable states to get the most value for each dollar; [c]hanges in [the] law so we can deliver projects faster; [and f]inancial tools as a supplement to our dollars."

[Bike with bread in Hood River, Oregon.]

National Association of Regional Councils
NARC urges Congress to "pass a clean, long-term authorization extension of both the current federal-aid surface transportation programs (highways and transit) and the continued collection of federal fuel taxes." Economic stability and jobs are cited as the reasons for Congress to act now.

Smart Growth America is basically sending out the same message as NARC, with a warning that if Congress does not act "no federal funds for roads, bridge repair, or transportation options; thousands of American workers facing halts in work or layoffs; a loss of $1 billion in just 10 days."

[San Luis Obispo Amtrak station in California. Photograph taken from the Coast Starlight train.]

Community Transportation Association of America
CTAA is noting the redefining of infrastructure to include transit vehicles and workers. Due to the consensus in Congress that we should not slight transportation infrastructure, CTAA is urging transit and transportation providers that "we must keep the infrastructure angle primary in our communications."

American Public Transportation Association
APTA released a public service television spot with Presidents Clinton and Reagon declaring the importance of transportation. The message requests that people tell Congress to pass a robust six-year transportation reauthorization. The ad presently appears on APTA's homepage. APTA is also talking about transportation investment as a means to preserve and create jobs.

Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations
AMPO succinctly described the current House plans for a six-year reauthorization and the Senate two-year version, which has a $12 billion funding gap. AMPO also explains the mechanics of the Budget Control Act and the House plan to limit transportation spending to the amount of gas-tax receipts.

A summary of what is going on in Congress concerning reauthorization and appropriations appears in yesterday's edition of NRC Capitol Clips.

Demand for Transit and Long-Distance Options

2011-09-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

I am struck by the confluence of information floating across my screen about the more and more mainstream notion of transportation options in different settings, local, rural, urban, and regional.

National Association of Development Organizations
Exploring the Role of Regional Transportation Projects as Rural Economy Drivers is a NADO research report that looks at three positive experiences with transportation-led economic development projects. Funding sources are also discussed.

(1) Vermont: Construction in Brattleboro of a passenger intermodal transportation hub. The transportation hub, just blocks away from the Amtrak station, added to the downtown 300 parking spaces, bicycle racks, a parking enforcement office, street-level commercial space, and a connection to existing local and regional bus service. The results are fewer empty storefronts downtown, a new theater, and plans for renovating the Amtrak station and building a nearby mixed-use retail and multi- family residential project.

(2) Alabama: Creation of Baylinc, the first multi-county public transportation system in Southern Alabama. The report details the funding hurdles, importance of potential commuter service demand and effective partnerships with local leaders and transit systems. The result is the planning of other regional services, including ferry service and a guaranteed ride home component of commuter service. The lesson emphasized is not to give up on a good idea.

(3) Oregon: Recent projects of the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC), with the support of regional partners, in opening a ride brokerage call center, preparing a coordinated regional public transportation plan, designing a bus system, building an intermodal transit hub, and starting local and regional bus service. That service is now serving 200,000 riders per year, with a shift from "a transit- dependent population (low-income, older adult and disabled customers) to a population that chooses public transit over other available transportation options ... helping boost the local economy." Although serving the wider public was not part of the plan, early-adopter human service agencies and transportation-challenged individuals convinced small communities and agencies to support public transit. There are now plans to partner with the business community and add pedestrian and bicycle connections. The advice of one participant is to "[c]reate a story of the problem and have data available to demonstrate a need for the proposed service. "

NADO also issued new reports about air quality projects (with one transit example), emergency planning and economic recovery after disasters.

Long-Distance Connectivity

American Bus Association
The ABA is promoting the $8.8 million that the Federal Transit Administration is offering for wheelchair lifts as part of its Over-the-Road Bus (OTRB) Accessibility Program. The ABA has a special grant information webpage with details and contacts for assisting with grant applications. The deadline is Sept. 12, 2011.

ABA mentions Who Rides Curbside Buses? A Passengers Survey of Discount Curbside Bus Services in Six Eastern and Midwestern Cities, a survey of passengers of intercity curbside bus service about what modes they are taking their business from and also examines the differences between travelers on these buses and on conventional carriers. "Curbside bus companies have attracted publicity for their steeply discounted fares, free wireless internet, and express services on routes that had seen little new service in decades." The 14-page report was prepared by the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul University.

The buses are generating trips in the two areas studied, East Coast and Midwest cities. Their fares undercut Amtrak's, are competitive with car travel, and offer free wifi. On the East Coast, where Amtrak's Northeast Corridor service is a popular option with frequent trains, the curbside buses are stealing business, though Amtrak is still showing ridership increases. In the Midwest, bus passengers are forgoing automobile travel add airplane trips.

Young Demographic

The age 18-25 age group represents a large segment of the curbside bus market and though I have seen many people outside this age group board those buses, including me, there is no question that it is mostly an under-30 crowd. Perhaps due to the nature of their travel and not being as concerned with time (or more concerned with free wifi at low cost), personal rather than business trips predominate. A huge difference with the conventional bus market is the over 90 percent use of portable electronic devices. The only greater percentage use is on the Acela, which costs a whole lot more, is the quickest option (rivaling the plane) and generally has much more expensively dressed travelers.

The ABA also reports that Megabus in the United Kingdom is experimenting with sleeper service, including one's "very own bed," on overnight service between Glasgow and London.

Webinars - Performance Measurement, Creative Responses to Reduced Funding

2011-08-31T14:05:00.000-07:00

Performing For Individual, Organizational and Collective Impact - webinar - Sept. 14, 2011 at 2 p.m. Eastern time. The Partnership for Mobility Management and the Community Transportation Association of America jointly present this webinar to explore the fundamentals of performance measurement. Hear how a results-based accountability framework is used to support quality of life. Learn about mobility management measures that gauge success of programs and outcomes for customers. Speakers include representatives of transit, transportation services and workforce agencies as well as a staff member of the Federal Transit Administration.

Creative Solutions to Reduced Funding for Public and Human Services Transportation - webinar - Sept. 20, 2011 at 2 p.m. Eastern time. The National Consortium on the Coordination of Human Services Transportation presents this colloquium via webinar to assist national organizations, states and communities during these fiscally challenging times. Speakers are representatives of communities that have taken different approaches to solving or alleviating the problem of cutbacks as well as a panel representing national organizations.

President Addresses Reauthorization

2011-08-31T12:02:00.000-07:00

Department of Transportation
Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood in his Fastlane blog applauds President Obama's request that Congress "pass a clean extension of key transportation programs as soon as possible." The President states that the jobs of thousands of construction workers and DOT employees are on the line. Politico is linking Obama’s remarks to a job-creation plan he’s expected to launch next week.

According to Politico, the President also calls this a good time to invest in transportation - while jobs are scarce, interest rates are low and infrastructure needs to be maintained. “We have to have a serious conversation about making real, lasting investments in infrastructure from better ports to a smarter electric grid to high speed rail,” he said. A Washington Post blog states that Obama will address jobs next week in a speech to a joint session of Congress.

The houses of Congress have different plans, a six-year reauthorization in the House and a two-year proposal in the Senate. Transportation funding will expire on Sept. 30. Click here for more general information about reauthorization and the speech from the Associated Press.

Caregiving Costs & FTA Policy on Access to Transit

2011-08-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

AARP
AARP reports that transportation is a major part of caregiving for elderly relatives. Valuing the Invaluable: 2011 Update - The Economic Value of Family Caregiving in 2009, states:

Nearly four in ten (39 percent) Medicare beneficiaries report being accompanied to routine medical visits, typically by spouses or adult children. A recent analysis found that family and friends provide 1.4 billion trips per year for older relatives (age 70+) who do not drive. Adult children provide 33 percent of these trips.

Taking time off to drive a parent or a spouse is not the only responsibility, though it might be one of the most time consuming. AARP also mentions the at-home medical care for people with long-term conditions as well as nursing-type care is performed after major surgeries and other critical procedures. Those people requiring the most care over long periods were individuals with chronic health conditions.

According to "more than one in three (36 percent) caregivers" due to budget cuts "government agencies and nonprofit organizations are now less able to provide services to their relative or friend" than prior to the recession. These include services such as transportation and delivered meals. This is borne out with area agencies on aging statistics in the report. Long-term effects for caregivers include a drain on financial resources and retirement savings, and negatively impacted employment prospects or advancement. Only California and New Jersey have legislation mandating paid family leave programs.

[Fish design bike rack in Long Beach, Calif.]

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
AASHTO publicized the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) issuance of a policy statement on the eligibility of pedestrian and bicycle improvements for funding under federal transit law - up to a radius of one-half mile for pedestrian improvements and all bicycle improvements located within three miles of a public transportation stop or station." The FTA declares a "de facto physical and functional relationship to public transportation." Funding for bicycle or pedestrian improvements at greater distances to public transportation may also be eligible for FTA funding where it is demonstrated that "the improvement is within the distance that people will travel by foot or by bicycle to use a particular stop or station." And that's just the FTA's introduction to the statement.

Details about funding are available in the NRC Technical Assistance News. The FTA policy statement appears in the Federal Register.

Events

2011-07-25T08:58:00.000-07:00

Easter Seals Project ACTION
July 27 - Promising Practices and Solutions in Accessible Transportation: Environmental Barrier Analysis and Options for Remedy webinar.
This webinar will focus on common barriers and potential remedies for creating a barrier-free environment. Community assessment tool included that may be shared to train others on the importance of community involvement in removing barriers to accessibility.

Aug. 15 - Fundamentals of Travel Training Administration online course.
The course teaches about launching, operating and maintaining a travel training program. Learners may complete this course at their own pace while sharing experiences, ideas and knowledge with colleagues.

Autumn

Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations
Oct. 25-28 - AMPO Annual Conference - Dallas, TX.
Expected presentations about climate change, complete streets, data collection, sustainable communities, small MPOs, promoting health through transportation, performance measures and social networking.

American Public Health Association
Oct. 29-Nov. 2 - Annual Meeting - Washington, D.C.
There are 1000 sessions on a wide range of public health topics, with many devoted to some aspect of the intersection with transportation, including public transit, walking and cycling, and mobility of people with disabilities.

What's in the Deal for Transit and Community Programs?

2011-07-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

I have yet to see specifics about transit or community transportation in articles about the proposed bipartisan debt-ceiling/deficit-reduction package. Instead of writing about missing details, I will take a page from the Daily Show - no, I won't attempt comedy - and look back at the bipartisan commission that is the source for the current proposal.

In late 2010, the chairs of the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, former Clinton White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles and retired Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.), released detailed draft recommendations and a PowerPoint summary explaining their plan to significantly cut the federal budget and reduce the national debt.

Lots of Details

Their recommendations included freezing federal employee salaries and cutting the federal workforce, reducing the number of contract positions, and reducing the amounts spent on federal travel. Their plan would eliminate the Economic Development Administration and merge the Department of Commerce with the Small Business Administration. For transportation, there would be a 15-cent increase in the gas tax. There is much more. If you want details, refer to both the draft recommendations and the PowerPoint because they cover somewhat different topics.

This blog covered the responses from national organizations within the transportation world in November.

In December 2010, the Commission issued its report and in January 2011, the members of the Commission released their individual statements.

Transportation

The Commission report addresses transportation specifically.

Under current law, the Transportation Trust Fund has hybrid budget treatment in which contract authority is mandatory, while outlays are discretionary. This hybrid treatment results in less accountability and discipline for transportation spending and allows for budget gimmicks to circumvent budget limits to increase spending. The Commission plan reclassifies spending from the Transportation Trust Fund to make both contract authority and outlays mandatory, and then limits spending to actual revenues collected by the trust fund in the prior year once the gas tax is fully phased in. Shortfalls up until that point would be financed by the general fund.

The Commission recommends gradually increasing the per gallon gas tax by 15 cents between 2013 and 2015. Congress must limit spending from trust funds to the level of dedicated revenues from the previous year. Before asking taxpayers to pay more for roads, rail, bridges, and infrastructure, we must ensure existing funds are not wasted. The Commission recommends significant reforms to control federal highway spending. Congress should limit trust fund spending to the most pressing infrastructure needs rather than forcing states to fund low-priority projects. It should also end the practice of highway authorization earmarks such as the infamous Bridge to Nowhere.

Transit, community transportation and other modes are not addressed. Nor were they mentioned in the President's deficit reduction speech in April 2011, covered here.

News Will Be Out Soon

Well, we will all know soon whether the current Senate bipartisan proposal will take hold in the House. If it does, the transportation and infrastructure provisions will influence reauthorization whenever that happens, and specifically funding for transit, community transportation and zero-emission modes.

More Responses to the House Reauthorization Proposal

2011-07-18T13:02:00.000-07:00

Association for Commuter Transportation
ACT responded to the House reauthorization proposal by stating that while the association understands the need for fiscal constraints, it points to underinvestment in transportation. ACT applauds the proposed expansion of public-private partnerships where appropriate, and the development of performance measures for both highway and transit projects.

[Taxis about to leave Central Park on a summer morning.]

Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations
AMPO warns that if all current metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) are not grandfathered in the next reauthorization bill, which could institute a 200,000 population threshold, then it is possible that almost two thirds of the current MPOs will disappear and that eight states will no longer have an MPO.

As required under U.S. Code Title 23, Chapter 1, Section 134, MPOs are policy boards comprised of local elected officials, representatives of public agencies that administer or operate transportation modes and state officials. The boards are responsible for carrying out federally required transportation planning activities that include, but are not limited to, development of long-term multimodal transportation plans, coordinated selection of transportation improvements in a fiscally constrained manner, public outreach, and coordination with states and numerous public and citizen interests.

AMPO asserts that MPOs are crucial for transportation decisions to reflect "the voice of the local government, its citizens, and people in the regions."

Community Transportation Association of America
CTAA currently has links on its homepage to the overview of the House proposal, the House Democratic response, and a Senate Banking Committee state-by-state table of current spending levels and expected reductions.

[Maine fishermen relaxing on shore on a cool evening.]

Living with a Transportation Challenge

2011-07-15T06:33:00.000-07:00

AARP
AARP reiterates its concern that most older adults are lacking transportation options, particularly transit and a pedestrian-friendly street network. The result for many people is isolation as they are hesitant to ask friends and family members for assistance with non-essential trips.

Public transportation is very limited or nonexistent in America's suburbs and rural areas, where most older people live, and there is no indication that the situation will improve soon. In fact, a recent study by Transportation for America finds that by 2015, more than 15.5 million Americans 65 and older will live in communities where public transportation service is poor or nonexistent. Further, 60 percent of people age 50 and over said in an AARP survey that they did not have public transportation within a 10-minute walk from their homes. And 53 percent said they did not have a sidewalk outside their home.

National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
N4A's Maturing of America Survey asked governments, particularly local governments, about their services for older adults. The survey notes generally the increasing population of older adults, increasing need and, with the recession, decreasing revenues to support programs.

In terms of transportation and other services, the survey finds that older adults living in urban areas are in a better situation than those who reside in rural areas. Higher population areas are more likely to provide discounted fares on public transportation, taxi discounts or vouchers, and door-to-door and door-through-door demand-response service. They are also more likely to have pedestrian-friendly sidewalks and intersections, paratransit and public transportation. The survey emphasized that the West Coast "excels in almost all transportation categories."

Multiple Disabilities

American Council for the Blind
ACB's newsletter, the Braille Forum, recently noted the ways in which we can all be sensitive to people with mobility challenges when planning events or when using public transit and accommodations. The article discusses people with visual impairments who have multiple disabilities.

American Public Health Association
A new resource for me is the APHA Transportation and Public Health E-Newsletter (link is to subscription page). Public health benefits of transit, community transportation, walking and biking, interrelated as they are, supply wonderful partners for coordination efforts and mobility initiatives. In the current newsletter issue are the following resources:

* The Road to Health Care Parity: Transportation Policy and Access to Health Care, a policy brief about the public health ramifications of our transportation system on living a healthy lifestyle and actually being able to travel to healthcare appointments.
* National Prevention Strategy, which recommends greater reliance on transit and the active transportation modes of biking and walking. One suggestion is to "[c]onvene partners (e.g., urban planners, architects, engineers, developers, transportation, law enforcement, public health) to consider health impacts when making transportation or land use decisions."
* Safe Routes to Transit and Safe Routes for Seniors programs, which are now limited to the San Francisco area and New York, respectively.
* Aging in Place, Stuck without Options: Fixing the Mobility Crisis Threatening the Baby Boom Generation, a Transportation for America report that documents the need for viable transit options so that baby boomers will be able to comfortably age in place. The report takes a hard look at rural and suburban areas, which together account for 75 percent of today's seniors.

