• LaHood: "More Optimistic Than Ever" for Reauthorization
  Source: Building America's Future
  In a keynote address at the Building America's Future Infrastructure Forum, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood (speaking via satellite) and a panel of the best minds on the topic from government, technology and the financial sector, examined the urgent needs facing the nation's infrastructure and focused on solutions to increase America's safety and quality of life, create jobs, stimulate economic growth and improve transparency and accountability. Saying he was "more optimistic than ever" about the timing of major transportation policy legislation in Washington, Secretary Ray LaHood announced that he would be meeting with the President to discuss the Administration's "transformational vision" to move our country's infrastructure forward.

• $13.8 Million Investment Awarded to University Transportation Centers
  Source: Research and Innovative Technology Administration
  U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently announced more than $13.8 million in grants to eight University Transportation Centers (UTC) located throughout the United States to advance research and education programs that address critical transportation challenges facing the nation. The awards were made by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA). UTCs conduct research that directly support the U.S. Department of Transportation's priorities and are a critical part of our national transportation strategy.

• TCRP Report 140: A Guide for Planning and Operating Flexible Public Transportation Services(PDF)
  Source: Transit Cooperative Research Program
  TCRP Report 140: A Guide for Planning and Operating Flexible Public Transportation Services describes the types of flexible transportation service strategies appropriate for small, medium, and large urban and rural transit agencies. This guide includes discussions on financial and political realities, operational issues, and institutional mechanisms appropriate for implementing and sustaining flexible transportation services. This guide will be helpful to public transportation providers, decision-makers, policymakers, planners, and others interested in considering flexible services.

• A Vision for the Next 20 Years of the Americans with Disabilities Act
  Source: Disability.Gov Blog
  Many of the mandates of the ADA were accomplished in the first 10 years. Fixed route accessibility, New Freedom funded innovations, accessible pathways, coordinated planning, universal design and other movements of the last decade improved transportation services for people with disabilities of all ages. The people we serve tell us that now we need to make it easier to find and access transportation resources with a seamless system that bridges public transit with the private sector. The vision is to create a truly multi-modal national accessible transportation infrastructure that is navigable across county, state, urban, suburban and rural lines.

• Need to Consider Transportation Costs When Choosing "Best Places to Live"
  Source: CNT
  Money magazine's "100 Best Places to Live in America" is the most recent, high-profile example of how we need to re-think our definition of affordability when it comes to where we live. A quick scan of the communities that topped Money's list suggests the magazine didn't consider the cost of transportation in making their selections. Many of the places -- suburban Minneapolis, suburban Baltimore, suburban Dallas, -- are low-density, outer-ring suburbs that lack transit options and require households to drive most places and own several cars.

• The Case for Open Data in Transit
  Source: Treehugger.com
  Traditionally, transit authorities have kept close tabs on who has access to their data, and how it can be used. These organizations have taken it upon themselves not just to be the provider of public transit, but also the provider of information about public transit. But more recently, transit providers everywhere have realized that by unlocking their data, they can gain access to a vast network of developers and thinkers who will take on the task of creating websites, publications, iPhone apps and any number of other systems for helping people use public transit better.

• The Transit Trust Fund: A 21st Century Solution
  Source: Greater Greater Washington
  The creation of the gas tax was a clever way to repurpose some of the economic activity created by new road infrastructure towards funding roads. Similarly, a better way to fund new transit infrastructure would be to capture some of the new economic activity created by transit. It worked a century ago when done by private companies. It will work in the near future when done by the citizenry through its elected government...We should set aside a small fraction of all tax receipts from new transit-oriented development into a Transit Trust Fund. There will be more transit-oriented development as more transit is constructed. Tax receipts from new transit-oriented development that go into the Transit Trust Fund would then be used to build more transit. The new transit would then generate more transit-oriented development, further adding to the fund. It will create a positive feedback loop and a snowball effect similar to how the gas tax once filled the Highway Trust Fund.

• Local Governments Move Forward with Livable Transit
  Source: American City and County
  Long commutes, urban sprawl, fuel costs, environmental issues and a down economy are causing government at all levels to consider transit as a transportation option that affects more than just commute times. While the federal government is beginning to provide more funding for "livable" transit, cities and counties are focusing on transit infrastructure as critical components of live-work-play developments.

