Posts for "2011"
Student Paper Competition Announced
Graduate and undergraduate students have the opportunity to enter a paper competition for an upcoming conference. The 20th National Conference on Rural Public and Intercity Bus Transportation is scheduled to take place in October 2012 in Salt Lake City, Utah. To encourage student participation in the conference, undergraduate students are offered the opportunity to participate in an essay competition and graduate students have the opportunity to take part in a research paper competition.
Two essay winners will receive cash prizes as well as travel funds to attend the conference.
Essay Winners: 1st place $500 and 2nd place is $250
Two winning student research papers will be awarded and the authors will receive cash prizes and travel funds to attend the conference.
Research Paper Winners: 1st place $1,000 and 2nd place is $500
More details are available on the conference website.
Coordination Pilot Projects Proceed in North Dakota
In early October, the North Dakota Department of Transportation gave SURTC the go-ahead to proceed with a 15-month project aimed at implementing coordination-related recommendations in two North Dakota pilot regions. The project's task list centers around recommendations developed by SURTC in response to a mandate enacted during North Dakota's 2009 legislative session. Tasks include the provision of responsive transit services within individual communities and counties, increasing coordination among the regions' transit service providers, increasing public awareness regarding the availability of local transit services, and promoting overall operator effectiveness and efficiency. Jon Mielke will serve as the regional coordinator for the 7-county west central region, and Keven Anderson will serve as the coordinator for the 12-county south central region. The project's final work product will be a corresponding report for the 2013 Legislature.
Transit Roundup
- A new Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report, TCRP Synthesis 94: Innovative Rural Transit Services, highlights rural public and intercity bus service responses to changing rural community transportation needs, with an emphasis on innovative and entrepreneurial spirit.
- A new report from the Transportation Research Board's Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) Program, Transit IDEA Project 58: Google Transit Data Tool for Small Transit Agencies, describes the development of a tool that enables small transit agencies to enter, export, and host the transit data needed to put their transit information on Google Transit.
- The U.S. DOT awarded $15 million in grants through the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Tribal Transit Program. The funds will go to tribes in 25 states for 67 separate projects. (FTA Press Release)
Webcast Recordings Posted
Recordings of webcasts for the Nov. 22 public input meeting for the 9th St./Veteran's Boulevard corridor study and the Nov. 30 Transit Development Plan (TDP) meeting are now available online.
SURTC Fall Newsletter Available Online
The Fall 2011 issue of the Transit Lane Brief has been published and is available online. This issue features articles on a new tribal transit management course developed by SURTC and a recently completed tribal transit assessment study, as well as updates on other projects and recent staff changes. The current and previous issues can be downloaded from the SURTC website.
Additional Webcasts Planned
SURTC will conduct a webcast of Fargo-Moorhead Metro COG's public meeting Nov. 22 regarding its 9th St East/Veteran's Boulevard corridor study. The meeting takes place from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at the West Fargo Sheyenne 9th Grade Center Commons Area, and the webcast will begin at 5:30.
SURTC is also conducting a webcast of Metro COG's public input meeting on Nov. 30 regarding its Transit Development Plan (TDP). The webcast, which will begin at approximately 11:45, will include a presentation on the draft TDP.
Recordings of the webcasts will be posted afterwards. Links for viewing the live webcasts are as follows:
Webcasts Recordings Posted
SURTC conducted webcasts of Fargo-Moorhead Metro COG's public input meetings Nov. 15 and Nov. 16 regarding its Main Ave, TH 10, TH 75, Center Ave corridor studies. The Nov. 15 meeting focused on Main Ave. in Fargo (from 25th St. to the Red River), while the Nov. 16 meeting addressed Center Ave. and Highways 10 and 75 in Moorhead and Dilworth. The webcasts were recorded and can be viewed at the following links:
SURTC to Conduct Webcasts of Public Input Meetings
SURTC will be conducting webcasts of public input meetings for the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Council of Governments (Metro COG). Metro COG is hosting public input meetings Nov. 15 and 16 for its Main Ave, TH 10, TH 75, Center Ave corridor studies. The objective of Metro COG's study is to identify existing conditions along the corridor, establish planning conditions, identify and analyze issues and needs, and develop and analyze alternatives. Those unable to attend the meetings can view the live webcasts. Webcast participants will be able to submit questions and comments online. Afterwards, recordings of the webcasts will be posted on Metro COG's website that can be viewed at any time. SURTC is conducting the webcasts as part of its Transit, Technology, & Public Participation Project to test the use of webcasting technology for increasing public participation in transportation planning.
The webcasts will take place Tuesday, Nov. 15 and Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 6:00 pm and can be viewed at the following link:
Developing Input to "Best-Value" Vehicle Procurement Practice: An Analysis of Supplier Evaluation and Selection in the U.S. Public Transportation Industry
A new SURTC study conducted by Marc Scott titled "Developing Input to 'Best-Value' Vehicle Procurement Practice: An Analysis of Supplier Evaluation and Selection in the U.S. Public Transportation Industry" has been published and is available online.
This research studies vehicle procurement decision-makers at public transportation agencies to determine which criteria, or supplier attributes, they perceive to be the most important when evaluating vehicle suppliers. Results indicate that the top five attributes are quality, reliability, after-sales support, warranties and claims, and integrity. The order of these top five attributes changed according to the type of supplier being evaluated, i.e., conventional fuel vehicle supplier versus alternative fuel vehicle supplier. The reason for this change was explained as being due to the increased engineering and technological expertise required of alternative fuel vehicle suppliers.
Transportation Seminar: Giving Effective Presentations
Carol Wright will present a seminar Nov. 15 on Giving Effective Presentations for UGPTI's Transportation Seminar Series.
At one point or another, each of us is called upon to give a presentation. It might be in front of a college class, at a business meeting, at a conference, or at a research forum. One of the most highly sought after skills is the ability to stand on your feet in front of an audience, say what you want to say, and be effective in the way you present your material. A person who can stand in front of a group with poise and confidence creates the perception of competency.
Regardless of the setting for your presentation or your public speaking experience level, this seminar will provide you with strategies and techniques for building upon your existing skills, as well as tips for improving your performance and stepping up your confidence the next time you give a presentation.
A recording of the seminar will be made available online shortly after it is completed.