National RTAP

We are proud to be a part of the Transit Retreat once again - it is a great conference! Registration is open now.

The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma Department of Transportation issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a Construction Manager, Design Manager, Independent Cost Estimator, and Quality Assurance Manager for construction for a new Visitor Center and Transit Plaza. Interested proposers can email Leonard Foreman, Jr. (foreman.l@sno-nsn.gov) or Terri Jackson (jackson.t@sno-nsn.gov) requesting which packet you would like them to send.

Rural iNTD Updated with 2023 Data The Rural Integrated National Transit Database (iNTD) compiles multiple years of NTD data and allows users to easily retrieve and analyze the data. The database system is part of the Florida Transit Information System, created by Florida International University for National RTAP. The Rural iNTD integrates rural data from 2007 to 2023. The data can help rural transit providers, State DOTs, and researchers select NTD data and variables for Section 5311 recipients and subrecipients. https://lnkd.in/eNErdp5c

National RTAP is conducting its biennial survey of rural and tribal transit managers. The purpose of this survey is to establish the status of rural and tribal transit, learn how we can best support rural and tribal transit agencies, and obtain data for our ever-popular transit jobs salary database. The survey will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. Please click on this Survey Link to begin, https://lnkd.in/encc9sqv.

National RTAP submitted a Research Needs Statement on Innovative Marketing and Customer Communication Strategies for Rural Transit, that was selected by TCRP as a project for the upcoming year. Panelists are being solicited through January 27, 2025 for this and other TCRP projects. Nominate yourself or someone else at https://lnkd.in/dKd4wSf View all available projects at https://lnkd.in/eztA-52r

If your rural or tribal agency has a project you want to get off the ground in 2025, this is a great grant opportunity for you. Learn more and apply.

National RTAP Executive Director Robin Phillips presented a webinar for the National Kidney Foundation / End Stage Renal Disease National Coordinating Center (ESRD NCC) on November 19, 2024 on Addressing Rural Transportation Challenges. View the webinar recording (https://lnkd.in/etgHHSeA) and presentation slides (https://lnkd.in/eEwWAwNU).

Look for Transit Happy's and Elea Carey's awesome photos in the National RTAP Marketing Toolkit soon - thanks for the "sneak peak" El! 📸

Federal Transit Administration and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Announce Medicaid Transportation Coordination Fact Sheet - https://lnkd.in/eNB8tprr Medicaid is a health coverage program for low-income people, funded jointly by states and the federal government, and administered by states. Medicaid non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) is an important benefit for beneficiaries who need to get to and from medical services but have no means of transportation. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Medicaid Transportation Coordination Fact Sheet, which encourages partnerships between the State DOTs and state Medicaid agencies to improve the accessibility and efficiency of NEMT for low-income individuals, people with disabilities, and older adults. Building from CMS’s Medicaid Transportation Coverage Guide issued in 2023, this fact sheet helps clarify and encourage partnership at the state level and includes commonly asked questions and relevant resources. Stakeholders, such as State DOT staff, provided input into the document. Many FTA public transit grantees offer NEMT, providing vital access to health care for low-income Medicaid beneficiaries, particularly in rural areas. By improving federal and state coordination of public transit and NEMT, we improve access to critical health care services for people who have been underserved in the past. Working together, state Medicaid agencies and State DOTs can: - Improve access to care; - Help meet Federal requirements; - Maximize funding by using Federal fund “braiding” opportunities; - Save health care dollars by reducing missed appointments; and, - Improve the experiences of consumers and transportation providers. CMS and FTA are celebrating 20 years of partnership on the federal interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM). CMS and FTA invite communities to take advantage of a newly announced joint national technical assistance (TA) center that will launch in early 2025 and provide NEMT related resources, trainings, case studies of promising practices, and a grant program that offers funding for multisector planning and pilot projects to develop and test innovative transportation solutions.

This is a much-needed tool for helping transit help these populations - thank you American Public Transportation Association.