• Lower Savannah Aging, Disability and Transportation Resource Center (S.C.) Opens
  Source: Lower Savannah Council of Governments
  Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2010 signaled the long-awaited and much anticipated grand opening of the innovative new Lower Savannah Aging, Disability and Transportation Resource Center. The new Resource Center, operated by the Lower Savannah Council of Governments, is a unique model that integrates an existing Aging and Disability Resource Center with one of three national demonstration one-call centers to assist people with finding rides and coordinating transportation among agencies. According to LSCOG Executive Director Wayne Rogers, "This event is the culmination of years of planning and hard work by the LSCOG staff, our many stakeholders and partners. None of this would be possible without their support and the generous funding provided by the United States Department of Transportation, the South Carolina Lt. Governor's Office on Aging, the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Federal Transit Administration and the South Carolina Department of Transportation."

• Virginia Regional Transit Breaks Ground on New Transit Center, Expands Service
  Source: NBC WVIR-TV
  A new $5 million public transportation hub in Augusta County will bring bus services for the entire Shenandoah Valley under one roof. Virginia Regional Transit (VRT) broke ground on the project Wednesday, Aug. 11, marking an expansion in more ways than one; a new hub and a new service to Charlottesville. The transit group's current home is in a strip-mall off Route 250 in Fishersville. The site of the new Mountain Region Transit Facility is located just a few miles away, off Ivy Ridge Lane. Federal funds are picking up most of the $5 million price tag; the rest will come from the state and private money raised by VRT in the community.

• Superior (Wisc.) Readies Free Service for Disabled American Veterans to Follow Minnesota's Lead
  Source: Worthington Daily Globe
  Superior is blazing a new path. The city is poised to become the first in the state to provide free public transportation for disabled American veterans. "I'm going to ask the city council to approve that all disabled veterans ride at no charge on DTA buses while they're in the city of Superior," said Superior Mayor Dave Ross at a press conference Tuesday in the Government Center. Last year, the state of Minnesota passed a law allowing disabled veterans free access to public transportation. Veterans can now travel on Duluth Transit Authority buses from Duluth and Proctor without charge. But if their trip takes them across the bridge to Superior, they have to shell out $1.25 for the return ride. "We want to make sure all veterans are offered equal access," Ross said.

• 70-Year-Old Leads Fight Against Bus Route Cutbacks
  Source: Manchester Union-Leader
  The Winnipesaukee Transit System is Pat Euefueno's only form of transportation, so when the 70-year-old heard route changes were afoot, she swung into action. The Tilton woman, who uses a walker, got 15 people to show up at a June 11 hearing in Laconia, and convinced officials to preserve the 16-seat micro-bus' Franklin-Tilton loop. Instead, the transit system operated by the Community Action Program, Belknap-Merrimack Counties Inc., will eliminate a leg from Lakeport to Gilford, if approved by the state Department of Transportation.

• Laid-Off Transit Drivers Establish New Route from Reduced Service in Brooklyn (N.Y.)
  Source: The Wall Street Journal
  The city's transit union says it has won permission from the Taxi and Limousine Commission to operate a commuter-van service along the former route of the canceled B71 bus in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Park Slope, Carroll Gardens and Prospect Heights. Arthur Z. Schwartz, an attorney for Transport Workers Union Local 100, said the new van service will charge passengers $1 for rides and will employ bus drivers laid off by the Metropolitan Transportation Agency.

• Knoxville (Ky.) Opens New Transit Center
  Source: Knoxville News-Sentinel
  On Aug. 16, Knoxville buses began ferrying passengers to and from the city's new, environmentally sound, $27 million transit center. No longer will Knoxville Area Transit passengers waiting to change buses have to stand on the sidewalk in front of the City County Building in 95-degree heat, wind-whipped snow or violent thunderstorms. It is another positive addition to Knoxville's downtown. The federal government paid 80 percent of the construction costs. The state and city split the remainder. The center should make it easier for people to take advantage of the transit system. According to KAT, Knoxvillians take about 3.6 million trips each year.