Medicaid Tracker

National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities
NASUAD is updating monthly its Medicaid tracker, available via its homepage. The tracker reviews the Medicaid systems in each state and summarizes any changes in eligibility and service.

Legislative Recommendations

National Council on Independent Living
NCIL has posted its summer legislative priorities, which can be opened from the homepage. Among others, the priorities include a ban on forced electroshock, support for Senate processing of judicial nominations, housing, health and medical support services, and opposition to the ADA Notifications Act, which would require 90-day notice before filing an ADA complaint. NCIL is also making requests concerning funding and the structuring of state independent living entities.

NCIL's transportation endorsements favor Complete Streets legislation, accessible taxi fleets and reauthorization of transportation legislation.

Making Sense of Funding Available and Reauthorization Talk

2011-07-08T15:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, may be it is just me or that my brain has shifted to the summer mode of summmers before air conditioning, but I am finding confusing the news about funding available and the reauthorization proposal and the many responses to it.

Funding - All Sustainable

TIGER grants - $527 million is available from the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) competitive grant program. These Department of Transportation funds will be awarded for innovative transportation projects that will create jobs and have a significant impact on the nation, a region, or a metropolitan area. Pre-applications must be submitted by October 3, 2011. Final applications are due through Grants.gov by October 31, 2011.

The money may be awarded for projects beyond public transportation, such as roads and freight rail. In the past, awards have gone for transit buses, streetcars, ports, and bicycle and pedestrian paths. The TIGER website has a very cool map that allows one to peruse previous awards.

Sustainability Initiative

This Federal Transit Administration program will award funds for clean fuel and energy-reducing technologies and transit upgrades. The deadline for applications is Aug. 23, 2011.

Clean Fuels grant recipients will be chosen through a competitive selection process based on their ability to help communities achieve or maintain the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone and carbon monoxide, while supporting emerging clean fuel and advanced propulsion technologies for transit buses.

TIGGER III grants, which will also use a competitive selection process, will be awarded based on a project’s ability to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and provide a return on the investment.

Last year's 63 winning projects involved an array of environmental innovations, such as installing energy-efficient technologies at transit facilities, replacing traditional diesel-powered buses with low- or zero-emission vehicles, and building compressed natural gas fueling stations.

Now see why I am confused? Between TIGER and TIGGER, I feel like I am stuck in a Winnie the Pooh story with Tigger bouncing and Tony the Tiger visiting, except that there are no cutely-drawn striped animals involved.

To make this somewhat easier, FTA has a website with information about its discretionary programs, the funding available and deadlines.

Livability Expansion Initiative

Other FTA discretionnary programs include the Livability Expansion Initiative, with $175 million available and a deadline of July 29. The two components include the Alternatives Analysis program and the Bus and Bus Facilities program. The goal of the Alternatives Analysis program is to assist potential sponsors of New Starts and Small Starts projects in the evaluation of all reasonable modal and multimodal alternatives and general alignments options to address transportation needs in a defined travel corridor. Priority will be given to projects that foster the six livability principles. Included in allowable expenditures for the bus program are

purchasing of buses for fleet and service expansion, bus maintenance and administrative facilities, transfer facilities, bus malls, transportation centers, intermodal terminals, park-and-ride stations, acquisition of replacement vehicles, bus rebuilds, bus preventive maintenance, passenger amenities such as passenger shelters and bus stop signs, accessory and miscellaneous equipment such as mobile radio units, supervisory vehicles, fare boxes, computers and shop and garage equipment.

The State of Good Repair program also has a July 29 deadline and has $750 million ready for maintenance and repair.

Related HUD funding

The Department of Housing and Urban Development Sustainable Communities Regional Planning grants are not yet available. Advance notice has been released that there will be $67 million on the table "towards creating stronger, more sustainable communities that connect housing to jobs while fostering local innovation and building a clean energy economy."

Reauthorization Conversation Begins Again

Both the Senate and the House have started anew serious talk about reauthorization, with Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) proposing a one-third cut in highway and transit funding and a six-year bill. Sen. Barbara Boxer has put forth a two-year bill.

The SAFETEA-LU extension will expire on September 30, but it is anyody's guess whether the current discussions will lead to new legislation or another extension. Here is information about the proposals and the perspective of some members of the National Consortium on the Coordination of Human Services Transportation.

American Public Transportation Association - transit perspective on the Mica reauthoriization proposal.

American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials - coverage of House and Senate activity, with discussion of the current divide between Democrats and Republicans on each.

Amalgamated Transit Union - Responds negatively to the Mica proposal. Says the proposal will cause massive layoffs among transit workers and the service reductions "would be the knockout punch that puts millions of more people on the unemployment line."

Planning for Emergencies and Disaster Response

2011-07-01T12:43:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday morning, members of the National Consortium on the Coordination of Human Services Transportation engaged in a colloquium about emergency planning and disaster response, both in general and in particular regarding transportation, transportation providers, and transportation-challenged populations and areas. The speakers were Sheryl Gross-Glaser of the National Resource Center for Human Service Transportation Coordination (NRC) (a technical assistance center housed at the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA)), Virginia Dize and Jo Reed of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A), and Patricia Monaghan of the National Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP).

To understand the different types and categorization of emergencies and disasters, and preparedness, a good concise guide is the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Introduction to All-Hazards Preparedness for Transit Agencies.

Never Introduce Yourself at the Disaster

"Never introduce yourself at the disaster" was a terrific soundbite from a recent FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Administration) webinar. Richard Devylder, Senior Advisor for Accessible Transportation at the U.S. Department of Transportation, gave this advice. It is too late to be involved in planning for emergency response when disaster hits and even at the point where officials are looking for endorsement of a plan.

Early and Often Involvement

Unlike voting, involvement in emergency planning should be early and often, counsels Devylder (who did not refer to voting). Involvement while a plan is being crafted ensures that preparedness actively includes populations beyond those of average age and abilities.

[Central Park South yesterday was full with pedicabs, taxis, buses, cyclists and walkers (left out of the photograph).]

After Hurricane Katrina's disproportionate impact on older adults (47 percent of the people who died were 75 or older), area agencies on aging (AAAs) are participating in emergency preparedness by providing information, establishing partnerships, providing communications links, outreach and services in the event of a disaster. (More information about AAA participation in emergency preparedness and response is available in an N4A 2009 survey.)

Redundant and Universal Communication

Also mentioned during the webinar, which is not currently archived, was the wisdom of redundant communications in multiple formats and with attention paid to those with communication challenges, such as people with visual or auditory impairments. Information provided in visual updates, such as maps or information scrolled at the bottom of a screen, or announcements via radio or television, should be duplicated in other formats.

[A bus stop on Broadway, about 63rd St. The new shelters are chic, though not hi-tech like the Portland ones.]

Building in Redundancies for an Imperfect World

Since no one measure is perfect to identify and keep track of who will need assistance, transportation, health-related or otherwise, redundancy in identification and monitoring is necessary. No one system of determining need - before or during an emergency - will be completely accurate. There will be people who are injured or disoriented during a disaster who were perfectly well beforehand and who would not show up on a registry. Likewise, depending on time of day, many children who do not usually have transportation challenges would be unsupervised and in need of assistance.

For example, we discussed the value of registries for meeting the needs of transportation-challenged individuals. Both N4A and CTAA include the development and use of registries in their recommendations. A participant in the FEMA webinar, June Isaacson Kailes, Disability Policy Consultant/Associate Director at Western University in California, spoke against reliance on registries because she believes that they provide a false security to registrants, who assume that registering means that the government will be taking care of them, and they provide no service to those who fail to register, whether out of ignorance, distrust of the government, or privacy concerns.

Kailes recommends that governments assess what will be needed and in what amounts to keep people independent and in good health - wheelchairs, medications, vehicles, meals, health aides - based upon the demographics. Jo Reed of N4A described door hanger notification systems that residents can hang outside to indicate whether they are fine or need assistance. As Reed's door hangers suggest, notification of need can be inexpensive and will supplement whatever other monitoring or identification systems are in place.

The Model of AAAs

Other examples of AAA involvement in preparedness are :
* Florida's emergency communications network, its plans for people with disabilities and home health care, and its registries;
* Iowa's requirement that local transportation providers have emergency plans; and
* A rural Colorado area's designation of the AAA as the designated emergency transportation provider.

Numbers Speak

Jo Reed spoke about emergency planning findings in the 2011 Maturing of America survey of local governments, last performed in 2005. An exception to a general finding of lack of assessment and preparation for the greater number of older adults in the future was the tremendous increase in specialized training to handle older adult needs in emergencies. However, a smaller percentage of communities than in 2005 were planning for evacuations of older adults or had systems in place to track where older adults reside.

Patti Monaghan discussed the relevant RTAP products, two updated training resources. The highest attendance numbers for an RTAP webinar was the one held about its emergency procedures training, demonstrating the substantial interest in this topic. Patti also noted the current preparation of a TCRP handbook for emergency preparedness.

Resources

CTAA:
On the CTAA website is the Transportation and Emergency Preparedness Checklist, which organizes the planning and response measures that community, regional and state leaders, as well as stakeholders, should be paying attention to. Training and information are available for planning and response from the National Incident Management Systems (NIMS) resource center and the Incident Command System.

The NRC has an Emergency Preparedness and Response Bookshelf with resources that focus on populations with special needs. CTAA also maintains a webpage with emergency preparedness resources.

RTAP:
Emergency Procedures for Rural Transit Drivers - a training module.
Threat and Vulnerability Toolbox.

Personal Notes

Special thanks to Kelly Shawn of CTAA for his assistance in discussing important emergency preparedness issues and resources and thanks to Patti Monaghan for discussing RTAP's resources and Hal Morgan for bringing and discussing the FTA All-Hazards publication.

I have seen some disasters and potential disasters in New York, one of which was the blackout of 2003 that affected the whole Northeast. I visited an apartment house that was a naturally occurring retirement community. Many people could not get to their apartments and others could not walk down the stairs and to go out of the building. Staff and neighbors knocked on all doors, retrieved medications (some from apartments on the 20th floor and above), arranged for meals, and made people in their 80s and 90s comfortable for a night spent in the lobby. Most everyone else walked up the stairs to their apartments or spent the night elsewhere. I saw police officers calmly direct traffic on streets filled with both packed vehicles of all types and pedestrians (some barefoot and carrying their high heels). The Port Authority bus terminal recreated itself outside on 43rd Street.

Every disaster is unique, but what remains the same is that there are special challenges to getting through an emergency and its aftermath being older, living with a significant disability, or living in a rural community. Neighborliness, flexibility and ingenuity all have a place, but preparedness makes a big difference.

Joint Actions, Legislation and FTA Update

2011-06-27T12:18:00.000-07:00

American Public Health Association
APHA has 10 Public Health and Equity Principles for Transportation, which include increased funding for community transportation, transportation for mobility-challenged populations, multi-modal infrastructure and planning, and reducing carbon emissions. Signatories include the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) as well as pedestrian and biking advocates, and public health and medical associations.

Inter-Agency Partnership for Sustainable Communities

Smart Growth America announces the 50 organizations that sent a joint letter to the Senate leadership for appropriations and transportation urging funding for the inter-agency partnership for sustainable communities. Those 50 include the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A), the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO), and the Amalgamated Transit Union, all members of the National Consortium on the Coordination of Human Services Transportation, as well as organizations devoted to planning, the environment, health and transportation equity.

Federal Transit Administration
FTA has released federal register notices of funding opportunities with deadlines this summer.
* State of good repair funds for buses and bus facilities - deadline July 29.
* Discretionary Sustainability Funding Opportunity Transit Investments - deadline Aug. 23. The funds are specifically for the Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) Program and Clean Fuels Grant Program, Augmented With Discretionary Bus and Bus Facilities Program.
* Discretionary livability funding - deadline July 29. The programs involved are Section 5309 Bus and Bus Facilities Livability Initiative Program Grants and Section 5339 Alternatives Analysis Program.

FTA also announced apportionment of new starts and small starts funds. These go beyond coast to coast to serve places unconnected to the mainland, including Alaskan and Hawaiian ferries and the Second Avenue subway in Manhattan.

Another funding announcement made recently was the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Advance Notice of Requirements for HUD’s FY11 Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program, which will provide an additional $67 million for building sustainable communities throughout the country.

Convenient Places to Live and Work

American Public Transportation Association (APTA)
APTA helped craft the listing of today's 10 most convenient cities, as measured by transit access and walkability. In addition to the obvious ones of New York, Chicago, Seattle, Boston and Portland, there is also Milwaukee and Los Angeles.

Enthusiastic Legislative Support

National Council on Independent Living
NCIL is strongly endorsing and working for independent living (IL) legislation pending in Congress. The IL provisions within the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act would create an IL Administration, which would not require any new or additional funding, but would streamline the IL Program and enhance consumer-control. This new entity would be independent of the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) within the Department of Education.

Resources to Dump the Pump

2011-06-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

American Public Transportation Association
Remind your constituencies to participate in National Dump the Pump Day, Thursday, June 16. Secretary LaHood is encouraging people to take transit that day and save money, reduce "our nation's dependence on foreign oil," and "discover an economical, comfortable, stress-free option for getting around that they hadn't considered before." More information is available from APTA, which has materials for promoting and publicizing Dump the Pump Day, including button templates, sample proclamations and suggested activities.

Community Transportation Association of America
CTAA joins with Families USA and other groups to support the Medicaid program and oppose the suggested transformation of Medicaid into a block grant program. "Medicaid is an important program for many public and community transportation systems around the country and the Association feels strongly that it must be protected in the ongoing budget debates in Washington," said CTAA Executive Director Dale J. Marsico, CCTM.

NRC Capitol Clips explains how a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding programs offer opportunities for transportation options and mobility management efforts. Deadlines are coming up at the end of June and mid-July.

Big City Resources are Transferable

Okay, Brooklyn is not the first place in the country to post or allow posting of bus arrival times or to arrange for text messages to riders and smartphone access to a transit authority website, but a New York TV station did a nice little video about how the bus arrival notification system works. For Brooklynites, the information will mean a few more minutes to shop, but I think this type of system, which depends on business owners as much as the transit system because shops display bus arrival times in their windows, has even more potential for rural riders. With headways of an hour being common, people would be able to not only have time to shop, but to alert babysitters and bosses of delays, perhaps even to sit down somewhere and use an extra fifteen minutes to get something else done instead of looking up the road for the bus.

San Fransisco is utilizing its army of riders to send notices of what needs fixing. First, the transit agency asked for text messages about graffiti and vandalism locations and now it is about to unroll the same type of service for problems with cleanliness and security. Again, these are issues as much for rural as urban transit systems. In fact, this type of communication with riders probably would be more significant for a small operation with limited resources.

For these two stories, I am grateful to the Transit Wire, which I read each day. It is mostly technology/transit stories related to large urban systems, but it sometimes features small urban systems and their innovations, such as the recent start of free wifi on buses in Missoula, Mont.

Reauthorization and Other Perspectives on the Future of Mobility Choices

2011-05-03T10:29:00.000-07:00

National Conference of State Legislatures
NCSL, in partnership with the National Governors Association (NGA), the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the National League of Cities (NLC), issues a statement of principles for moving forward with transportation reauthorization legislation. "'State and local governments are responsible for 97 percent of the nation’s interconnected surface transportation systems and contribute nearly 75 percent of the annual cost to operate and maintain those systems,' said NGA Executive Director Dan Crippen."

Among others, the principles include:
1. "[T]he continuation of the “user pays” principle to guide transportation funding" with opposition to federally mandated prescriptions of sub-federal authority over demand-side strategies.
2. Stable funding for "reliable, long-term funding certainty" so that state and local governments can execute long-term, multi-year projects.
3. "[M]aximum federal surface transportation program and funding flexibility given our diversity of geography, population, and priorities" and opposition to earmarks.
4. Streamlining of processes to reduce project approval and completion time.
5. "[S]trong federal role in funding transportation solutions for metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas across the country" to address connectivity and congestion issues.
6. Clear, "outcome-oriented performance measures."

National Governors Association
NGA provides a new page on its website entitled "Redesigning State Government," with information about how different states are coping with lean fiscal conditions.

Paralyzed Veterans of America
PVA celebrates accessible design and mobility with its 2011 Accessible City Award going to sixth, seventh and eighth graders from St. Thomas More School in Baton Rouge, LA.

The team took a comprehensive approach to accessibility: the blind had chips embedded on the side of their heads that allowed them to perceive figures so they would not bump into things. An integrative transportation system provided easy transitioning for people in wheelchairs and also sensed when passengers were waiting to board, stopping for them without being summoned.

