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| Volume 18, Issue 4 | Fall 2006 |
Minnesota/Wisconsin Transit ConferenceI attended the Minnesota/Wisconsin Transit Conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin October 2nd through the 4th. Minnesota and Wisconsin combine their fall transit conferences every other year. This conference brought transit advocates and operators together to focus on the latest developments and transit activities in the upper Midwest. I am the new director of South Central Adult Services in Valley City ND. I attended my first transit conference in Spearfish, SD the last week of September and then went to LaCrosse the first week in October. I received a lot of information in an attempt to absorb and process in the briefest period of time.
I attended three sessions in LaCrosse. The first entitled, "Security Response in Community Transportation" was a National Transit Institute sponsored training session presented by Ream Lazaro. Mr. Lazaro provided information on new training that is being made available through NTI that will cover the development of skills in transit employees for observing and determining responses to safety threats in public transportation. While our small communities are not generally threatened by terrorist activities, we may be subject to criminal threats. It will encourage employees to use common sense when faced with various circumstances, so operations can run safely, smoothly, and efficiently. Mr. Larzaro is an animated and interesting presenter. The second session I attended was the "Arrive Minnesota Project" presented by Aaron Gaul. He is a marketing and outreach specialist from Urban Trans Consultants. His presentation focused on describing your organization's "brand" and its "value." It was interesting to fast-forward through the process they used to research and market their program. The third session was "ADA: Impact on Rural Systems" presented by Peter Berg. Mr. Berg is the ADA Technical Assistance Coordinator for the Great Lakes ADA and Accessible IT Center. His session was designed to provide rural transit providers with information regarding the application of the Americans with Disabilities Act to transportation services. Reasonable modifications, vehicle accessibility, changes in ADA and equivalent service requirements were reviewed. Other sessions available at the conference were FTA updates for grantees; transportation investment and economic/demographic change in Minnesota; European public transportation; labor and management relations (union-oriented); Minnesota legislative issues; SAFETEA-LU coordination planning; customer service; GIS interactive mapping in transit planning; drug and alcohol audits; maximizing advertising revenue; an ITS panel discussion on CAD-AVL systems; specifications for small buses; and a program in Minnesota which solicits pledges from the community to replace at least one car trip each week with biking, walking or using public transit. As you can see from the variety of topics, there was something for everyone. The most beneficial aspect of the conference for me was the huge vendor show. I spent several hours visiting with the vendors and viewing demonstrations of software, restraint systems, lifts, and vehicles. I also made some valuable contacts for future bids and equipment purchases. I am pleased that I had the opportunity to attend the conference, and I look forward to using the knowledge I gained to benefit our transit project. ADA InformationThe Americans with Disabilities Act gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities by guaranteeing equal opportunity in public accommodations, employment, transportation, State and local government services and telecommunications. For more information or to get answers to specific ADA questions check out these resources:
Connecting with National RTAPDave Barr, Director of the National Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP), provided an overview of the program at the Fall DTA Conference in Spearfish. RTAP delivers coordinated training, technical assistance, research, and support services to improve rural transit delivery across the country. They develop video training modules on national topics; draft information and technical assistance briefs on current issues; maintain an online, searchable Training Resource Catalog; and oversee a National Transit Resource Center providing information and assistance to local providers on transit topics. The National Public Works Association (APWA) administers the National RTAP program in a consortium arrangement with the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA). RTAP has an 11-member National Review Board composed of six rural transit operators and five state RTAP program managers, who guide the development of National RTAP products and services. They meet twice per year in April and October. Eight ex-officio members representing rural transit and human service transportation also provide information and guidance to assist the National RTAP. There are 50 State RTAP Managers as well as designated managers in American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Each manager oversees distribution of the state's allotment of RTAP funds as well as a state RTAP lending library of training materials and information. North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana have pooled their resources for a joint Regional RTAP Library located at the Small Urban & Rural Transit Center at North Dakota State University. You can go to the DTA website and link to the Regional RTAP Library. States develop individual products and trainings targeted specifically to local operators, and they use RTAP funds for scholarships to state and national training. If you need any information on training issues or you need help with challenges you face in getting training that you need, check the National RTAP website at www.nationalrtap.org or call Dave Barr at (202)218-6722. He can be reached by e-mail at dbarr@apwa.net. Another valuable source of information is the National Resource Center at www.ctaa.org/ntrc/.
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In this issue...
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The keynote address was given by Robert Healy, Jr., Director of Government Relations for the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). Marisol Simon, Region VI Administrator for FTA also spoke. Their presentations were followed by a panel of speakers who addressed the new SAFETEA-LU authorization. While SAFETEA-LU provides a 46% increase in transit funding, not all systems are benefiting equally.