• Residents, Workers Fight to Restore Southwest Washington (D.C.) Shuttle Service
  Source: Greater Greater Washington
  Residents and workers in Southwest Waterfront want to restore a discontinued free shuttle bus, the Shuttle-Bug, that operated between G and M streets SW from Sixth Street to slightly past Third Street. The Shuttle-Bug connected thousands of residents in that area, including people with low incomes and older adults, to the Safeway, CVS, and Waterfront Metro station. While it is easy to recognize the social benefits of such a service, there are economic benefits as well for DC in reducing dependency on MetroAccess and even fixed route bus service.

• California Transit Association Prepares for Annual Fall Conference and EXPO
  Source: California Transit Association
  Transit providers, advocates and allies are set to gather next month in San Diego for the 45th Annual California Transit Association Fall Conference and EXPO, the state's premier public transportation event for exceptional educational sessions and networking opportunities. Scheduled for Sept. 14-15, the event takes place at the San Diego Convention Center, with the new Hilton San Diego Bayfront serving as the host hotel. In accordance with this year's theme, Transit: Taking Initiative, the conference will serve as a rallying point for efforts to support Proposition 22 -- the Local Taxpayer, Public Safety and Transportation Protection Act of 2010 -- which will appear on this November's statewide ballot.

• Beverly Foundation Announces 2010 STAR Award Winners (PDF)
  Source: The Beverly Foundation
  The Beverly Foundation recently announced the completion of its 2010 STAR Search/STAR Awards Selection process. The Foundation makes STAR Awards in conjunction with its STAR Search survey which was first undertaken in 2000. The survey has continued annually since that time, and has gathered data on 1,300 unduplicated STPs (Supplemental Transportation Programs for seniors) from all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. For more information about the Beverly Foundation, the 2010 STAR Search/STAR Awards program, and other STAR Search/Star Awards reports; to learn about senior transportation and STPs in America; and to become informed about volunteer driver programs in America, please visit www.beverlyfoundation.org.

• New NTI Narrowbanding Courses Announced
  Source: TransitWireless.org
  The Joint Council Narrowbanding Task Force has developed course materials for the National Transit Institute (NTI) and is providing course instructors. These FTA-funded courses are developed in conjunction with APTA to serve the transit community's training needs. There are currently two types of NTI course offerings on narrowbanding: A Webinar geared for senior and executive management at transit agencies who need to be aware of the mandatory narrowbanding regulations and how it will affect their agency's radio communication system. This is a free class; And a Course (full-day) geared for transit professionals involved with the operation of a radio communication system and those planning to be involved with implementing the narrowbanding changes. The $150 fee for this course is waived for federal, state and local government employees who work in transportation or related areas.

• Transit Score Added to Walk Score Commute Reports
  Source: Walk Score
  When deciding where to live and work, not only do you want to know what amenities and services are nearby, you also want to understand your transportation options. How easily can you walk, bike or take the bus? How long will it take to get from point A to point B? And how much will it cost? Last year, with the support of The Rockefeller Foundation, Walk Score set out to address these questions. And building on the initial integration of public transit information into Walk Score and the launch of City-Go-Round, today we are pleased to take another step forward in promoting transparency around transportation choices.

• Getting to Work: A Case Study Report on Accessible Transportation Projects (PDF)
  Source: Center for Workers with Disabilities
  A lack of reliable, accessible, and affordable transportation is consistently cited as a barrier to employment by people with disabilities. The four Medicaid Infrastructure Grant transportation projects (Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New Jersey) profiled in this report illustrate a set of practices that address transportation needs. Although the MIG grants are not intended to provide or fund direct transportation services, state MIGs are well positioned to use their resources to create linkages with other agencies and entities engaged in accessible transportation planning and service delivery. The four projects described in this report suggest a set of strategies and activities that can help advance accessible transportation in states and in communities.

• APTA: Residents Who Live Near Transit Live Healthier, Longer Lives
  Source: American Public Transportation Association
  A new report, released by the American Public Transportation Association, which surveys current research has found that people who live in communities with high-quality public transportation drive less, exercise more, live longer, and are generally healthier than residents of communities that lack quality public transit. Evaluating Public Transportation Health Benefits, a study conducted for APTA by Todd Litman of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute aggregates the findings of several recent studies and concludes that people living in transit-oriented "smart growth" communities enjoy several health benefits, not seen in other communities, including residents drive less, exposing them to a lower risk of fatal vehicle accidents.