What impressed the judges was the universality of the team's approach. Their concept of accessibility included people in wheelchairs and strollers, as well as those with physical and sensory challenges. What impresses me is the promise of technological advances and design innovations for making transportation more accessible to wider range of individuals.

The Current State of Rural Transit

For a realistic snapshot of rural transportation generally - including transit, intercity service and human services transportation - read Rethinking Federal Investments in Rural Transportation: Rural Considerations Regarding Reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Act, produced by the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI). In a nutshell, the report states:

There are about 1,200 systems operating in half of rural counties nationwide, but they tend to be local in nature, and generally not connected to regional and national passenger systems. Thirty-eight percent of rural residents live in areas with no public transit. There are also 3,700 systems specifically for the elderly and people with disabilities, and others operated by human services agencies.

Add to the many logistical challenges the reality that many rural areas do not have access to professional staff or sufficient staff to handle their transportation and mobility challenges. Though only one piece of the economic development puzzle, transportation is described as a threshold item for local and regional economic success. The report supports local planning to increase transportation options and suggests that "[t]ransportation funding and planning should be measured against outcomes rather than uniform standards." Helpful charts are provided that categorize the challenges for different types of rural areas.

More Events - from Now through October

2011-04-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

Community Transportation Association of America

CTAA's EXPO 2011 - June 6-11, 2011 in Indianapolis, Ind. The first two days will consist of a Mobility Management Conference and intensive trainings. Workshop topics include various aspects of communications, financing, employment transportation, partnerships and coordination, planning and operations.

Mobility Management Conference - June 6-7, 2011 in Indianapolis. This conference will have plenary sessions devoted to a variety of types of partnerships and partnering objectives, including financial stability, sustainable communities and mobility for transportation-challenged populations. Breakout sessions will address specific topics, such as one-call/one-click services, statewide perspectives, and employment transportation, among others.

National Association of Development Organizations
Rural Transportation Conference - Aug, 24-26, 2011 in Washington, DC. The conference will bring transportation, regional planning and economic development professionals together with local officials, state DOT staff and stakeholders from rural and small metropolitan areas across the nation.

NADO Annual Training Conference - Oct. 8-11, 2011 in Miami Beach, Fl.

National Association of Regional Councils
NARC Annual Conference - June 12-15, 2011 in San Diego, Calif. There will be sessions on transportation, economic development, emergency preparedness, livability, and green infrastructure, among others.

American Public Transportation Association
Upcoming APTA conferences include:

2011 Bus & Paratransit Conference - May 22-25, 2011 in Memphis, Tennessee. The conference will have sessions about accessibility, business practices, operations/maintenance/management, policy/planning/marketing, safety & security, sustainability, technology, and workforce development.

2011 Rail Conference - June 12-15, 2011 in Boston, Massachusetts. The focus will be on timely issues of wide-spread interest for all rail modes, including high-speed rail. The conference will address safety and security, planning, sustainability, finance, capital projects, operations, and technological aspects of rail service.

2011 Risk Management Seminar - June 19-22, 2011 in Des Moines, Iowa. The seminar will cover return to duty programs, the insurance market, an ADA/Legal update, domestic preparedness and community emergency response, accident reconstruction and transit industry biomechanical issues.

2011 Sustainability & Public Transportation Workshop - July 31-Aug. 2, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. The workshop will address the economic, social responsibility and environmental aspects of public transportation’s role in sustainability.

2011 APTA Annual Meeting - Oct. 2-5, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Association for Commuter Transportation
ACT International Conference, Aug.27-31, 2011 in Chicago, Ill. The conference workshops will explore funding and cost-saving strategies to weather the challenging economic climate, contributing to local sustainability endeavors, and proactively capitalizing on potential and actual demand.

Conference of Minority Transportation Officials
National Meeting & Training Conference - July 16-19, 2011 in Philadelphia, Penn. In addition to workshops on technology, intermodalism and operations, the National Transit Institute will hold a training on emotional intelligence aspects of leadership, and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will host discussions of Title VI and disadvantaged business enterprises.

Easter Seals Project ACTION
ESPA's theme for its June events will be paratransit. These include a course for paratransit managers, a two-part webinar about ADA paratransit eligibility, and a teleconference about promising practices for paratransit operations. The June events page also has information about paratransit resources.

[Editor's Note: Due to archiving limitations, this post will only appear under the "Events" label and not under the labels for the organizations listed.]

How to Get Folks on the Bus

2011-04-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

The American Bus Association posts a link to a long article on the Bloomberg Business Week news site about still-growing intercity bus services.

An absolutely fabulous article appears in the Atlantic about convincing commuters to switch to transit. It is an article about cultural change, convenience, meeting needs and making car-free (for at least one major source of trips) seem "cool." Thanks to Chris Zeilinger for the tweet about this.

Mobility Management Conference in Indianapolis on June 6-7, 2011. Sessions will cover the different partnerships that allow for customer-focused and community-generated transit and mobility services. Also, information about livability, one-call/one-click services, statewide perspectives, and employment transportation, among others. The Partnership for Mobility Management is working together to put on the conference. There will be representation from the professional worlds of transit, community transportation services, workforce,
regional planning and state departments of transportation.

President's Deficit Reduction Proposal

Yesterday's New York Times coverage of the President's deficit reduction speech, did not mention transit, high-speed rail or any medical, human service or employment transportation programs. In my pre-vacation mode this morning, I admit that I am not scouring the news sites or Consortium webpages, but there are always news alerts and emails that arrive by this point whenever a major budget-related proposal is made that mentions these programs. The President's speech echoes themes from the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. A November 2010 blog post linked to the Commission co-chairs' recommendations, summaries and responses to the Commission's work. The full Commission recommended that the gas tax be increased by 15 cents and would "limit[] spending to actual revenues collected by the trust fund in the prior year once the gas tax is fully phased in." Transit and other non-motor vehicle modes were not mentioned.

Budget Battles: Organizations Call on Their Troops

2011-04-11T06:51:00.000-07:00

Though federal employees are at their desks today, still on the horizon are the debt ceiling and the 2012 budget. Here are the concerns of some organizations, followed by discussion of a report that predicts the government-provided service needs of older Americans.

Amalgamated Transit Union
ATU is involved in the movement in several states to limit collective bargaining rights via We Are One rallies. On April 13, ATU will hold a National Day of Protest. Information about these events and a video and photograph contest are on ATU's homepage. In March, ATU hosted a boot camp training to educate labor and transit about how to establish transit advocacy coalitions. Ballot initiatives were also discussed.

American Public Health Association
APHA is ringing alarm bells about possible outcomes of the budget battle for medical care, Medicare, Medicaid and health care reform.

National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
N4A joins with the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations in a letter to Congress to oppose proposed cuts to programs involving the aging community. N4A supports increased transportation dollars for older Americans due to great unmet needs and growing numbers of people age 65 plus. N4A is concerned about consolidation of programs to assist transportation-challenged populations because:

We are concerned that a consolidation of these programs might give public transportation providers less incentive to partner with community-based service providers to implement transportation programs targeting older adults and people with disabilities as they have traditionally done under the Section 5310 program. Our worst fear is that in consolidation, the balance of power in decisionmaking would mean that transit agencies would be less likely to pass through 5310 funding to nonprofit providers and instead create new programs of their own or support existing targeted programs, especially in these very tough fiscal times. The vital partnership between transit agencies and non-profit service providers that 5310 has created is successful and must be protected. In addition, the New Freedom program has been used to initiate cost-effective consumer responsive options such as dial-a-ride, taxi vouchers and volunteer driver programs, not just fixed route transit. Resources to expand mobility options beyond fixed-route transit must be continued as part of any consolidation proposal.

Fear that Livability is on the Chopping Block

Smart Growth America
SGA is asking its constituency to request that Congress fund the federal interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities and its activities. There is an advocacy toolkit on SGA's website.

Unmet and Growing Needs

Government Accountability Office
OLDER AMERICANS ACT: More Should Be Done to Measure the Extent of Unmet Need for Services, a GAO report, looks at needs for services, such as transportation, at different life stages past 65, income levels, and gender. More than health status, eyesight, income or gender, the more education one has the less need for transportation services. Poor health, living alone, having a low income and being female all correlate with greater needs.

Events

2011-04-08T06:05:00.000-07:00

National Association of Development Organizations
NADO posts that Apr. 12, Governing is hosting a free webinar, Smart, Sustainable, Livable Communities: Plans, Projects and Key Market Drivers. The webinar will explore the “green government” market and opportunities in building sustainable communities.

National Association of Counties
2011 Rail Conference - DuPage County, Ill., on Apr. 27–29, 2011. The conference will focus on the impact of freight and passenger rail on citizens, businesses, and county, city and state governments.

Members of NACo’s Rural Action Caucus (RAC) are currently in Washington, DC, for the Annual RAC Legislative Fly-in. They will meet with more than 60 members of Congress to advance priority issues for rural counties. RAC members will meet with officials from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Forest Service
and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. RAC’s leadership will meet with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

Nearly two-thirds of the nation's 3,068 counties are designated as rural, with a combined population of 60 million. One of RAC's 2011 priorities is transportation reauthorization.

Webinar - Using County Health Indicators to Inform Local Policy Decisions - May 5, 2011 at 2 p.m. EDT. Speakers will discuss how counties can utilize community health and quality of life indicator information to help inform policy decisions and more effectively target local public health resources.

NACo Annual Conference - Multnomah County (Portland), Ore., on July 15–19, 2011. Aron Ralston, mountain climber and inspiration for the Film 127 Hours, will be a featured speaker.

Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living
APRIL Annual Conference - Anchorage, on October 15-17, 2011.

Getting out of Cars

2011-04-06T06:32:00.000-07:00

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
AASHTO reports record-breaking Amtrak ridership, 8 percent overall over last year, with some lines having increases over 30 percent.

Virginia's Newport News line to Washington grew 43% year over year, while the Lynchburg-to-Washington route was up 40%.

"Virginia is very proud of the success of this train," Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation Director Thelma Drake said in a statement. "This success shows that there is demand for intercity passenger rail service in Virginia, and by serving major population centers, we are able to remove thousands of cars from the highways."

What Will Get People out of Their Cars?

This is a question I will pose in terms of urban areas right now due to a recent report, Tech for Transit: Designing a Future System, which synthesizes the recommendations of 18 people who went on one-week car-free diets in Boston and San Fransisco. The report is useful in determining what will reduce car usage in places that already have convenient and multiple alternatives to the automobile, such as transit, bike sharing, carsharing, taxis and walkable streets. It also provides food for thought for investment options in places that do not have all of those alternatives.

For the participants, the benefit of a car was not ownership, but autonomy. The benefits of being car free were feeling a part of a community and feeling that one was contributing to the environment. Now, from the recommendations, it seems like a particular type of person was included in the study. The primary recommendations is all-tech, all personally available, and easily accessible.

The participants want to see all information - transit, car sharing, taxis, bike sharing, etc - available in one place so that they can make cost, route and time decisions. The preference was for apps. Signage and telephone information were not even mentioned, as if they were so quaintly 20th century. They want mobility options and easy ways to make last-minute determinations about the options to select. The change in habits that participants noticed was adjustment to shopping routines. While they could see going car free, there was also the opinion that reducing car usage does not have to be all or nothing.

Creativity for Transit

Danville, Va., a city in the central part of the state, is offering two sites for "new creative bus stop shelters." According to the WLS10 business news article:

the Young Professionals Committee of the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce "would like 'creative and aesthetically pleasing' bus stop shelters not only to increase ridership, but also to serve as focal points for the city’s central business district, according to a news release. So, the young professionals are sponsoring a design competition with $1,000, $500, and $250 prizes to be awarded for first, second and third places.

Social Media and Creative Advocacy

2011-03-28T08:15:00.000-07:00

Jewish Federations of North America
For those interested in the non-profit world, JFNA keeps a non-profit blog list on its website. Scroll down to the last list on the page. Some of the non-profit blogs focus on social media and technology, others on philanthropy and advocacy.

National Head Start Association
NHSA has begun an advocacy campaign, Hands-In for Head Start, which is an old-fashioned "contact your congressman" campaign" with a twist. The twist is that Head Start pre-schools are creating murals representing their classes with childrens' handprints and names; on the bottom is written the total number of children "in the classroom/agency, with the name of the classroom/agency, and where it is located." Parents are encouraged to give the murals to members of Congress and the Senate with suggestions for talking points, press releases, photographs and videos.

National Association of Development Organizations
NADO's technical assistance center, RPO America, tweets a link to a New York Times mapping of Census data. Beware: this is cool and will distract you. Colors are wonderfully used. Okay, yes, I looked first at Brooklyn, that's Kings County, by the way, but you can see such places as Holt County, Nebraska and Chaves County, New Mexico.

Local Stories

Long commutes across county lines see the Ohio State University offer vanpools and guaranteed parking and ride homes for vanpoolers who sometimes need a more flexible option. Read about this other vanpool activity in Licking County, Ohio. Thanks to the Joblinks twitter feed for the link. Follow at JobTransInfo. (Joblinks is a technical assistance center at the Community Transportation Association of America.

Older Adults: Challenges of Individual and Public Health

2011-03-23T07:27:00.000-07:00

National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities
NASUAD posts a report with case studies and information about overcoming the barriers to preventive and diagnostic health services for older adults. One of the main barriers identified is transportation. Enhancing Use of Clinical Preventive Services Among Older Adults Closing the Gap gives one intriguing example from New England of co-locating influenza vaccinations with mammograms and providing free transportation.

National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
N4A provides a link to 2011 Alzheimer’s Disease: Facts and Figures, which supplies of plethora of detail about the care that a person needs when suffering with Alzheimer's or other type of dementia. Transportation is mentioned as one need, but this report goes into the home, as it were, to give a picture of the labor intensive, daily tasks that such individuals cannot do without assistance.

Mobility Management

Read mobility management and public participation stories from around the country in the NRC Technical Assistance News. There is truly amazing energy out there for mobility management and coordination.

To learn about mobility management from around the country, attend the Mobility Management Conference on June 6-7, 2011 in Indianapolis. The conference is a collaborative effort of the Partnership for Mobility Management. Plenary sessions will focus on partnerships, for financial sustainability, crossing jurisdictional lines and achieving other goals. Breakout sessions will address specific projects, such as one-call services, medical transportation, livability and employment transportation. A full list is available at http://web1.ctaa.org/webmodules/webarticles/anmviewer.asp?a=2233&z=100.

Events

The National Association of Regional Councils NARC) will be hosting a webinar about emergency preparedness lessons learned from Japan's multi-dimensional disasters that occurred one on top of each other. Sudden Emergency: An Insight into Japan's State of Emergency will be held today, March 23, at 3 p.m. ET.

The Administration on Aging (AoA) is hosting a webinar, Care Transitions in Action: From Hospital to Home in Two Communities, which will explore in depth care transitions partnerships between hospitals and area agencies on aging in two communities. Transportation issues are not specifically mentioned. The webinar will be held on March 30 at 2 p.m. ET.

National Council on Independent Living
NCIL Annual Conference - July 13-16, 2011 in Washington, D.C. The theme is Independence! Keeping our eyes on the prize.

A little background for our transportation work appears in an interesting article about the history of powering automobiles and transit from the Atlantic. Food for thought about energy distribution, marketing, and public relations.

On the Legislative Horizon for Transportation

2011-03-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
AASHTO's newsletter covers the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's budget views and estimates for the next fiscal year. AASHTO's synopsis of the 30-page report was that the committee's message is to make do with less, adding that "[t]he document speaks in broad policy terms and does not provide recommended funding levels."

AASHTO correctly observes that while the committee is interested in the highway trust fund and the gap between revenue and funding needs, and addresses this issue specifically, the committee does not provide a detailed proposal of its own.

The T&I Committee offers its views about a few particular issues. The committee supports the Administration's proposal to streamline certain surface transportation programs. It recommends reducing the Essential Air Service program to rural areas due to near-empty flights. The committee particularly takes issue with Amtrak, its management and cost effectiveness, while announcing its acknowledgment of the importance of the Northeast Corridor to the nation's economic vitality.

[Flickr photo by Wally Gobetz. Sheepshead Bay, an express station on the BMT Brighton Line serving the B (formerly D) and Q lines, was opened in 1908.]

Regional Perspective on Transportation Policy and Spending

Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations
AMPO posts letters to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee from four planning organizations. The letters are from:
* Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments in Oregon,
* Metropolitan Transportation Commission for the San Francisco Bay area,
* Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, and
* A Columbus, Ohio area partnership comprised of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, the Columbus Partnership, the Columbus Chamber, the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, and the Central Ohio Transit Authority.
The letters trumpet the importance of transportation, its infrastructure and transit to the nation's economy and to the vitality of regions.

