SAFETEA-LU Set to Expire Soon with Extensions Looming

Earlier this week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a three-month extension of SAFETEA-LU, the current transportation authorization legislation that is set to expire on Sept. 30. House Democrats, including transportation committee chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) hope to pass new legislation by the end of the year. The Senate has not yet acted, but it seems to favor a much longer 18-month extension, which is also what the White House is calling for, pushing a new deal into 2011.

Funding Announced for Transit Projects to Reduce Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The U.S. DOT announced $100 million in Economic Recovery Act funding for 43 transit agencies on Sept. 21. Transit providers nationwide competed for the $100 million in stimulus funding under the Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) program. The criteria for choosing the winning proposals included reduction in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, return on investment, readiness to implement, applicant capacity, degree of innovation, and national applicability.

Much of the funding went to urban transit agencies, but some went to small urban and rural areas as well. For example, Productive Alternatives/Transit Alternatives of Fergus Falls, MN received $845,000 for a variety of building energy-efficiency upgrades, hybrid vehicle upgrades, wind generator power systems, and the equipment needed to convert cooking oil to a blend with vehicle fuel to operate some of their buses. The Thunder Bay Transportation Authority in Alpena, MI received $2.59 million to replace 4 diesel buses with 4 series plug-in hybrid buses. Data on operating hybrid buses in a non-urban/rural area will also be collected over a two-year span.

NDSU President Speaks about Transit

President Joseph Chapman spoke about the importance of transit in the growth and success of North Dakota State University during his keynote speech on September 21 at the 2009 Dakota Transit Association Fall Conference in Fargo.

Metro Area Transit is key a partner to NDSU which has seen its student body and downtown campus grow tremendously in the past decade. During the first eight days of service this fall, transit routes serving NDSU provided nearly 40,000 new trips.

Watch President Chapman' comments at Chapman DTA Keynote 2009 Pt. 1 and Chapman DTA Keynote 2009 Pt. 2.

Transportation Seminar on Generating Public Involvement in Transportation Decision Making

A Transportation Seminar titled "Generating Public Involvement in Transportation Decision Making" will be held Sept. 22, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. in Room 422 of the IACC building on the North Dakota State University campus.

Despite the critical role that transportation plays in our economy and quality of life, the public often chooses not to be involved in public policy decisions related to planning and financing. This seminar presentation will discuss a recent initiative undertaken by the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute to generate public involvement in transportation decision making and subsequent efforts to share research findings with key elected officials.

U.S. Senate Passes Transportation Appropriations Bill

The U.S. Senate passed its version of the FY 2010 Transportation-HUD appropriations today. The legislation permits $122 billion in spending for fiscal year 2010, which the AP reports is a 12% increase over current levels. The NRC reports that this includes $42.5 billion for the Federal Highway Administration, $18.1 billion for Section 8 tenant-based vouchers, $11.1 billion for the Federal Transit Administration, and $15.6 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Senate bill is similar to the version the House passed in July. The NRC detailed the funding levels within the federal transit program in the House bill.

SURTC Conducting Transportation Surveys of Older Adults and People with Disabilities

The AARP’s North Dakota State Office conducted a survey last fall of its members to explore their views on important topics such as health care, economic security, and transportation. They released a report in February summarizing the findings. SURTC collaborated with AARP in formulating the transportation questions and has conducted a more in depth analysis of this section of the survey. SURTC’s findings will be published later this fall.

One of the major findings is that people with disabilities have greater transportation concerns. Seventeen percent of the 1,042 respondents age 50 or older identified themselves as having a disability. These people were less likely to think that they have adequate transportation options and were substantially more likely to report problems using public transportation. Many of these people with disabilities do currently drive, but they are more likely to forego driving during certain conditions such as poor weather or darkness, and they are more likely than others to desire more trips, with transportation more often being a limiting factor.

These results tie into a recently launched SURTC study titled Assessing Existing and Needed Community Transportation for People with Disabilities in North Dakota, which will include a survey of people with disabilities in the state. Using information obtained from this study, state, regional, county and local public and private transportation and human service agencies will be able to assess their existing transportation services, identify gaps and needs, and plan improvements. One of the goals of the study is to create a survey instrument that could be used by communities and states beyond North Dakota for collecting similar information.

Dakota Transit Association to hold 25th Anniversary Fall Conference

The Dakota Transit Association is holding its 25th Anniversary Fall Conference and Bus Roadeo Sept. 19-23 in Fargo, ND. SURTC staff will be on hand Sept. 20 and 21 to discuss the launching of our blog.

Funding for Rural Transit Down in Minnesota while Demand is on the Rise

Minnesota Public Radio reporter Dan Olson recently chronicled the struggles being faced by rural transit providers. The story is specific to Minnesota, but likely familiar to others across the country. He reports that demand for service has been increasing due to an aging population and an increase in the number of people unable to afford a personal vehicle. At the same time, however, funding for rural transit services is down. He writes:

No shortage of demand but a definite shortage of money. Already Mn/DOT has cut $400,000 to rural transit providers. Another cut of a million and half dollars is on the horizon.

The cuts take a toll on public transit providers and also some private nonprofits who get state transportation grants.

SURTC Launches Blog

As SURTC strives to improve its outreach activities and provide a greater variety of valuable and current information in an accessible format, we announce the launching of our new blog. The intent of the blog is to facilitate the dissemination of information and dialogue on small urban and rural transit topics.

The blog will keep readers up-to-date on the training and research being conducted by SURTC staff.  In addition, the blog endeavors to be a valuable resource for news and information pertaining to the world of small urban and rural transit.  Expect to see posts about upcoming training, SURTC events, completed or ongoing research projects, industry news of significant events that impact small urban and rural transit, and anything else we would like to share with you.

Rural Transit Technology Course to be Held in Sacramento

SURTC and the National Transit Institute are hosting the course Implementing Rural Transit Technology September 29-30 in Sacramento, CA.