• 19th National Rural Public and Intercity Bus Transportation Conference
  Source: Transportation Research Board
  The 19th National Rural Public and Intercity Bus Transportation Conference will be held in Burlington, Vt., from October 24-27, 2010. For full details on the conference program, workshop sessions and other conference details, visit 19th National Rural Public and Intercity Bus Transportation Conference.

• Telling the Truth: Transit Winning Where it Counts: In 2010, across the country, public transit has an 82 percent success rate in local ballot initiatives, referenda and elections. That's right -- more than four in five such initiatives have passed since January. In most of the cases, people actually voted to either raise or continue local taxes of varying form to support community and public transit. Earlier this month, that run of success continued in Olympia, Wash., where initial estimates placed voters squarely in favor of a two-tenths of a cent sales-tax increase to avert local transit cuts and to even support a small service boost. In early August, across the state of Michigan, 17 out of 18 such ballot initiatives passed, some with majorities of as much as 78 percent in favor. The Detroit Free Press called the victories "An Unambiguous Vote of Confidence for Public Transit" and noted in an editorial, "The election results show that virulent anti-transit, anti-tax and anti-regional attitudes reflect a minority of voters. Politicians should take note..."

• New NRC Blogs: The National Resource Center has launched two new blogs, "The Express Stop," which features news about public transit, human services transportation and alternative transportation. It is primarily written for the National Consortium on the Coordination of Human Services Transportation. And, "NRC Technical Assistance News," with news for and about the Technical Assistance Provider Network.

• ENCORE! A Virtual Conference Experience for Transportation Providers: Use the Joblinks Encore site as your portal into a virtual learning experience on how to improve people's access to jobs and job training through improved transportation options. We've organized Web-based presentations from recent conferences, webinars, and other interactive resources that showcase useful practices from communities just like yours. The best part is that you can design your own conference based on topics that interest you most and then "attend" this customized conference from the comfort of your own desk at a time of your choosing.

• Read Highlights from NRC Quarterly Progress Reports: Established in 2007, the National Resource Center for Human Service Transportation Coordination (NRC) is starting to see results from our work in helping states and communities better integrate their human services and public transportation programs. Recently, we began compiling the highlights of our work each calendar quarter.

• Vanpooling: A Promising Transportation Option for Commuters with Disabilities Webinar Playback (Adobe Connect Pro): The Joblinks Transportation Center hosted a free webinar on the ways to include workers with disabilities in vanpools. This webinar built on inquiries raised during our series of vanpool webinars presented earlier this year that highlighted the need to clarify the obligations and opportunities to provide accessible vanpool services to persons with disabilities.

The Transportation to Work Toolkit for the Business Community gives businesses the information they need now to assist their employees in achieving a timely, cost-efficient commute that promotes productivity and job satisfaction. Explore the toolkit's flyers, fact sheets, resources and examples of transportation initiatives undertaken by employers nationwide. Each approach is straightforward to launch and simple to manage.

• Tappy Grams: August 2010: Tappy Grams is an electronic newsletter published by the Community Transportation Association of America that describes new and timely publications on transportation-related information. Preparation and dissemination of this newsletter is an activity of the National Resource Center for Human Service Transportation Coordination, and is supported through a cooperative agreement with the Federal Transit Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.

• Way to Work: Helping People with Employment Transportation (PDF)(143 KB): This brief highlights "Way to Work," a program dedicated to enhancing the availability of transportation information, education, and resources for low-income job seekers in Woonsocket/Northern Rhode Island. The information contained within can assist workforce development professionals in providing low-wage earners access to safe and available transportation to work related activities. Way to Work's innovative responses to meeting transportation challenges include a late night shuttle, encouraging local employers to support biking, and a partnership with Good News garage that makes affordable vehicles available to community residents who would otherwise not be able to purchase them.

• Partnership for Mobility Management: The Partnership for Mobility Management is a joint effort of technical assistance partners that work with local, state and regional leaders and organizations to realize the possibilities of improving transportation options for all Americans wherever they live and to assist those especially in need of alternative transportation options.

• CTAPnet Peer Network: The CTAP Peer Network, CTAPnet, is an online community of community transportation practitioners and experts. This revitalized Peer Network enables you to ask questions of transportation providers working in the field as well as engage in conversations with other transit professionals. It provides distance learning events on the latest topics of interest to community transportation. Visit http://ctapnet.org.