Priorities of Counties

National Association of Counties
NACO's legislative conference concluded with new policy positions. These include opposition to proposed reductions in the Department of Agriculture's economic development program, community development block grants, and discretionary - non-military spending. NACO has a whole list of recommendations on environmental issues, with suggestions that county governments not suffer unfunded mandates. NACO supports the Administration's wireless innovations fund proposal. As for transportation, the only recommendation relates to roads that access or pass through certain federal lands.

NACO's 2011 legislative priorities include transportation reauthorization.

Congress should develop a comprehensive legislative effort to create jobs by providing robust funding for bridges, highways, mass transit, assistance for rural roads and other local infrastructure needs by reauthorizing the highway, transit, and safety programs. Congress should explore the various financing sources available to fully fund the Highway Trust Fund into the future while addressing metropolitan congestion and rural road safety. Enactment of these programs will help build our nation’s infrastructure and create additional employment opportunities.

Praise for Transit and Improving the Experience for People with Disabilities

2011-03-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

Always a good day when you read about people and organizations you personally know. Today it is the American Public Transportation Association. I read many of Secretary LaHood's blog posts on the Fastlane. (Yes, I skip stuff related to airlines and anything on the water except for taxis and ferries.) Today, I find the Secretary praising APTA for its mission to "strengthen and improve public transportation,":

a goal this Department deeply believes in. This Administration has made transportation a priority--and affirmed that commitment, not just with words, but also with actions. President Obama’s 2012 budget proposal invests $129 billion in transportation. We’re talking about a 127% increase in support aimed at improving safety, service, and reliability.

After reviewing the proposed budget's transit priorities, Secretary LaHood spoke generally about the contributions of public transit, saying that "[p]ublic transportation connects Americans," takes them to airports, downtowns, jobs, essential services, education and shopping, while relieving congestion.

Every day in our cities and towns, transit workers are planning, building, maintaining, repairing and operating these vital systems. Here at DOT, we think that’s incredibly important.

The Secretary quoted from his speech at the APTA Legislative Conference.

People with Disabilities Invited to Rate Service

Speaking of public transit service, a former colleague, Judy Shanley, pointed me to a survey on the website of the Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access that requests people with disabilities to share their public transit experiences. Of course, I can never stop with the one recommended feature and explored the website further. There is information about and links to resources involving rural aging in place, naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCS), and universal design for housing.

Easter Seals Project ACTION points out that IDEA also has published a wheelchair users mobility report that includes new data on wheeled mobility devices people with disabilities use, including data about ease of use and navigating spaces. The report recommends that standards be revised to reflect body size and functional abilities of current wheelchair users.

Great Minds Think Alike

Two national parters, Easter Seals Project ACTION and the Taxi, Limousine and Paratransit Association pointed me to the big news that the Department of Energy (DOE) is loaning $50 million to develop a "six-passenger MV-1, a purpose-built wheelchair accessible vehicle that will run on compressed natural gas." According to DOE,

[The] MV-1 is the only factory-built light-duty vehicle to date that meets or exceeds the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The vehicle features a deployable access ramp with a 1,200-pound weight capacity, a 36-inch entryway and an interior that accommodates up to six occupants with the optional jump seat, including one or two wheelchair passengers and the driver.

Getting to and Navigating Transit

Easter Seals Proejct ACTION
Webinar series - The Cutting Edge of Wayfinding Technology - Apr. 4 and 11 at 2 ET. The webinars will cover wayfinding technologies that help customers with disabilities navigate transit systems. The two sessions will discuss new technologies that are either available to the public or currently being researched. Visit ESPA's homepage for information about the organization's many events about accessibility, transportation, and improving transportation options for people with disabilities.

Events and Presentation Opportunities

2011-03-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

American Public Health Association (APHA)
Midyear Meeting - June 23-25, 2011, in Chicago. The conference will focus on the implementation of health care reform.

National Association of Development Organizations (NADO)
Webinar - Social Media and Electronic Participation in Regional Planning and Economic Development - March 30 at 2 p.m. (ET). The webinar will include an overview of social media uses and demographics, as well as case studies of two regional planning and development organizations effectively using social media in their outreach.

Presentation Opportunities

Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO)
AMPO is calling for presentation submissions for its 2011 Annual Conference. Visit http://www.ampo.org/content/index.php?pid=245. The conference will be held October 25- 28, 2011 in Dallas, Texas. For more information email mstaunton@ampo.org.

National Association of Development Organizations (NADO)
NADO is seeking presentation ideas for the National Rural Transportation Conference, which will occur in Washington, DC, August 24 – 26, 2011. The deadline to submit a presentation abstract is April 15, and abstracts can be submitted online at http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22BU7W9KEC3. The conference is typically attended by regional transportation planning professionals and stakeholders, including from rural and small metro areas served by RPOs and small MPOs, and covers issues relating to all modes of transportation.

Societal Changes: Transportation for the Future and the Culture of the Government Workplace

2011-03-11T11:29:00.000-08:00

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
AASHTO posts its illuminating collection of comments about what members of the public are hoping to see in our nation's future transportation system. The outreach effort has attracted over 200 comments and more than 24 youtube videos. AASHTO is posting both a summary and the entirety of the comments. To view the ongoing public commentary, visit http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=35722831748&topic=23652.

View AASHTO's facebook page, AASHTO Speaks, for a very active and interactive informational resource.

Window into the (Home) Workplace

Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT)
ACT links to information about the Status of Telework in the Federal Government, a report to Congress about teleworking patterns for 2009. The Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announces that "increasing the strategic use of telework is a high priority for President Obama and OPM," and candidly acknowledges that federal agencies have a long way to go in utilizing telework.

So why am I reading and writing about a report that discusses avoidance of travel? Transportation solutions to national challenges, in this case congestion, emissions, and even crowding on public transit, can include, as a part of the pie of solutions, less travel - assuming that those who telework do not use single occupancy vehicles for a bunch of additional trips on days worked at home. Also, the federal government is a major employment presence; its policies are the standard in DC and are considered instructive for other large institutions. In a town where snow prevents us from moving around and schools are closed for days, telework keeps the government working in emergencies.

In this day of instant communications, do we really all need to be at the office everyday? We have anecdotes and opinions, but the report has statistics. In the federal workforce, already 10 percent telework regularly, 12 percent occasionally and 23 percent are not permitted to telework though their jobs are amenable to such an arrangement. (Please note that due to data collection methods, these numbers are a snapshot, but are not exact.) Only 36 percent report a need to be physically present at the workplace to do their work. Obviously, a cafeteria worker or law enforcement officer cannot work from home.

Interestingly, in the lead are independent agencies, both large and small. Though the numbers of teleworkers tended to be older and have more years of experience, the percentages are fairly even across age groups and with minor differences for men and women. Maybe I just enjoy reading reports, but I found the statistics for workplace satisfaction interesting. The one cultural shift that OPM identified as needed to encourage teleworking is to increase the numbers of managers and supervisors who telework.

2011-03-09T10:42:00.000-08:00

American Public Transportation Association (APTA)
APTA reports rising savings for using public transit (and walking or biking) instead of owning a car. Currently, the national average stands at "$9,904 annually and $825 per month based on the March 4, 2011 average national gas price ($3.47 per gallon-reported by AAA) and the national unreserved monthly parking rate." The savings are more impressive in the nation's largest - and most transit-rich cities - with savings of over $14,000 in New York and over $10,000 in Denver. Prices in metropolitan areas and other regions are not assessed; suburban and rural equivalents of the savings rates are not available.

In this same vein, the APTA savings report is featured in a CBS News story about the financial rationale for using transit, on the one hand, and, on the other, the revenue squeeze on transit that has prompted systems to reduce service and/or increase fares.

Public Participation: Not Necessarily Boring

If you are looking to promote public participation in transit promotion, planning and advocacy, view this creative video from Detroit, which uses legos and music to discuss the street configuration for the planned Woodward Ave. line.

Thanks to Chris Zeilinger, Director of the National Resource Center for Human Service Transportation Coordination (NRC) for finding the video material.

The Utah Transit Authority is promoting and using twitter to hear from its customer base about their preferences for service hours and routes. Although the transit system is also employing traditional public hearings and now old-fashioned email as well, management has respect for the thoughtful, quality 140-character (and fewer) tweets they have received.

Livability Goes Local

National Association of Counties (NACo)
From NACo's newsletter:

NACo will seek input from members about implementing federal livability goals through a new project led by the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC), with support from U.S. Department of Transportation. The two-year project is intended to assist localities in building the governance, strategies and tools needed to create and implement regional transportation plans that support sustainable development. NARC and NACo will partner to offer listening sessions at upcoming NACo conferences.
Contact: James Davenport • 202.661.8807

Policies and Funding for Rural and Coordinated Transportation Options

2011-03-08T13:41:00.000-08:00

Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA)
CTAA has on its homepage a collection of materials that declare the benefits of rural transportation services, including rural public transit, and an explanation of the history and scope of Medicaid's non-emergency transportation (NEMT) benefit.

American Bus Association (ABA)
ABA responds to the Obama Administration's recommendation for funding to develop a high-speed rail network with a reminder that intercity bus travel is a far less expensive form of long-distance publicly-available transportation.

Quoting from the ABA publication, the Insider, the association declares:

"We're asking lawmakers to invest in motorcoach transportation," said ABA President and CEO, Peter J. Pantuso, CTIS. "Even under the best circumstances, a high-speed rail network will not become a reality for years. Motorcoaches are here today. We cost a tiny fraction of what high-speed rail will cost. We are environmentally friendly, and we provide service to rural Americans that high-speed rail will never be able to reach. When you look at all of that, it just makes sense to go with the motorcoach."

The Insider article emphasizes the importance of motorcoach service to rural Americans. Bus service still covers a much greater proportion of rural residents than current or projected train lines.

Detailed Look at Coordination of Government Programs

In his NRC Capitol Clips post on March 4, Chris Zeilinger, the Director of the National Resource Center for Human Service Transportation Coordination (NRC), does a terrific job of summarizing and examining the findings of the recent Government Accountability Office report, Opportunities to Reduce Potential Duplication in Government Programs, Save Tax Dollars, and Enhance Revenue. The blog finds in the report strong evidence to support coordination of government services. The report is well worth reading and transportation coordination is addressed at pages 48-50, which will appear as 53-55 in your pdf toolbar, and discussion of coordination for the transportation-challenged appears at 134-138 (appearing as 139-143).

Speaking of coordination, I read an interesting opinion blog in the New York Times online edition about coordination to improve education for low-performing public school systems. Coming Together to Give Schools a Boost talks about strong coordinating organizations and partners with clear goals and a focus on performance measures. I will not say that the strategies mentioned should be transferred to transit and transportation services, but the model is worth considering for its comprehensiveness and the honest assessment of its proponents that new methods were needed.

Human Service, State and Other Perspectives on Budget Proposals

2011-02-25T08:25:00.000-08:00

National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A)
N4A applauds President Obama's budget request. It highlights the proposed "significant investment in programs to support older adults and their caregivers. We especially would like to acknowledge the increased funding of $96 million for home and community-based supportive services as part of the Administration’s Caregiver Initiative."

National Association of Development Organizations (NADO)
NADO has posted a recording of its budget briefing and response to the House continuing resolution proposal. This is a long and detailed recording, but it gives an excellent review of the consequences of the budget debate for rural regions.

National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD)
NASUAD offers a family of materials about funding proposals, including a comprehensive agency-by-agency review of the President's budget.

National Head Start Association (NHSA)
NHSA is opposing proposed cuts to Head Start funding. The association has posted a chart of state-by-state reductions in student slots based on the House's continuing resolution proposal.

Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA)
PVA comments on the Administration's proposed spending for veterans programs.

[Our NRC staff at the 2010 EXPO in Long Beach, CA. Join us this year for EXPO in Indianapolis. From right to left, bottom row: NRC Director Chris Zeilinger and Eileen Boswell; top row: Janice Lorenz, Charles Dickson and Sheryl Gross-Glaser.]

United Way
United Way is urging its local constituencies to oppose proposed cuts to early education, emergency shelters, Americorps, health programs and supports for low-wage families.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
APHSA offers its review of proposed federal expenditures for human services programs.

When Medical Care Goes Wrong

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
An important legal issue is not only which party to an agreement or a medical procedure will take the economic risk, but also who adjudicates the disputes and who sets the standards. NCSL sent a letter to a House committee opposing federal medical malpractice legislation due to the position of state legislatures that states should be the entities to set the rules about how these lawsuits proceed.

NCSL has posted a fact sheet about state pension systems. The fact sheet itself provides an overview of "the degree to which [pensions] fit in the overall budget picture at the state and local levels, and the steps state and local governments are taking to bring their pension plans into long-term solvency." The information compiled was a joint venture with several national organizations. Basically, the organizations put forth evidence that state pension systems are in decent shape, are not contributing to the poor fiscal conditions in which state governments find themselves, and that public employees assist in the funding of their retirement.

Event

NCSL's Spring Forum - Apr. 14-15, 2011, in Washington, DC.

[Please note that due to the blogger software, this post is not being archived by organization (except for the event). Those national organization names are too long for the elves inside the software. Perhaps they are hobbits and not elves. Perhaps I should avoid technology issues and any machine that requires more than one remote control device.]

March: Stay at the Office for these Events

2011-02-23T11:01:00.000-08:00

American Public Works Association (APWA)
APWA will host a webinar on March 10 about using social media to deliver your message. The webinar is geared towards public works departments.

Easter Seals Project ACTION (ESPA)
On March 9, ESPA will host a livable communities teleconference. Planning for the Accessibility of Livable and Sustainable Communities will feature staff from the Department of Transportation, including the Federal Transit Administration, to promote the creation of community linkages among housing, employment and economic development through accessible transportation. For questions, contact Rik Opstelten at 800-659-6428 or espadistancelearning@easterseals.com.info.

For a list of events related to transit and transportation services, visit the calendar of the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA).

Legislative News

CTAA has just posted materials about the Administration's proposed budget, cuts contained in the pending continuing resolution, new House members and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee listening tour. Visit CTAA's homepage for updates.

Okay, I thought I would take a glance at Secretary LaHood's blog today and good thing I did as the Secretary put the spotlight on a school bus driver at our old elementary school. According to the Secretary, children are safer taking the school bus than traveling any other way to their daily destination. As the blog and the video declare, school buses are a common, recognizable form of transportation that operate from coast to coast.

[Via a U.K. Daily Mail article about a woman so upset about the vandalizing of her local bus stop that she redecorated it.]

Local News

Phoenix Strategic Plan to include transit, livability and sustainability projects.

Hattiesburg, MS seeks to become pedestrian and transit friendly.

The Round Rock and Pflugerville area of Texas cites transportation as the number one issue that "affects every demographic in need." Other concerns for social service organizations included child care, housing and dental health.

The Georgia legislature is likely to abolish local planning mandates. The bill, according to its proponents, is not intended to do away with coordinated planning.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T13:52:00.000-08:00

Transit is not just for policy geeks and people who need a ride. Transit, according to the Valentine's Day post on the CityFix blog, is for lovers and lovers of transit.

Read about romantic encounters and creative transit promotions. Honestly, the marriage of transit and love could put Valentine's Day ahead of Halloween.

Resources

National Head Start Association (NHSA)
NHSA has posted a national map of Head Start investments by state.

National Governors' Association (NGA)
NGA released an analysis of the state-of-the-state addresses from the nation's governors. Read about priorities and challenges across the nation.

Government Accountability Office (GAO)
Rail Transit: FTA Programs Are Helping Address Transit Agencies’ Safety Challenges, but Improved Performance Goals and Measures Could Better Focus Efforts may say "rail" in the title, but the discussion of a "safety culture," seems to apply to transit and transportation services of all types. The GAO report states:

One expert in particular said that all the other safety challenges transit agencies faced flow from safety culture issues. Some experts we interviewed identified the importance of training to help instill a safety culture at all levels of a transit agency.

Federal Transit Administration (FTA) officials used qualitative language to describe the attributes of a safety culture, including non-punitive reporting. But they also cited quantifiable measures of cost, hiring challenges, old infrastructure and other issues that impact safety.

FTA efforts include an FTA-produced video, “A Knock at Your Door,” which re-enacts fatal rail transit accidents to underscore the importance of safety procedures. FTA officials also mentioned that they have encouraged discussions about the importance of safety culture at roundtable meetings with transit agency management and other officials, teleconferences, and training classes.

Safety Courses

Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA)
CTAA has a course to train Certified Safety and Security Managers. The training offers a protocol for on-site assessments by Certified Safety and Security Managers of their respective transit systems preparedness in the critical components and core elements of the Federal Transit Administration's Bus Safety and Security Program.

American Public Transportation Association (APTA)
Information about APTA's safety resources and training can be located at http://www.apta.com/resources/safetyandsecurity/Pages/default.aspx.

