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Thursday, June 16, 2011

Easter Seals Project ACTION’s monthly newsletter : June 2011 : Accessible Transportation


Welcome to Extra, Easter Seals Project ACTION’s monthly newsletter.

The news this month: June 2011

Upcoming Training:

Free Webinars
As part of ESPA’s Promising Practices and Solutions in Accessible Transportation (PPSAT) series, Project ACTION is hosting four free, upcoming webinars. All webinars are at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. For more information, contact ESPADistanceLearning@easterseals.com.

June 22: Paratransit Operations Q&A with ESPA
During the month of June, ESPA training events have focused on ADA complementary paratransit. Please join us for the last event, a one-hour live teleconference with ESPA staff. Registration closes June 17.

July 20: Signals for Pedestrians Who are Blind - Overview of Current Issues and Available Training - in partnership with the Transportation Research Board (TRB). This webinar will provide an overview of accessible pedestrian signals (APS), how people who are blind use them, current standards governing their use, and how webinar attendees can host a free APS workshop offered through TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program. Registration deadline: July 15.

July 27: Environmental Barrier Analysis and Options for Remedy - This webinar will offer information and tools for assessing the accessibility of the public spaces connected to transportation (e.g., sidewalks, intersections, transit facilities, etc.) and will touch on barriers common to most communities, potential remedies and the benefits to be gained from creating a barrier-free environment. Registration deadline: July 22.

August 10: Customer Service Monitoring and Feedback for Fixed-Route and Paratransit Services - This webinar will focus on how transportation providers can work with a disabilities advisory board to develop a feedback survey for transit customers with disabilities. The session will provide a broad overview of the customer service monitoring process and how it can be used to improve transportation operations and customer services. Registration deadline: August 5.
Fundamentals of Travel Training Administration ONLINE COURSE
Fundamentals of Travel Training Administration (FTTA), ESPA’s new online course, will run for the second time starting August 15. FTTA gives learners the opportunity to learn more about essential administrative issues, such as creating job descriptions and developing budgets. The course format is flexible, allowing participants to work at any hour of the day or night. For more information, contact the course instructor, Kristi Ross, at ftta@easterseals.com or (800) 659-6428. Application deadline: August 8.

ESPA News

ADA Handbook Reprinted, Rich Text Version Now Online
Due to continued demand for the printed version of the ADA Essentials for Transit Board Members handbook, ESPA has ordered a third reprinting. For this additional limited printing, an organization may order up to 20 copies. If further copies are desired, the downloadable version will continue to be available on the website. In addition, a rich text version of the handbook is now posted online and available for download.

Industry News

New Accessible Taxi Program in Washington, DC
On May 12, the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board announced Washington D.C.’s first wheelchair-accessible taxi program, rollDC. This pilot program includes 20 taxis provided by Royal Cab and the Yellow Cab Company and rates for the service will be the same as traditional taxi service. Check out U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s blog, Fastlane, for comments and photos from the roll-out event.

Scenario Planning Program
The Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration are now offering the Transportation Planning Capacity Building (TPCB) Scenario Planning Program—a resource for agencies in need of scenario planning assistance. Scenario planning provides a framework for developing a shared vision for the future through analysis of factors, such as transportation, that affect regions or communities. As part of this program, agencies or individuals may request training and assistance through various methods, including workshops, webinars and peer exchanges. For more information, contact Fred Bowers of FHWA at Frederick.Bowers@dot.gov, Rae Keasler of FHWA at Rae.Keasler@dot.gov or Alisa Fine of the U.S. DOT Volpe Center at Alisa.Fine@dot.gov.

APHA Transportation and Health Toolkit and Webinar Now Online
The American Public Health Association (APHA) has recently launched a new transportation and health toolkit that includes training and guiding principles, talking points, outreach materials, background data, and media and meeting training resources. This new toolkit focuses largely on providing guidance for public health messengers around the country and coordinating the public health message as it relates to transportation decision-making. Listen to the free, archived webinar from May 31 to learn more about the toolkit.

Research

TCRP Research Results Digest 99: Improving Mobility for Veterans (*.PDF)
Published by the Transit Cooperative Research Program in April 2011, Research Results Digest 99: Improving Mobility for Veterans provides case studies and strategies on how localities can assist veterans in getting transportation. The report also provides a useful description of current veteran transportation programs and beneficiary travel reimbursement programs as well as strategies for improving transportation for veterans, including an approach in which providers actively reach out to veterans’ organizations.
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Did you miss last month's Extra? Previous issues are available on the website.

The electronic editions of the latest and archived issues of Update, ESPA's biannual newsletter, are also available online. To be added to the surface mailing list, please sign up online at www.projectaction.org. Or, call ESPA at (202) 347-3066 or toll-free at (800) 659-6428.

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Easter Seals Project ACTION (ESPA) is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, and is administered by Easter Seals, Inc. This document is disseminated by ESPA in the interest of information exchange. Neither Easter Seals nor the U.S. DOT, FTA assumes liability for its contents or use thereof.

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