No one should have to go to work worried they won’t come home or that they will get hurt at work. With that in mind, the Federal Transit Administration recently published General Directive 24-1: Required Actions Regarding Assaults on Transit Workers > https://lnkd.in/gQY5xxSz

New research explores how public transit, airport, and highway leaders can better plan, build, and manage intermodal passenger facilities. Join #TCRP at 2:00pm ET on Wednesday for a webinar with valuable insights on incorporating user experience findings and new technology on behalf of passengers. Learn more and register now > https://conta.cc/3URPQDJ This free webinar also includes continuing educations credits for professional engineers (1.5 PDHs), planners (1.5 CMs), and airport executives (1 CEU). Transportation Research Board Federal Transit Administration Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP)

The Federal Transit Administration announced today that it has extended the partial Buy America waiver for vans and minivans for five years without change. This extension directly aligns with APTA’s request. FTA noted that following consideration of comments, and because FTA has been unable to identify any manufacturer of non-Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-accessible vans and minivans that fully complies with Buy America, the agency is “extending its partial, time-limited, general nonavailability waiver from the requirements of Buy America for a period of five years, or upon publication of a rescission notice if FTA determines that a fully Buy America-compliant vehicle has become available, whichever occurs first.” On Sept. 9, APTA filed extensive comments with FTA in support of Buy America and applauded the Administration’s continued efforts to ensure the use of American-made materials in FTA-funded projects. Read the full #PassengerTransport story > https://lnkd.in/e4qf53dv

Happy three-year anniversary to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This historic legislation allows communities around the country to invest in long-term improvements to public transportation—but the impact is reaching far beyond transit. These investments are creating good-paying jobs, supporting local businesses, and paving the way for sustained economic opportunity across America. In fact, every dollar we invest in public transit generates $5 in economic returns. #PublicTransitImpact

APTA President and CEO Paul Skoutelas spoke at the Nov. 12 Lunch Plenary: Advancing a Strong and Diverse Transit Workforce, held during the Transit Workforce Center (TWC) Making Connections 2024–The National Transit Workforce Conference, Nov. 11-13 in Baltimore, MD. TWC is the Federal Transit Administration’s technical assistance center for transit workforce development. Jack Clark, executive director of the International Transportation Learning Center, which administers the TWC, moderated a plenary panel with Skoutelas; Teona Edwards, FTA deputy associate administrator for transit safety and oversight; Scott Bogren, executive director, Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA); and Billy Terry, MURP, director, National Transit Institute (NTI). Panelists discussed the importance of partnerships in creating effective workforce development initiatives. “Peoples’ aspirations and needs have evolved. The challenge for our industry is that we need people when we need them. Bus drivers and operators, for instance, have dedicated times they must report for work,” said Skoutelas. “We are a structured industry, with a structured workforce, but we need to think creatively about how we can make changes to address issues to keep people engaged and to have a productive work life. Flexibility is much more important today than it ever was.” Skoutelas noted that APTA has strong partnerships with FTA and TWC. He referenced that at APTA’s Workforce Summit in August, panelists from FTA, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the U.S. Department of Transportation discussed funding for workforce development programs. Also, in 2023, APTA collaborated with TWC and others to develop the National ZEB Maintenance Training Standards to define the skills technicians need to carry out their work safely and successfully. Read the full #PassengerTransport story > https://lnkd.in/e4ifKwhB

Apprenticeship programs often pave the way to successful careers in the public transportation industry. These programs and related opportunities attribute their success to local, regional, and national partnerships. Join APTA on Thursday, November 21, at 2:00pm ET for a webinar featuring leaders of successful apprenticeship programs. Our webinar speakers, representing the public and private sectors, will detail how their partnerships with academic, community, and labor organizations built sought-after transit apprenticeship programs. Don't miss this webinar's exceptional stories; amazing labor, management, and academic outcomes; and many great take-aways! Presiding: + LaShanda Dawkins, Chair, APTA Workforce Development Committee; Interim Chief Administrative Officer, MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority), Atlanta, GA Moderators: + Geisha Ester, Chair, APTA Education and Career Awareness Subcommittee; Vice President, Training and Workforce Development, Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago, IL + Steve Jovel, Vice Chair, APTA Education and Career Awareness Subcommittee; Operations Manager, Workforce Development, Joint Workforce Investment and Apprenticeship Programs, OPS Training and Development, VTA, San Jose, CA Panelists: + Dan Stoffer, Manager – Instruction, Metro Transit, Minneapolis, MN + Lisa Rae Vickery, Deputy Director, Ops Training and Development, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, San Jose, CA + John Pospishek, Recording and Financial Secretary, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, San Jose, CA + Jeff Pallin, Dean, Workforce Innovation, Mission College, Santa Clara, CA + Jamaine Gibson, Director of Apprenticeships and Workforce Development, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) International, Silver Spring, MD + Lucy Andre, General Counsel, Chief of Staff and Corporate Secretary, Stadler US Inc., Salt Lake City, UT Register Free Now > https://lnkd.in/ehFpv5n9

Last month, as South Florida residents were preparing for winds, flooding, and possible power outages, Palm Tran was working overtime to ensure people were able to get to Palm Beach County's emergency shelters > https://lnkd.in/d-VSwGfE

Happy Veterans Day! APTA and our 1,600 member organizations thank the men and women who served in the armed forces, keeping our country safe. Learn how the public transportation industry gives back and honors veterans year-round, including this story of CTtransit supporting the Honor Flight Network > https://lnkd.in/eDVCQunz

ICYMI: The American Public Transportation Association held a webinar November 7th on the transit ballot initiatives that passed November 5th across the U.S. To date in 2024, total funding for public transit is more than $25 billion. APTA Chair Mj Maynard, CEO of the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada and APTA President and CEO Paul Skoutelas opened the webinar. Jessica Grennan, Executive Director of APTA's Center for Transportation Excellence, then offered a summary of local transit ballot measure campaigns and outcomes. https://lnkd.in/e4cGYbfN

I couldn’t be prouder of our amazing team at the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada and the incredible community we call home—Las Vegas! Today, we had the privilege of hosting over 50 transit and transportation leaders from across the country through the American Public Transportation Association. It was a day filled with dynamic conversations, valuable insights from elected officials and business leaders, and a chance to showcase our community and agency. Moments like these remind me why we do what we do—connecting people, ideas, and communities. #Transportation #Leadership #LasVegas #RTCSNV #CommunityImpact Mj Maynard