Transit a Priority for People with Disabilities, Commuters and Capitol Hill

2011-02-08T12:04:00.000-08:00

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
APSHA's Working for Tomorrow newsletter recommended a Minnesota policy brief. Following the link, I found a series devoted to employment of people with disabilities and the concrete changes needed to increase their employment rates. Particularly interesting is the brief about people with visual impairments and the brief about people who are deaf and blind, probably because of the prominent position of the recommendation for improved public transportation. For more information, visit the Minnesota Employment Policy Initiative.

Census Data for Transit and Transportation

National Association of Development Organizations (NADO)
NADO's current Rural Transportation newsletter includes information helpful to anyone analyzing commuter patterns. It highlights the Census Transportation Planning Products release of the 2006 - 2008 3-year American Community Survey (ACS) Data. This release shows where people are commuting to and from and how they get there, and the data is organized by where workers live, where they work, and by the flow between those places. For more information, visit http://ctpp.transportation.org/Pages/3yrdas.aspx.

National Resource Center for Human Service Transportation Coordination (NRC)
The NRC has a Census 2010 page, which links to a wonderful resource, the Transportation Research Board's Census Data for Transportation Planning.

Happenings on the Hill

National Association of Regional Councils (NARC)
NARC has updated information about the fast-moving developments on Capitol Hill and Pennsylvania Avenue regarding earmarks, the federal budget and transportation.

News Roundup: Coordination, Transportation Legislation and Technology

2011-02-04T07:25:00.000-08:00

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
NCSL's Transportation Coordination Newsletter is a quarterly compendium of coordination developments, particularly at the state level. This issue also includes news about a volunteer driver law and resources.

NCSL's magazine has an article, Boomers on Board, which provides an overview of the demographics of the emerging boom in need and likely growth in mobility management, coordination, safety for older drivers, and land use and transportation coordination.

News

Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
FTA has a new webpage with information about each of its grant programs. Both the names and numbers of each program are supplied, with links to each program.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
APHSA is closely covering the activity in Congress relating to proposals for budget cuts and human services, including transit programs.

Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT)
Act is supporting the COMMUTE Less Act (HR 260), which would actively encourage employer involvement in transit and transportation planning processes as well as "engage employers in providing commuting alternatives to employees, including carpooling, vanpooling, use of transit, and teleworking." It would also fund a national organization to house a technical assistance center, an information clearinghouse and an "information and educational program with respect to the employer investment in transportation and commuter benefit program."

Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL)
APRIL is now offering its mentors virtual peer visits, along with the equipment to make them possible, as an alternative to in-person mentoring visits. CILs retain the choice of an in-person visit. The website has more details about the CIL mentoring program.

In a Google search to find out more about Rep. John Mica's upcoming listening tour about transportation reauthorization, there were a few transit blog posts and coverage from the Wall Street Journal. In an excellent article, Fight Looms over Transportation, the paper lays out the different positions within the Republican Party and the Administration, the shrinking value of gas tax revenue, and what is at stake for all types of infrastructure and transportation. Positions of associations, states and other stakeholders are not discussed.

Listening tour dates are available from at http://dc.streetsblog.org/2011/01/28/ti-committee-announces-field-hearing-schedule/.

Transit Wire Highlights

The Transit Wire, a transit and technology blog, links to news of what GPS means for the Lehigh and Northanpton Authority, a Pennsyvania bus system, and its customers in terms of real-time bus information and using the information about passenger loads to improve service.

Your local bus stop could soon transform from the place with exhausted faces to the place people visit whether or not they are getting on a bus. The Transit Wire led me to this neat photo-laden article about a new generation of bus stops, places with interactive media, Internet and GPS access, solar energy-produced heat and power, opportunities to leave messages, and avant garde design.

Upcoming Events

2011-02-01T10:06:00.000-08:00

Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA)
The 25th Annual EXPO conference will be held at the location of the first EXPO, Indianapolis, from June 5-11, 2011. This year's gathering for the early part of the week will be a mobility management conference.

Center for Transportation Excellence (CFTE)
Transit Initiatives and Communities Conference - June 20-22, 2011 in St. Louis. Learn about winning at the ballot box for transit initiatives. CFTE also has resources about transit advocacy groups and ballot measures across the country.

More Event News and Updates

For more transit and human services transportation events, visit CTAA's calendar.

Some previously announced events in this blog have been updated. These include:

National Association of Regional Councils (NARC)
2011 National Conference of Regions, Feb. 13-15, Washington, DC. Sessions will address homeland security, transportation and infrastructure, livable and sustainable communities, and economic development. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan will be the keynote speaker.

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
Washington Briefing, Mar. 2-4, 2011, Washington, D.C. Details at http://www.transportation.org/meetings/297.aspx. Legislation, intercity rail and the financial outlook for transportation will be discussed. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood will be the keynote speaker.

American Public Transportation Association (APTA)
2011 Legislative Conference, Mar. 13-15, 2011, Washington, DC. Reauthorization and other legislative developments will be addressed. Keynote speakers include Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff. There are many more events coming up that are listed on APTA's website.

Public Health and Safety

2011-01-28T06:14:00.000-08:00

American Public Health Association (APHA)
APHA studies the broad health impacts that result from different transportation choices. Its resources include an issue brief, the Hidden Costs of Transportation, about the health costs of an auto-dependent transportation system.

Of practical benefit to communities that are trying to sell transit, shared rides, and zero-emission mode (walking and biking) initiatives is APHA's fact sheet about Health Impact Assessments. The Health Impact Project has more information about how HIAs are used to inform decision making for different types of public works projects, including transit, transportation and planning.

[Multi-modal street scene in Portland, Ore.]

National Association of Regional Councils (NARC)
NARC joins with the Public Safety Alliance (PSA) in urging Congress to support public safety through legislation (S. 28) that will assist in the realization of a nationwide, interoperable public safety broadband network.

Emergency Mobility

Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA)
The FEMA Administrator blogs about using social media to fit people and not the agency. Some of the comments following the post are amazing, particularly the one about a man who is extremely disabled who used facebook to indirectly reach the fire department when his toaster threatened major disaster.

A blog writer talks about the importance to emergency recovery of walkable streets and services available locally, such as groceries. Ken Benfield quotes a discussion about the Brisbane, Australia flooding, comparing Brisbane's street network to Beirut's:

There is what you might call 'network redundancy' i.e. every few streets has a grocers, bakers, coffee shop, ironmongers, tailors etc. etc. This, as opposed to the centralised and consolidated model of western cities, most obviously visible in the out-of-town mall accessed by car, with all the apparent economies of scale that entails. Yet the former is actually more resilient, for sure. ... It would have been better to have been in a place with a walkscore of something approaching 100 (see walkscore.com.) But there is nothing around us, barely pavements, and now the connecting infrastructure of roads is so easily compromised.

Regional Planning and Collaboration

2011-01-27T10:15:00.000-08:00

National Association of Development Organization (NADO)
The NADO Research Foundation and RPO America are hosting a webinar on Feb. 15 showcasing the work of two award-winning organizations on rural and small metropolitan alternative transportation. One of the presentations will focus on rural travel demand management via a website and outreach materials that address transportation options throughout the region.

From RPO America's twitter feed: RPO America & NADO Guidelines and applications are now out for two National Endowment for the Arts initiatives that are available to support rural communities through community design and creative placemaking activities. http://tinyurl.com/4bma4wt

National Transit Institute (NTI)
NTI has upcoming classes in ADA paratransit eligibility, vehicle procurement and technology for rural transportation services. Information is available at http://www.ntionline.com/Courses.asp.

Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO)
AMPO posts its Fall Newletter, which, somehow, I missed previously. It has articles about sustainable performance measures for transportation, including regional metrics as well as measurement systems that include transit, walking and biking. Examples from Portland, Ore., and Northern New Jersey are multi-modal.

Not Reading the Tea Leaves - Yet

I have been avoiding paying too much attention to the occasional statements about when we are likely to see real movement with transportation reauthorization because, frankly, I want to pay attention when the meat is being discussed. However, my eyes opened wide when the President put himself out on a limb for long-distance public transportation in his State of the Union address and it is intriguing that Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood quoted the address in his blog to emphasize the President's commitment to high speed rail.

Within 25 years, our goal is to give 80% of Americans access to high-speed rail, which could allow you to go places in half the time it takes to travel by car. For some trips, it will be faster than flying. As we speak, routes in California and the Midwest are already underway.

What are the prospects for such a bold transportation plan? What are the implications for reauthorization and for local public and human services transportation? Perhaps those tea leaves deserve some attention.

Winter Hibernation: Cuddle Up with Blueprint America Series and Economic Development Opportunities

2011-01-25T13:43:00.000-08:00

Blueprint America, the PBS series about infrastructure in the United States, has some videos and reports archived that provide some interesting watching and reading for transit geeks. There are reports about competing ideas about what infrastructure to invest in, what type of transportation will create job growth, and mobility options that promote public health.

With some popcorn, a blanket and some hot chocolate, this might serve constitute work on one of those upcoming snow days - not that I would personally do that. Confession: Yes, I already watched one infrastructure documentary on a work-at-home day, but that was during lunch (soup, if I remember correctly).

Economic Development

Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA)
The Rural and Tribal Passenger Transportation Technical Assistance Programs are inviting applications for long-term technical assistance projects. These projects help rural communities enhance economic growth and development by improving passenger transportation services and facilities. Technical assistance provides planning to support transit service improvements and expansion, system start-up, facility development, development of marketing plans and materials, transportation coordination, training and other public transit problem solving activities. Technical Assistance is provided by CTAA staff and consultants and involves on-site and off-site work conducted over a period of eight to twelve months. No local match is required. Information is available at http://web1.ctaa.org/webmodules/webarticles/anmviewer.asp?a=49&z=5.

National Association of Regional Councils (NARC)
On Feb. 8, 2011, at the 2011 Good Jobs Green Jobs Conference, NARC and its Pathways Out of Poverty project team will present a workshop on the importance of partnerships in regional workforce and economic development programs, entitled “Partnerships and Pathways: Keys to Success in Regional Green Jobs Training and Placement.” This will be a forum for sharing ideas and strategies for building a green economy that creates good jobs, reduces global warming and other environmental problems, and secures America’s economic and environmental future.

AARP Report Shows Long-Term Care Concerns

2011-01-18T10:23:00.000-08:00

As we are all well aware, transportation - whether transit, paratransit, taxis or other services - allow people who are disabled or who are old and fragile to remain in their homes, continuing to live in their communities. AARP's new public policy report, Weathering the Storm: The Impact of the Great Recession on Long-Term Services and Supports tracks increased demand and, in some states, reduced expenditures for transportation and other long-term care services and supports (known as LTSS).

Many of these services and supports involve transportation, such as meals on wheels and other food delivery, as well as congregate meals, adult day care, medical appointments, shopping, chore services and personal care. Though spending is down for most LTSS, large increases are seen for meals services, both home delivered and congregate.

State-by-state profiles are available at the bottom of the linked page. A compilation of all of the state profiles is an easy way to review the spectrum of state financial conditions and impacts on services nationwide.

Partnering to Multiply Benefits of Transit

2011-01-13T13:27:00.000-08:00

Two publications are being distributed that demonstrate partnering across funding streams and types of public and private works. These partnerships have multiple benefits for communities.

Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA)
CTAA's current issue of Community Transportation Magazine focuses on examples of partnerships for coordination, whether among transit and long-distance systems, in the case of San Francisco's planned new terminal (said to rival Grand Central Station) or a transit hub in Spearfish, S.D., or among human service agencies and public transit, such as in Massachusetts. The issue profiles Cape Cod's employment of technology to assist transit and for rider information and scheduling. The issue also covers Institutes for Coordination, complete streets and ride sharing models.

(As for any station competing with Grand Central, first visit Grand Central at 8:30 on any particular sunny morning with streams of light falling across the station and then tell me whether another facility can rival the beauty of this New York landmark. The answer might be yes, in which case there will be a new place to inspire us all.)

Putting Money into Transit-Oriented Development

Reconnecting America
The latest Reconnecting America TOD publication, 2010 Inventory of TOD Programs, covers federal, state and local funding for TOD. The report does not examine any other type of TOD inducements, such as zoning changes or partnerships with transit. Most of the TOD programs mentioned seek to capitalize on existing transit rather than developing transit and residential or commercial projects in conjunction with one another. Reconnecting America announces that TOD programs are on the rise, with many interested communities seeking advice from existing program personnel.

Technical Assistance Resources

2011-01-11T11:40:00.000-08:00

Joblinks Continues with Mobility Management for Employment Transportation

The Joblinks Employment Transportation Center at the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA)has an upcoming webinar on Jan. 19 about using mobility management strategies for job access needs. A previous webinar on this topic is archived at http://ctaa.acrobat.com/p41899599/.

New Resources for Rural Transportation

The National Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP) releases its revised Emergency Procedures for Rural Transit Drivers training module, which contains a learner’s Guide, a self-paced eLearning course disc, an instructor’s guide, a disc with videos and a trainer’s PowerPoint presentation. These materials can be covered in a single day or over a series of days. The module is presented in stand-alone units designed to meet a multitude of transit agency requirements. It can be used in a classroom setting or by a single student, and is appropriate for both new and experienced transit drivers.

The training guide is also helpful for those who need an overview of emergency types, preparation procedures and responses.

RTAP also announces the relaunch of its peer network by adding mentors as participants. "Mentors are classified as peer participants who engage in long term technical assistance projects." The peer network is now also connected to the National RTAP Resource Center Library. More information is available at http://www.nationalrtap.org/.

Driver Transition Resource in Development

If you have not experienced the transition of a parent or other person close to you from life as a driver to the next step, know that this is an emotional and significant step. For some families this is a smooth transition, but for others there are months or years of worry that a loved one or a stranger will pay the cost of delaying a difficult and unwanted intervention. Having been the recipient of calls about such accidents, fortunately without terrible consequences, I point out the following new resource being developed by the National Center on Senior Transportation. (NCST is a technical assistance center administered by Easter Seals Inc., in partnership with the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging.)

NCST is funding a research project aimed at understanding how older adults think and feel about the mobility transitions in aging. The project has resulted in the production of a tool that will aid mobility counselors and social service professionals to assist older adults and their families to prepare for aging-related changes in mobility. The goal is to promote effective planning for the future and possible transitions.

Contact Lucinda Shannon at LShannon@easterseals.com for more information or to participate as an organization with mobility counselors serving older adults to assist in expanded utilization of the tool.

Technical Assistance News

Today, the NRC Technical Assistance News covers the blogs of the United We Ride Ambassadors and a new monthly NRC Director's column from none other than Chris Zeilinger.

Mobility Management Story

College towns tend to be harbingers of likely developments because what students have they expect in other places after graduation. In this case, University of Toledo students will have the opportunity to use a pre-paid taxi card. The card idea was a bit of a compromise because the taxi credit card technology would not accept the student debit cards, though that will probably be coming soon to some college town. The card system will notify students when balances go below $20 and the college is pushing for more taxi stands. A commercial enterprise is paying for the cards with the bargain of advertising on them. University officials hope that intoxicated students will pose less of a danger to themselves and others. The goal is that taxi availability and ease is one step toward putting the campus on the young, hip, and urban map.

Making the Most of Transit

2011-01-07T08:03:00.000-08:00

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has added a mobility management page to its website. In addition to explaining what mobility management means for APTA's membership of transit agencies across the country, the site has articles that explain the business case for this approach and why partnerships, a customer focus and a reduced emphasis on "rolling stock" are in the interests of communities and transit.

The National Endowment for the Arts published a report on Creative Placemaking, that includes use of art in transit infrastructure. Though the report is not primarily transit oriented, it makes the case to communities, planners, and transit staff that public art enhances the value of all types of public works projects.

Who is the guy standing outside the subway station at Metro Center? It's Abe Lincoln letting people know about Nationals games, where he races a few fellow past presidents.

Resources for Transportation-Challenged Populations

Children’s Health Fund (CHF)
CHF has presentations and publications that discuss transportation as a critical link to health care for people with low incomes. Information about CHF's positions regarding health care legislative issues are also available.

Easter Seals Project ACTION is currently accepting applications for the 2011 Accessible Transportation Coalitions Initiative.

This initiative helps communities ready to tackle accessible transportation challenges and engage local leaders in the process. Ten communities across the United States will be selected to participate in the Accessible Transportation Coalitions Initiative (ATCI), a one-year systems change process designed to improve accessible transportation options for people with disabilities. In order to be considered, the completed application must be submitted on or before January 31, 2011.

ESPA is also conducting an online survey about the connection between hospital discharge planning and access to appropriate transportation options.

Helping People to Get Out of the House

2010-12-23T14:38:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, it is the things we don't really notice - unless we have to - that make a big difference to the independence and mobility of a group of people. For the visually impaired, sounds are essential to navigating streets; for the elderly and the infirm, a helping hand of a volunteer is crucial.

After two years of hard work, the American Council for the Blind (ACB) scored a victory for pedestrian safety for anyone who relies on his or her hearing to completely or partially navigate the crossing of streets.

The House [has] passed S. 841, the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act, legislation that will provide blind, visually impaired, and other pedestrians greater security when traveling in close proximity to hybrid or electric vehicles. The legislation passed the Senate on December 9. It now goes to the President for his signature.
... ... ...
The legislation will require the U.S. Department of Transportation to begin writing standards that would set requirements for an alert sound that allows blind and other pedestrians to reasonably detect a nearby electric or hybrid vehicle. It also requires that those rules be finalized within three years.

Volunteer Engagement

The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A), in collaboration with the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD), AARP, and the Administration on Aging, among others, has created a technical resource center for the aging network to engage and train volunteers and provide technical assistance for volunteers and volunteer coordinators. More details can be found in the N4A press release.

Volunteer drivers are an important component of both senior and non-emergency medical transportation. Visit the relevant pages of the Community Transportation Association of America website.

Upcoming Events and a Call for Proposals

2010-12-23T06:55:00.000-08:00

The deadline is January 14, 2011 for submitting session proposals for the annual conference of the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL). Topics that NCIL is interested in include information and referral, skills training, transitioning into the community and increasing services to underserved people and communities.

DC Area Conferences

National Association of Regional Councils (NARC)
2011 National Conference of Regions, Feb. 13-15, Washington, DC. Sessions will address homeland security, transportation and infrastructure, livable and sustainable communities, and economic development.

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
Washington Briefing, Mar. 2-4, 2011, Washington, D.C. Details at http://www.transportation.org/meetings/297.aspx. Legislation, intercity rail and the financial outlook for transportation will be discussed.

American Public Transportation Association (APTA)
2011 Legislative Conference, Mar. 13-15, 2011, Washington, DC. Reauthorization and other legislative developments will be addressed. There are many more events coming up that are listed on APTA's website.

National Association of Development Organizations NADO)
2011 Washington Policy Conference, Mar. 20-24, 2011, Arlington, Va. The focus will be on federal legislative advocacy, with sessions on rural economic development, sustainability and transportation, and regional development organizations. Dates for NADO's peer learning, economic development and training conferences for 2011 are available by links from its homepage.

And for Cherry Blossom Season ...

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
APHSA National Spring Conference, Mar. 27-29, 2011, Washington, DC.

National Head Start Association (NHSA)
Annual Head Start Conference, Apr. 4-8, 2011, Kansas City, Mo. Sessions will include planning and management, and partnerships and collaboration.

National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A)
Aging Policy Briefing and Capitol Hill Day, Apr. 11-12, 2011, Washington, DC. Sharing of advocacy strategies, insights into federal policy making, and reauthorization of the Older Americans Act will be among the topics to be covered.

Hibernating?

A little reading material for after the holidays: The National Governors' Association website has a page with links to state reports on how they are distributing funds and retrenching in light of the "protracted budget crisis like none seen in the last 30 years, and perhaps not seen since the Great Depression."

High Demand for Intercity Bus Service and Insights into Quality Concerns of the Transportation Challenged

2010-12-22T07:19:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, intercity bus companies took notice of successful routes that had sprung up to serve Chinatown in New York. Those companies and a few new ones changed the traditional model of station-to-station service and started curbside departures and arrivals, Internet-supplied tickets, free wifi, comfortable seating and very cheap prices compared to the airlines and Amtrak - prices competitive with driving.

Now a report highlighted by the American Bus Association, from DePaul University, The Intercity Bus: America’s Fastest Growing Transportation Mode - 2010 Update on Scheduled Bus Service, examines the numbers, the phenomenal increase in demand, though generally limited to major cities with good public transportation, that outstrips growth for air and long-distance train travel. Megabus alone boasts a one-year growth in ridership of almost 50 percent, with "33% ... a conservative middle-ground estimate of the growth in curbside traffic between the 4th quarter of 2009 and 2010."

Good Service Brings Alternative to Car Use and Ownership

Though Amtrak pointed to much more modest ridership increases this past year, Amtrak does not have the luxury of adding service and destinations very easily. The bus phenomenon of the last few years demonstrates the potential demand for long-distance service even in places where that demand has not been addressed. Indeed, the bus phenomenon also shows that for "discretionary riders" a nice atmosphere goes a long way, even without the guarantee of on-time arrival that a train generally delivers.

The report makes the rather large claim that:

curbside buses encourage “transit lifestyles” that place comparatively little emphasis on single-occupant automobile travel (and more emphasis on common-carrier providers) and thus apparently lower carbon footprints per mile traveled.

I think that intercity buses are a piece of the mobility puzzle for many people, a piece that means a car is not a necessity for everyone. The buses also provide a cost-effective way for families to reduce car use, which the train and air travel do not provide, a fact in evidence on the highways during the Thanksgiving weekend and the winter holidays every year.

Sea of Buses

In contrast to even a few years ago, now when you are entering the Lincoln Tunnel to head into the city for Thanksgiving, you see a sea of buses, a good percentage of which are these intercity carriers. And to what do we owe this recent change in the mobility landscape? A flexible private sector that has the ability to make changes without the delay of regulatory changes, infrastructure building and repair, and the other factors that slow down public endeavors. Not saying the private sector can do it all, just that this is a good example of its role in publicly-available transportation as well as the insights into markets that the private sector provides and that other public and private modes can learn from.

Deviating from Private Car Ownership

And intercity buses are not the only part of the private market that is seeing increases, creative car sharing businesses are being developed and spreading. Still an urban phenomenon, companies like Flex Car are branching out into more cities. RelayRides adds a new type of business model to the mix. The company, backed by Google, enables people to rent out their cars to friends or strangers for a nominal fee with a standard agreement that includes an insurance arrangement. Read about one person's experience in the Cambridge area. It started in Cambridge and is commencing service in San Francisco.

Different Picture in the Heartland

In the heartland of South Dakota, the availability of mobility options is a very different situation than in the urban centers on the East and West coasts. This is not a transit-rich area; in fact, for people with disabilities, the need is all too real. Assessing Existing and Needed Community Transportation for People with Disabilities in North Dakota outlines the challenges - "Adequate shelter from the weather while waiting, inconvenient schedules, and having a place to sit while waiting were most often cited as a major problem for people with disabilities." Added to the list a little more into the report is difficulty of boarding.

These seem like universal design issues. Though adequate shelter, for example, might allow a person with a disability to ride transit, it also makes transit more welcoming to the parent with a toddler and the guy who is considering taking the bus during the winter. Aspects of street accessibility to transit were listed as problems for more than half of the survey respondents, as was safety and travel information.

[T]hose who do not use transit were significantly more likely to say service is not available, transit users were less likely to think they are not capable of riding, and those who used transit in the past but do not anymore were more likely to say they do not have enough information.

The results indicate it is not lack of need that keep people with disabilities from using public transportation. Rather, lack of service, lack of information, thinking they are not capable of riding (whether true or not), and fear of riding can likely explain many of the differences between those who use public transportation and those who do not.

Insights into Quality of Paratransit Service

The report also addresses the challenges of using paratransit and the unique situation of people with cognitive impairments.

Two-thirds of respondents said that service not being available when they need it was a problem; 35% said it was a major problem. Other significant problems were unkept schedules for pickups and drop-offs or long waits, the need for scheduling trips too far in advance, and trip times that are too variable or unpredictable. Respondents were least concerned about the vehicles, in terms of their mechanical condition, accessibility, and seating availability.

This is an insightful and detailed study that would be helpful to anyone in transit or those serving people with disabilities. Really, it shows the opportunities in terms of demand and advances in quality of life that mobility options, sometimes the synergy of pedestrian-friendly streets and transit, sometimes other options, can provide.

Spreading the Seedlings of Creativity

I think that the innovations of the private market in cities, the willingness of Americans all over the country to vote for more public transportation funding, and the increasing unattractiveness of a fuel-intensive lifestyle will spur changes in places like South Dakota. Maybe different models of volunteer driver programs and vanpooling are just around the corner for rural areas and other places where people do not wish to or are unable to drive.

Here's to allowing Americans all over the country to have more and better mobility options. Next year, I want to hear about how you picture mobility; I want to learn from you about places where good transportation choices (be they taxis or shared rides), good street networks and good transit are working. Let's learn from the success stories, build upon them, and adapt them to the amazing quilt of places of we live in.

Fiscal Realities Addressed

2010-12-17T12:19:00.000-08:00

The Government Accountability Office addresses the current best of times and worst of times for transit - how systems are dealing with increasing in ridership at the same time that costs are going up and public dollars are in short supply. Transit Agencies’ Actions to Address Increased Ridership Demand and Options to Help Meet Future Demand discusses not only the current situation, but also demographic changes, such as a more urban America, popularity of transit and an aging citizenry, that will contribute to expanding ridership for a long time.

In terms of costs, the report examines the expenses of greater demand for transit and the inability of cash-strapped governments to supply the necessary funds. Attention is given to the pleas of transit staff to use funds to maintain a state of good repair. Likewise, streamlining of paperwork for federal programs is also discussed. On a positive note, operators with newer infrastructure and assets are heeding the lessons of old systems that require more funds for maintenance as they age.

Fiscal Report

The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform's final report, The Moment of Truth, explicitly addresses transportation and recommends a 15-cent increase in the gas tax. But it goes further, calling for smarter spending.

Under current law, the Transportation Trust Fund has hybrid budget treatment in which contract authority is mandatory, while outlays are discretionary. This hybrid treatment results in less accountability and discipline for transportation spending and allows for budget gimmicks to circumvent budget limits to increase spending. The Commission plan reclassifies spending from the Transportation Trust Fund to make both contract authority and outlays mandatory, and then limits spending to actual revenues collected by the trust fund in the prior year once the gas tax is fully phased in. Shortfalls up until that point would be financed by the general fund.

... ... ...

Congress must limit spending from trust funds to the level of dedicated revenues from the previous year. Before asking taxpayers to pay more for roads, rail, bridges, and infrastructure, we must ensure existing funds are not wasted. The Commission recommends significant reforms to control federal highway spending. Congress should limit trust fund spending to the most pressing infrastructure needs rather than forcing states to fund low-priority projects. It should also end the practice of highway authorization earmarks such as the infamous Bridge to Nowhere.

Not discussed were strategies for making sure better transportation choices, who should make them, performance measurements and mode splits.

The Commission recommends a cap on discretionary outlays, but really seems to desire a different approach to spending. For example, in terms of emergency response, the report suggests a planned budgetary response, instead of ad hoc after-disaster-hits spending. I quote at length here.

Any given disaster may itself be unpredictable, but the need to pay for some level of disaster relief is not. Yet federal budgets rarely set aside adequate resources in anticipation of such disasters, and instead rely on emergency supplemental funding requests. The Commission plan explicitly sets aside funds for disaster relief and establishes stricter parameters for the use of these funds. The disaster fund budget authority (BA) will be limited to the rolling average of disaster spending in the most recent 10 years, excluding the highest and lowest year. Any unused budget authority will be rolled forward to increase the disaster fund BA available in the following year. Any spending above the disaster fund limit must be offset with reductions in spending or subject to a 60-vote point of order (and all other requirements established for regular emergency spending).

The Commission recommends codifying a strict definition of what qualifies as a disaster, and requiring Congress and the President to separately designate spending as an emergency and as necessary for the purposes of disaster response.

The National Response Framework Center at the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) has technical assistance resources for communities to learn about planning for disaster response and the role of different levels of government.

In terms of redundancy and questionable results of federal expenditures, the report, using the examples of multiple job training and math and science programs, calls for demonstration "to Congress or taxpayers [these programs] are actually accomplishing their intended purpose." Earmarks are expressly singled out as a practice that should be banned, but federal travel, printing, and hiring all receive attention.

Medical costs are discussed in detail, including a repeal or reform of the CLASS Act (Community Living Assistance Services and Supports). It is the Commission's opinion that the program as currently conceived is financially unsustainable. The Commission goes into detail about reforms of Medicare and Medicaid, including use of pilot programs and a long-term global budget for health care. Sections on Social Security, retirement and protecting those disadvantaged by disability and low income are well worth reading.

More Bang for the Buck

One method of addressing fiscal constraints, though certainly not a complete or a magic solution, is mobility management to achieve coordination. The premier digital issue of CT Magazine, Managing Mobility, a publication of the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA), provides a mobility management primer as well as examples of mobility managers producing results for riders across the country. These examples demonstrate that mobility management can be employed both for transportation-challenged populations and for the public at large for livability purposes.

Latest Resources and News

2010-12-13T06:44:00.000-08:00

The Administration on Aging has a new newsletter, the Affordable Care Act News, which debuted with the November issue.

A new pro-transit news feed has started up with headlines from different sources about funding, legislation, projects, and transit-oriented development. It definitely has political leanings, but it does supply a stream of snapshots for whatever is happening on a particular day. The feed, called The Other Side of the Tracks, is put together by Jeff Wood, Reconnecting America's New Media Director and Chief Cartographer.

Read about the new multi-modal transportation facility serving an airport with buses, rail and parking. The Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) own Peter Rogoff wrote a guest post on the Secretary's blog, the Fastlane, about completion of a critical passenger rail route that connects Warwick, Providence, and Boston.

Transporting health care to children is part of the mission of the Children’s Health Fund (CHF). Now CHF is adding another mobile medical clinic to its fleet, this time taking it to the streets of Detroit (okay, could not resist the Motown lyric reference), specifically schools and youth centers.

Dec. 15: Colloquium on Multi-Modal Livability

2010-11-30T07:21:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010
9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Location:
American Public Transportation Association
1666 K St NW, Suite 1100
Washington, D.C.

A gathering of members of the National Consortium on the Coordination of Human Services Transportation and technical assistance providers to discuss models of multi-modal partnerships that promote livability. Our speakers represent different modes, perspectives, and the partnerships made to create livable, multi-modal communities.

Please come prepared to share your organization's livability priorities and concerns. We will produce a top 5 list of the most important aspects of livability.
Please bring and share materials about what is going on at your organization.
We welcome your participation.

RSVP by Dec. 10. to Sheryl Gross-Glaser at grossglaser@ctaa.org or 202.386.1669.

New Resource

The Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT)has launched a newsletter, Caryn's Corner, named for Executive Director Caryn Souza. The current issue has news about federal transportation funding opportunities, the DC bikesharing program, and a Georgia vanpool incentive for commuters.

Ideas for a Sustainable, Multi Modal Transportation System

2010-11-30T06:43:00.000-08:00

The American Bus Association (ABA) posts a link to a report of the Mobility Choice Coalition, of which ABA is a member. Taking the Wheel: Achieving a Competitive Transportation Sector Through Mobility Choice discusses the history and biases of current transportation infrastructure and policy, with recommendations for a multi-modal future that incorporates the public and private sectors.

Recommendations include:
* Transparent pricing - paying for the road services one uses;
* Fair allocation of costs based on use, savings of oil and damage to roadways;
* Moving authority for decision making to metropolitan level with national performance standards - to encourage more competition among mode choices; and
* Technology upgrades for a more efficient system.

A Menu of Suggestions

Though the report calls for transparent pricing, it includes only transportation costs and not many of the external costs of a car-dependent lifestyle, such as public health consequences. It does call for mileage-based insurance premiums to account for the high rate of injury and death that automobile travel results in and the increasing odds of accidents that come along with increases in mileage. Among the strategies mentioned are congestion pricing, HOT lanes, truck-only lanes, fees to reflect oil's national security costs, telecommuting, high-speed and inter-city rail, transit vouchers for low-income riders, apportioning transit dollars for realizing fuel savings through high-load routes and modes, and changing land-use rules to satisfy demand for mixed-use walkable communities.

The coalition estimates that by 2030, the recommended strategies could save 779 million barrels, "or more than 10 percent of projected on-road oil consumption." The estimates are based on "the Department of Energy’s Annual Energy Outlook (AEO) 2010, and includes all of AEO’s assumptions regarding vehicle miles of travel (VMT) and vehicle fuel efficiency to 2030."

DC's Sustainability Plan

The Department of Transportation for Washington, D.C., the equivalent of a state department of transportation that also has jurisdiction over local roads, releases its Sustainability Plan 2010, which promotes transit, biking and walking and seeks to reduce energy consumption.

In the section about linking land use to transportation, the plan announces that "[t]he program revitalizes major urban corridors by improving transportation options, increasing streetscape attractiveness and attracting businesses and residents to the area. It also provides environmental benefits through smarter and more efficient use of land resources."

In terms of its strong endorsement of a multi-modal approach, the program is progressing with:

* Expanding and increasing transit services, such as designing and constructing a streetcar system and a water-taxi system.
* Developing multimodal transportation projects that consider roadway, pedestrians, bicyclists and transit improvements.
* Implementing TDM strategies, such as car sharing, carpool, vanpool, transit subsidies and parking management programs.

The plan also covers economic and social justice impacts. It envisions itself as a tool to spur economic activity and to save on infrastructure costs. It also seeks, without concrete details, to equitably serve low-income communities.

Buses: Cuts and Expansions

2010-11-29T07:31:00.000-08:00

The Amalgamated Transit Union has posted articles about proposals for transit service reductions across the country. The mayor of Jackson, Miss., is calling for ending Saturday service and laying off JATRANS employees. Disability advocates are opposing the cuts. A 35 percent cut in service, as well as fare increases, might be coming to Pittsburgh - eliminating service to 50 neighborhoods. And in Washington, D.C., proposed reductions threaten to affect 70 routes, impacting 400,000 riders.

Not Cutting Everywhere

The American Bus Association posts articles about the resurgence of the bus industry. Megabus, providing low-cost, high-quality service to major East Coast cities, is adding routes to Southeast destinations, such as Richmond, Va., Knoxville, Tenn. and Raleigh, N.C. It is also adding direct service between Washington, D.C., and Boston. The bus company, along with others like it, requires tickets purchased online and offers free Internet service. It does not have stations. Ridership has increased by 50 percent this year.

Responses to the Budget Cutting Proposal

2010-11-19T07:16:00.000-08:00

The co-chairs of the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, former Clinton White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles and retired Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.), recently issued detailed draft recommendations and a PowerPoint summary explaining their plan to significantly cut the federal budget and reduce the national debt.

Presumably, every national organization is considering the election's results and many have internally reviewed last week's budget proposal, which appears to be a first offer. This is a summary of explanations of the proposal and responses by national organizations involved with transportation and human services:

National Association of Regional Councils (NARC):
NARC offers a synopsis with an explanation of the Commission's genesis and work, a very brief run-down of the recommendations and a list of specifics about transportation and economic development funding and revenues. The synopsis links to the PowerPoint and list of recommendations.

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO): AASHTO covered the recommendations in a Nov. 12 newsletter article. Discussed was the proposed 15-cent increase in the gas tax. The article also covers another proposal for raising the tax by 25 cents. AASHTO's plan for modernizing transportation is available at http://expandingcapacity.transportation.org/.

American Public Transportation Association (APTA): APTA reviewed the proposal in its Nov. 12 newsletter. The article pointed out the recommended 15-cent increase in the gas tax. APTA is supporting the increase.

After the Election - Organizations Explain Changes

2010-11-19T07:01:00.000-08:00

The National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD): Summary of the election's results for Congress, statehouses and state legislatures. The summary goes into detail about implications for health care, supports for older Americans, and state government personnel.

National Association of Regional Councils (NARC):
NARC prepared a summary of the election and changes in Congressional leadership significant to regional planning organizations.

The National Disability Institute offered its opinion on what the election will mean.

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL): NCSL provides NCSL Fiscal Brief: State Balanced Budget Provisions, which explains what is meant by a balanced budget, to which funds state constitutional and statutory provisions apply and what enforcement mechanisms exist. Interesting is how varied balanced budget requirements are. This not a one-size-fits-all term.

Resources: Accessibility and Health Reform

2010-11-18T07:27:00.000-08:00

The Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL) has posted an outpatient accessibility form and guidebook, the Outpatient Health Care Usability Profile V4, for health care facilities. The form is a self-assessment that quickly generates a picture of accessibility for any type of building and could be used beyond the health care field. It covers accessibility to bathrooms, elevators, hallways, ramps to the building entrance, among others. However, the guidebook only discusses federal requirements; state and local regulations may be more stringent. Transportation to the facility - an assessment of whether transit, taxi service or other services are available - is not mentioned, but could be added.

For information about ADA paratransit eligibility, the National Transit Institute has a course on this topic and Easter Seals Project ACTION has an upcoming series of distance learning classes about ADA paratransit.

Health Care Reform

The Children’s Health Fund has posted a link to the video of the Kaiser Family Foundation's event last week, What Does the Election Mean for Health Reform and Other Health Issues?

For information on what states must accomplish and are doing to fulfill the mandates of the new health care law, the National Governors' Association (NGA) has created a website, the Health Reform Implementation Resource Center, a product of the State Consortium on Health Care Reform Implementation (State Consortium), which provides information and technical assistance to states about requirements, offers options and best practices and synthesizes feedback to federal agencies on issues that affect state implementation. The website has resources on aspects of the health reform law that are likely to have the biggest effect on states – the Medicaid expansion, the establishment of health insurance exchanges, insurance regulations, and delivery system initiatives, along with important governance, coordination and timing issues for states are available from NGA and on each of the Consortium members' websites.

The four consortium organizations are: National Governors Association (NGA), including the NGA Center for Best Practices, National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), National Association of State Medicaid Directors (NASMD), and National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP).

Health care guidance for individuals is available from AARP. It's health reform fact sheets offer information about a wide range of changes and implications for consumers, particularly older adults.

Resource Update: Planning, Livability, Economic Downturn

2010-11-10T12:44:00.000-08:00

The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A) are hosting a webinar, Aging & Livable Communities, on November 15. The webinar will explore how the aging population is incorporated into comprehensive regional planning and implementation. This discussion will highlight lessons learned and offer recommendations for how regional planning organizations and Area Agencies on Aging can work together to achieve tangible results. For information, visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/434008555.

Easter Seals Project ACTION offers the 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), 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 and impose standards. It also provides information about federal transportation initiatives related to the ADA, such as United We Ride.

NARC has also posted a presentation about significant changes in Congress, specifically shifts in leadership and priorities in both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives.

What Is an MPO?

The Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) has posted a report from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The report was produced with assistance from staff at AMPO, NARC, the National Association of Development Organizations and other national planning associations. It is a terrific nuts and bolts detailed description of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), their staffs, projects, funding, partnerships and formal arrangements with state and local governments.

Demographics and Population Needs

Though we hear news that the recession is over, it takes a long while sometimes after a downturn before people's financial circumstances bounce back. The following two reports discuss how people at both ends of the age spectrum are still suffering. The third examines demographic data about other indicators.

Young Child Poverty in 2009: Rural Poverty Rate Jumps to Nearly 29 Percent in Second Year of Recession goes region by region and then state by state to give the numbers on child poverty. The publication also separates out the differences in each state for urban, rural and suburban areas. The numbers for child poverty provide a snapshot of where family poverty is concentrated and where poverty is increasing.

Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of Well-Being offers data about income, physical and cognitive abilities, medical care, housing and more among the 45+ population. This is broken down so that information is easily available about those over 65, 75 and 85. The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A) produced the report.

American Community Survey briefs, products of the Census Bureau, report on public transportation usage, education, income and public assistance. This is valuable data in an easy format to keep track of demographic trends.

Accomplishments of the Sustainability Partnership

A Year of Progress for American Communities summarizes the achievements and philosophy of the Administration's Partnership for Sustainable Communities. The report briefly explains the links among housing, the environment, economic development and transit-oriented communities for people of all ages and income levels. Concise case studies are included.

Livability in Transportation Guidebook: Planning Approaches that Promote Livability is a good companion to the previously mentioned partnership publication. This report offers in-depth case studies that highlight policy and programmatic shifts to promote and design livable communities.

Rebuilding America: APA National Infrastructure Investment Task Force Report presents the environmental and economic cases for the livability agenda of transit-oriented communities with bike and pedestrian-friendly streets as well as mobility choices. The report also examines the role of regional planning entities.

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.

Emergency Evacuations

2010-11-08T10:49:00.000-08:00

The newsletter of the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) , Rural Transportation News, announces two reports relevant to emergency evacuations in rural areas. Both are available at www.evacuationandtransportation.org. The newsletter gives an in-depth summary of the reports. One examines the capacity of transit and school buses to provide transportation during emergency evacuations in places like the Gulf Coast, where many rural residents do not have cars and hurricanes are a fact of life, making evacuations a seasonal routine. The report also covers coordination and communications.

The other report looks into workforce, operating budget, and communication in rural evacuations. The evacuations discussed n this publication involve moving people from urban areas into rural ones.

From the Archives

Here are some emergency management resources from my old newsletter, with valuable input from Kelly Shawn of the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA).

National Resource Center for Human Service Transportation Coordination (NRC), housed at CTAA:
The NRC website has a page, Emergency Preparedness and Response, with many resources listed. These include materials about emergency evacuation, planning and reentry. Especially noteworthy is Evacuating Populations With Special Needs - Routes to Effective Evacuation Planning Primer Series and Transportation's Role in Emergency Evacuation and Reentry.

CTAA’s Emergency Management Resource Alert page has a wealth of resources listed that address specific vulnerable populations, coordination, rural areas, planning organizations, case studies and more. Also available from CTAA are the presentations from the 2008 Emergency Evacuation Conference.

Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities:
This council has a host of materials, including a couple of items we developed at the NRC, on its web site at http://www.dotcr.ost.dot.gov/asp/emergencyprep.asp.

House Infrastructure and Transportation Committee summary of a hearing, U.S. Mayors Speak Out: Addressing Disasters in Cities about H.R. 3377, the Disaster Response, Recovery, And Mitigation Enhancement Act of 2009. (This legislation has not yet moved forward in either the House or the Senate.)

Future resources

Due out next year is TRB’s A-33 – Communication with Vulnerable Populations: A Transportation and Emergency Management Toolkit.
September 2011 – TCRP A-33: Communication with Vulnerable Populations: A Transportation and Emergency Management Toolkit. Interim report due out in September 2010.
October 2011 - TCRP A-37 [RFP]: Paratransit Emergency Preparedness and Operations Handbook
September 2012 (approximately) – TCRP A-36 [RFP]: Command-Level Decision Making for Transit Emergency Managers

Mobility Management: Thinking Mulberry Street (NYC)

2010-11-04T11:09:00.000-07:00

Last week I read a terrific synopsis of what mobility management aims for. Rich Weaver of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) was interviewed in the September issue of the National Center on Senior Transportation (NCST) newsletter and he gave concise summaries of the goals for mobility management and livability. (NCST is a technical assistance center administered by Easter Seals Inc., in partnership with the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging.) He described mobility management as promoting the partnership among "mobility providers," such as transit, vanpools, and other shared-ride services.

Mobility management is a concept that cuts across large and small communities. It looks beyond traditional fixed-route service and works to improve the operation of other transportation resources. Mobility management involves creating partnerships with transportation providers in a community or region to enhance travel options and then developing the means to effectively communicate those options to the public, including seniors.

Think Little Italy

To me, at least today, I am thinking of mobility management as akin to an association for a business district. The two restaurants on the street may be competitors in some sense, but if people don't know where they are, that the disctrict is a destination, or the special atmosphere and activities of the business district, then all the businesses suffer. So, too vanpools might be considered competition for fixed-route service, but not if each has its role in a family of transportation choices. (Or, as my niece was doing recently, taking the Metro someplace in the evening and then, on the way home, getting off at a station with taxis for the last mile.) As an example, if the streets are not pedestrian friendly, then no matter how much transit or other shared modes are environmentally friendly or economically enhancing, then people will not use them.

Mobility Management as a Connecting Concept

What does this have to do with the title of this post? How does mobility management connect to poverty, the environment and their ties to connectivity?

I am seeing reports right and left about changes needed to improve the environment and changes needed to address poverty. Authors of both types of publications are seeing the connection between transit and zero-emission modes (walking and biking) and the environment and equitable economic development. Also starting to happen and I would also like to see more is a more multi-modal approach that incorporates shared private transportation, such as vanpools, carpools and slugging, as well as taxis and flex car services. A few publications are even addressing how parking policies affect transportation choices.

Mobility management means partnering across modes and types of public interests. Just like the different types of businesses I am picturing from Little Italy, which banded together to create a brand that now attracts busloads of tourists and a few locals (okay once the tourists come, it's not cool anymore and New Yorkers, like high school kids, have moved on), fans of transit and alternative modes must band together to promote themselves as a family of services that provide environmentally friendly and economically-enhancing transportation options.

With all the Little Italy talk I am not nostalgic for Luna's, the old whole-in-the-wall restaurant that had zero atmosphere and amazing food. Plus, I feel proud to have successfully inserted a photo.

Transit Funding Problems Prompt National Meeting

2010-10-26T07:09:00.000-07:00

Decreased transit funding and declining revenue due to the recession are causing service cutbacks and layoffs in the transit industry, now at more than 3000. The Amalgamated Transit Union convened a meeting of national organizations and union locals, to work together bring to the public's attention the need for transit service. The meeting focused on jobs, community organizing, and forming a message for a national campaign.

Among the participants were the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA), Transportation for America, and Reconnecting America.

Ridership Increases

Despite the recession, or maybe somewhat because of it, transit ridership is again on the rise, according to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), showing a .1 percent increase in the second quarter of 2010.

Comprehensive Thoughts on Reauthorization

2010-10-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

Two recent reports offer food for thought about reauthorization. One examines the macroeconomic issues at play and the other looks at the daily living needs of the population of those aging with disabilities.

Two Former Secretaries of Transportation

If we did not already know that reauthorization is overdue, the 92-page report, Well Within Reach America’s New Transportation Agenda, from the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, offers 10 reasons, with plenty of analysis to support its arguments, to invest now in transportation. Yes, two former Secretaries of Transportation participated in the conference leading to the report. Specifically, it calls for:
1. Investment to ensure the global competitiveness of the United States;
2. Investment in mobility options that reduce congestion at airports and on roads, especially high speed rail;
3. Returning to a pay-as-you-go funding mechanism for the nation’s highways, such as a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) system;
4. Investment in hi-tech air travel safety systems;
5. Investment and policy reforms that reduce traffic congestion; and
6. Investment in infrastructure to prevent an erosion of the “social and economic foundations for American prosperity in the long run.”

Looking for Long-Term Solutions

The report has a long term economic perspective. Without explicit names or programs, it criticizes “short-term fixes for unemployment or other problems.” It also calls for setting of a few priorities, adequately funding them, and accounting for them as long-term investments.

The report examines the Oberstar reauthorization bill and its recommendations are consistent with the bill, particularly in the area of livability and reduction of single-occupancy-vehicle (SOV) trips. It also addresses other topics, getting into the weeds on zoning, technology, performance measures, public/private partnerships and other issues.

Transportation-Challenged Populations Left Unmentioned

Even though the report concentrates on megatrends and large problems, it leaves unmentioned the large and growing population of older adults and people with disabilities. It does not discuss those who are unable to drive, those who cannot afford a privately-owned vehicle, or those who live in rural areas. Nor does it address transportation equity.

AARP's Look at Caregiving

In Trends in Family Caregiving and Paid Home Care for Older People with Disabilities in the Community: Data from the National Long-Term Care Survey, AARP examines the levels of disability older people are living with and how they are being taken care of - whether with assistive devices, family care, and/or formal and paid care. Though the report does not discuss transportation, it does analyze the needs of a many people who do not drive. This population has increased substantially in the last 15 years.

The report offers both a sober message and recommendations.

Clearly, most older people want to stay in their homes and communities when disability strikes, and the data presented in this report and its companion (Redfoot and Houser 2010) document the strong trend toward greater independence among older people with disabilities. But policy discussions have been too focused on saving money and too little focused on providing the supports needed to enable older people to retain their independence. And far too little attention is paid to providing the financial, technical, and respite support needed by family caregivers who are increasingly bearing the burdens of care. Building the network of services and supports for people with disabilities and their family caregivers should be a national priority today so that tomorrow’s much larger cohorts of older people can look forward to aging with dignity and independence.

Aging in Place News

2010-10-07T07:48:00.000-07:00

The National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD), formerly the National Association of State Units on Aging, has links to articles about the demographics of the older adult population and about how to age well in place.

One article discusses the village model, originated in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston, but which has sprouted many different variations across the country. The article also touches upon the toll that end-of-life care imposes on workplaces and employees.

Community and Home Care

Unfortunately for those who wish to age in place on limited incomes, the financial condition of state and local government coffers are not in good shape. State and local services include transportation and meal deliveries, among others. According to NASUAD, "States can’t stop enrollments because these are entitlement programs. But they can cut the number of hours or visits and individual receives, and they can cut reimbursement to the providers, who already complain that their payments are too low."

Martha A. Roherty, executive director of NASUAD, adds that the shrunken government workforces will also have to meet the challenge of enrolling 16 million more people in Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

Who Is Living in the Community?

AARP has a brief that specifically discusses who is aging in place and at what level of independence and disability. Trends in who is caring for those who are unable to fully take care of themselves is also covered, along with who is paying for that care.

Health Care Reform - Integrating Transportation

2010-10-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

The Administration on Aging released the Affordable Care Act - Opportunities for the Aging Network, which is a quick summary of health care reform's changes for the public health system and communities.

There are opportunities for transportation providers because successful aging in place, getting people healthy after a hospital stay and providing a modern medical workforce will all require moving people from home to a medical facility.

Medicaid expansion is addressed in Covering Low-Income Childless Adults in Medicaid:
Experiences from Selected States. "The paper attempts to summarize: (a) what is known about the incoming population, including their health care needs and costs; (b) the outreach and enrollment challenges presented by the expansion population; and (c) the delivery system design questions that need to be answered to adequately address their needs."

Medical Transportation

Non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) will be play a big part in getting people to appointments. With greater numbers of people to be covered by Medicaid and preventive and maintenance medicine to be practiced, there may well be many more people traveling to regular doctor appointments. The Community Transportation Association of America is assisting providers with current issues and helping them to be more efficient for when the new law takes effect.

CTAA has a new training to address these needs.

Limited funding combined with growing patient loads has states seeking intermediaries that can control costs through competition. Community and public transportation providers must become efficient, safe, cost-effective and accountable to maintain these important medical transportation services. CTAA, in response to requests from its members, is introducing a new initiative this fall -- the Competitive Edge -- which will give community and public transit providers the tools, resources and benefits they need to make them central players in this new medical transportation environment. For more information, contact Charles Dickson at 202.247.8356 or email dickson@ctaa.org.

Secretary LaHood's Blog in My Neighborhood

On a personal note, I read the Secretary's blog a moment ago and noticed he has been in my neighborhood for Walk to School Day. The Secretary is photographed at a nearby school surrounded by children. A video posted on the blog shows children walking to their local elementary school (yes, my daughters' old school) and discusses safety. I will brag a little to say that Takoma Park Elementary School boasts a 30 percent walker rate, thanks to pedestrian-friendly streets and child-friendly crossing guards on the corners.

Big Plans

2010-10-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

From small to large public transportation systems, recent announcements are reminiscent of the Daniel Burnham quote, “Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood.... Make big plans... aim high in hope and work.”

Last night, the PBS NewsHour profiled rural transit in Natchez, Miss., and the plans to build a better system that will attract many more riders. Charles Carr, director of transit services, Mississippi Department of Transportation and President of the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) was asked to respond to arguments that subsidies are required to fund public transit. Carr replied that subsidies are used for rail and air travel as well as roads.

Natchez Transit's director, Sabrina Bartley, plans to expand service to underserved areas, start fixed-route service, and coordinate service in 13 counties.

A Bos-Wash Dream

On the other side of the spectrum, a large sytem, Amtrak, declares its plans for high-speed service along the Northeast Corridor (NEC). None other than the Secretary of Transportation praised the unprecedented regional partnership in his blog post this morning. The NEC plan envisions trips from Washington to Boston in 3 hours and 23 minutes (compared to the current 8 hours on Amtrak's Northeast Regional trains or 6 hours and 37 minutes on Acela Express), with 220 mile-per-hour service between the major cities along the corridor. More information is available from the Potomac Express and from the Philadelphia Enquirer at http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_top_stories/20100929_Amtrak_rolls_out_ambitious__high-speed_service_plan.html.

What's the common denominators for implementation of ambitious plans in the rural Natchez area and the states and cities along the NEC? Champions will be needed to persist in seeing the plans through and coordination at the county, state and regional levels.

Economic Message

The message that many see in ambitious public transportation plans is the creation of jobs, increasing employment within transit systems and in the communities that it serves.

The Natchez Transit director speaks of attracting business. Employers, she says, are always interested in whether their employees can get to work. For Amtrak and those supporting the NEC plan, there are estimates that thousands of jobs could be created. Amtrak's president, Joseph Boardman, says that the new high-speed rail corridor's bridges, tunnels, and stations "would create 40,000 full-time jobs per year over 25 years" and planners estimate 120,000 new permanent jobs would result from improved economic productivity along the corridor.

Green Jobs

Ambitious plans are not limited to local and intercity transportation. According to the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC), a green economy incorporates transit and coordination among regional sectors. In its discussion of green jobs in a letter to the Department of Labor, NARC points out the Kansas City regional plan. (The Department of Labor definition of
green jobs contemplates public transit.)

Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) is the multi-faceted regional planning organization representing the Kansas City bi-state region (Missouri and Kansas). MARC is a leader in developing Kansas City’s Green Impact Zone, an effort to concentrate resources — with funding, coordination, and public and private partnerships — in one specific area to demonstrate that a targeted effort can literally transform a community. This national model for place-based investment is now underway in the heart of Kansas City's urban core and has received significant federal recognition and funding. At the heart of the Green Impact Zone initiative is a project that would put area residents to work weatherizing the 2,500 homes in the zone’s neighborhoods. Another piece calls for development of a green bus rapid-transit system that would include bio-diesel buses and green bus shelters. A third piece would provide job training and employment programs for ex-parolees in green building, park restoration and transit work. The Green Impact Zone project will include an employment and training program coordinated both with zone activities and business interests outside of the zone.

Legislation

To encourage the use of commuter transit and keep it on par with driving, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is urging its members to contact Congress to extend the commuter tax benefit for transit riders. APTA writes in its legislative update,

Under ARRA, the transit/vanpool portion of the benefit was increased to $230 per month, treating each mode of transportation as equal. This provision is set to expire on December 31, 2010, and without an extension, the transit tax benefit would be reduced by more than half to the previous $120 per month amount.

APTA is asking Congress to either extend ARRA's higher commuter tax benefit or to "permanently equalize the transit benefit and parking benefit."

Consortium Members Join Transportation Equity Group

2010-09-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

Transportation for America has convened an Equity Caucus that includes members of the National Consortium on the Coordination of Human Services Transportation. Those Consortium members are the Amalgamated Transit Union, the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living, the Center for Community Change, and the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials.

The caucus has declared its goals for transportation reauthorization. Among its goals are increased spending on public transit, "bicycle facilities, and sidewalks— particularly in disadvantaged communities," flexibility for transit systems to use funds for operating expenses, and increases in funding streams to serve "people who depend on public transportation—older adults, individuals with disabilities, people in rural areas, and the poor." The caucus also calls on Congress to invest in car sharing, bike sharing and auto loan programs in rural areas and under served city neighborhoods.

The priorities of the group go beyond a call to fund public transit and human services transportation. There is a jobs component as well as a public health component.

Other organizations that have joined the caucus are unions, walking and cycling associations, smart growth groups, and public health organizations.

Distinct Transportation-Challenged Populations and their Particular Needs

2010-09-29T06:35:00.000-07:00

These reports discussed below are listed in Tappy Grams, a monthly roundup of research papers about transportation and human services. Subscribe at the Tappy page.

A new report on senior services discusses cutbacks and increased requests for assistance, with older adults in great need of transportation. Older Americans Act: Preliminary Observations on Services Requested by Seniors and Challenges in Providing Assistance also identified home-delivered meals and information and referral as very much in demand.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) report also examines cutbacks in service due to the economic downturn and lack of funding. "Some state and local officials said they provided less service to individuals so that more could get some amount of assistance."

The need for transportation services was found all along the urban to rural spectrum, with urban older adults preferring specialized service to public transit. Though the report does not examine why this is the case, perhaps for frail individuals the issue might or might not involve the ride on public transit, but rather the daunting task of quickly crossing streets and navigating crowded stations and locations along the way to a bus or rail stop. GAO's "past work has found that mass transit options may pose scheduling and accessibility challenges for seniors" the report notes.

GAO states that the increase in demand for services is due to higher numbers of eligible older adults and people aging in place. According to the report, anecdotal information suggests that the needs are greater than the demand for services.

Travel Assistance Technology for People with Cognitive Disabilities

For those who are interested in user-friendly and individualized technology to support the use of transit by people with cognitive disabilities, the Travel Assistance Device (TAD) Deployment to Transit Agencies, a report of the National Center for Transit Research offers a detailed examination of TAD for individual users who ride transit in different places. Technological potential and glitches were discussed.

The study assessed three individuals with moderate mental retardation and whether TAD supported those individuals sufficiently to allow them to travel independently. The answer is yes, given the parameters of the study. The report is frank in its analysis of the limitations of the study's conclusions, among other issues the problem of extrapolating the applicability of a study done with people with a specific disability who had previously received travel training to people with other types of cognitive disabilities who had not received similar training.

AASHTO and APTA Publicize Individual and Societal Transit Needs

2010-09-27T13:39:00.000-07:00

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) recommends a large increase in rural public transit funding due to the increase in demand and the aging population that wishes to remain in their communities. Transportation Reboot: Restarting America’s Most Essential Operating System - The Case for Capacity: To Unlock Gridlock, Generate Jobs, Deliver Freight, and Connect Communities discusses the numbers involved and stories of communities and individuals.

Collective and Individual Needs for Transit

And communities are wanting transit. AASHTO is reporting that the Department of Transportation (DOT) received applications from every state for its TIGER grants, worth 32 times the amount of funds available. These funds will be awarded on a competitive basis.

In case anyone doubts the personal stories that go along with the need for transit, visit the new page of the website of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). APTA has a video wall of individuals who use transit. The people videotaped describe their needs, their transit experiences and their gratitude for quality service. The video wall is part of APTA's reauthorization public relations effort to emphasize the importance of transit in people's lives.

Livable Communities : Legislative Information

2010-09-16T13:07:00.000-07:00

The Livable Communities Act (S. 1619, H.R.4690) is proceeding in the Senate, having been approved by the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. The Act is receiving broad support in the transit and planning communities. If passed, the bill would provide more than $2 billion in investment for planning and challenge grant programs for public and community transportation infrastructure, services, transit-oriented development and other vital efforts, all under the auspices of the innovative working partnership among the U.S. Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The text of the Act and actions in Congress are available at Thomas.

Analysis of the Act

Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) - CTAA has prepared an explanation of the Act's importance and an analysis and summary of the Act.

American Public Transportation Association (APTA) continues to have legislative updates on its homepage and in its weekly newsletters.

National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) has its Association's testimony about the Livable Communities Act posted and linked from its home page at Latest News & Press.

National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) has a livability page devoted to resources and congressional information.

AARP has also posted a letter to Congress in support of the Act. AARP's Public Policy Institute also has released reports about livability and seniors.

The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A) http://n4a.org/files/advocacy/campaigns/policy-priority-10.pdf

By the way, the American Public Works Association
will be participating in NARC's Regional Metropolitan and Urban Policy Forum in Austin, TX on Sept. 27-28. APWA staff will discuss sustainability, livability and infrastructure planning. APEA has more information at its Center for Sustainability

President Obama Wants to Talk to Communities about Healthcare Law

2010-09-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

This just in from the Administration on Aging newsletter:

Health Care Conference Call with President Obama

Faith and Community Leaders are invited to join President Obama for a conference call to discuss key new benefits under the Affordable Care Act. We want to ensure that community leaders like you have the most up-to-date information and resources about these new benefits to share with your communities and congregations.

The conference call will begin at 4:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, September 21, 2010. You do not need to RSVP for this call. For those with internet access, please join the call online at: http://hhs.granicus.com/live. For those without internet access, please dial: 1-888-455-6860 or 1-866-844-9416.

On September 23rd, the six month anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, several new health care benefits begin to apply: eligible young people up to age 26 can stay on their parents’ health plan, key prevention benefits are covered without co-pays or deductibles in new plans, and insurance companies may no longer deny coverage to kids because of pre-existing conditions or drop someone from coverage because of a paperwork mistake.

President Obama will speak about how consumers and communities are already benefiting from the new law. HHS officials will provide an update on how the Affordable Care Act is being implemented, highlight new outreach resources, and answer questions from community and faith leaders. Community and faith leaders will also share their efforts to bring the benefits of health care reform home to communities.

If you have questions, email partnerships@hhs.gov.

Rural Transit Gets Attention

2010-09-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

The Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL), along with YouthBuild USA, Good News Mountaineer Garage (a car ownership program for low-income residents of West Virginia), Redwood Coast Rural Action (a regional network of rural leaders based in northern California), and Sustainable Northwest (a Western U.S. community-oriented, conservation-based non-profit group), is a member of the National Rural Assembly Rural Transportation Policy Group. The group released a statement declaring, "Highway-building alone is not enough to address the economic and mobility needs of small-town and rural America."

The group's position on transportation reauthorization legislation calls for the federal government to be a catalyst to "modernize, strengthen and integrate the transportation systems that connect rural people and places to each other and urban commercial centers, while protecting the landscapes, habitat and livelihoods of rural communities." The National Rural Assembly is also asking for investments in broadband technology.

Billy Altom, executive director of APRIL, stated that "rural residents, especially those with disabilities, need and deserve affordable and accessible transportation. This includes public transit, regional, and inter-modal systems that are in compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act."

Stories of Rural Livability

The Transportation for America blog series on rural livability is now complete, with 12 examples of livability initiatives across the spectrum of small towns, reservations and small cities. A few of the examples are from the archives of technical assistance projects of the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA). Some are examples of EPA smart growth projects.

The series shows some examples of transit's role in creating livable communities. Others showcase places that have embarked on downtown and pedestrian-friendly projects. The full series is available at http://t4america.org/tag/livability-case-studies/.

One State Goes Totally Smart Growth

The newsletter of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), announced that New York State recently passed a smart growth bill that is intended to do away with unnecessary sprawl. Enacted as an environmental conservation measure, the law sets forth nine smart growth criteria, including protection of rural agricultural land and improvement of public transportation choices to move beyond automobile dependency.

Though there are no exceptions to the law listed, it only applies to state agencies. It requires state infrastructure agencies to create smart growth advisory committees and mandates state committees to "solicit input from and consult with various representatives of affected communities and organizations within those communities, and shall give consideration to the local and environmental interests affected by the activities of the agency or projects planned, approved or financed through such agency."

I'm a New Yorker; I'm skeptical, watching and waiting to see how this broad legislative action plays out in the real world. There are no enforcement teeth or specific mandates.

Facts & Assistance for Helping People with Disabilities

2010-09-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

Today's American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) newsletter, Working for Tomorrow, reports "[p]eople with disabilities are much more likely than people without disabilities to consider inadequate transportation to be a problem (34 percent vs. 16 percent, respectively)— a gap of 18 percentage points." The newsletter also gives details of upcoming changes to Medicaid.

Contact Nanette Relave (202-682-0100 x241; nrelave@aphsa.org) for subscription information.

Making Service Truly Accessible

The American Bus Association and Easter Seals Project ACTION are jointly featuring the Motorcoach Operator’s ADA Pocket Guide in a two-part webinar, Using the Motorcoach Operator’s ADA Pocket Guide, starting Sept. 22. Staff from Jefferson Bus Lines will explain how their company has made its service accessible for people with disabilities.

Upcoming Events

2010-08-31T09:36:00.000-07:00

National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD), formerly the National Association of State Units on Aging - Home and Community Based Services Conference in Atlanta, Ga. on Sept. 26-29. Transportation will be addressed in a session on whole health, recovery and transportation as well as a session about the vital link to services that transportation provides.

Easter Seals Project ACTION - Mobility Management: The Paducah Approach, an audio conference, on Sept. 21. Part of Project ACTION’s Promising Practices and Solutions in Accessible Transportation series, this conference will discuss this mobility management model and the provision of coordinated mobility solutions in the Paducah area.

Zero and Low Emission Modes Get AASHTO's Attention

2010-08-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) had two interesting articles in its weekly newsletter, both involving transit.

First is Boulder's new initiative: www.driventodriveless.com, which promotes commuting to work less, even just one day a week less, and instead biking, walking, using transit, carpooling or telecommuting. Similar to Idaho's I-Way program, the site encourages use of alternatives to the single occupancy vehicle and producing less pollution. There is also a link there that connects to a national trail site with walking routes in every state.

30/10 Plan Reaches Across Party Lines

Second is Los Angeles' 30/10 plan, which seeks to implement a 30-year transit plan within 10 years by using the long-term revenue from a half-cent sales tax, estimated to produce $13 billion for transit, as collateral for long-term bonds and a federal loan. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D. Calif.) was promoting the mayor's idea at LA's city hall. The LA Times reports:

"We are going to get it done and it's going to be a template for the nation," Boxer said during the hourlong forum. "Everything we do is job-focused, but everything we do has to be deficit-neutral, except emergencies …. We have to leverage every single penny that we can."

The newspaper story also stated that Boxer's Republican rival in the upcoming election also backs the ambitious transit plan.