APTA joins the nation in mourning the loss of former President George H.W. Bush, who died Nov. 30 at age 94. President Bush signed major bills into law that influenced public transportation, in particular the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA).

Title II of ADA states that "public transportation authorities must comply with requirements for accessibility in newly purchased vehicles, make good faith efforts to purchase or lease accessible used buses, remanufacture buses in an accessible manner, and, unless it would result in an undue burden, provide paratransit where they operate fixed-route bus or rail systems."

ISTEA provided authorization for public transit and highways and gave significant additional powers to metropolitan planning organizations. The purpose of the act was "to develop a National Intermodal Transportation System that provides the foundation for the nation to compete in the global economy and will move people and goods in an energy-efficient manner." Many of the provisions originated in ISTEA were continued or expanded in its follow-up legislation, the Transportation Efficiency Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), which passed in 1998, followed by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) in 2005; the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) in 2012; and the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act in 2015.

Union Pacific photo.

A funeral for President Bush took place in Houston Dec. 6, a day after a state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral.

Following the Houston funeral, President Bush’s casket was carried by a Union Pacific locomotive to its final resting place at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum at Texas A&M University. The locomotive, named Union Pacific 4141 in recognition of Bush having served as the 41st president, was commissioned in 2005 and is uniquely painted blue and white (to match Air Force One) and carries the presidential seal.

The last late president to be carried to his final resting place by train was Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1969.

APTA Urges DOT to Clarify and Address Challenges to Deploying AV Technology

Following a notice of request for comments from DOT on Preparing for the Future of Transportation: Automated Vehicles 3.0, APTA applauds DOT for issuing a multimodal framework for new automated technologies but urges DOT to clarify and address a number of areas including cybersecurity, accessibility and federal procurement.

APTA also notes that while the focus of the AV 3.0 document is rightfully on safety, the ultimate policy vision must consider a broader set of outcomes that could come from vehicle automation. APTA is encouraging DOT to nurture innovation through pilot programs that will enable public transit agencies to learn from the testing and deployment of emerging AV technologies and practices.

"The public transportation industry has witnessed many changes over the last several years and is poised to embrace technology-driven mobility solutions to continue to efficiently meet passengers' needs and expectations," said APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas.

Read APTA’s AV 3.0 comments in full here.

FRA Extends System Safety Deadline

FRA is extending the current stay on system safety program requirements until Sept. 4, 2019. The original stay was due to expire Dec. 4, 2018. The rule, published in August 2016, requires commuter and intercity passenger railroads to develop and implement a system safety program to evaluate and manage safety risks. A notice of the extension can be found in the Federal Register.

FTA Webinars on PTASP and Drug Testing

Following publication of an important new safety rule, FTA is hosting a webinar series to provide technical assistance to public transit agencies on the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) Final Rule. The rule requires certain rail and bus operators to develop safety plans to better manage their safety risk using Safety Management Systems.

Guidance on Using System Safety Program Plans to Develop an Agency Safety Plan
Dec. 12, 2018
3-4:30 p.m. Eastern time.
Note: This webinar was originally scheduled for Dec. 5 but rescheduled for observance of the National Day of Mourning for President George H. W. Bush.
Register here.

PTASP Final Rule Frequently Asked Questions
Jan. 10, 2019
2-3:30 p.m. Eastern time.
Register here.

FTA is hosting a webinar to discuss the upcoming increase in random drug testing rates. Effective Jan. 1, 2019, FTA will increase the minimum rate of random drug testing from 25 percent to 50 percent of covered employees for employers subject to FTA's drug and alcohol regulation. FTA recently announced this increase in a "Dear Colleague" letter:

FTA Random Drug Rate Increase Information Session
Dec. 18, 2018
2-3:00 p.m. Eastern time.
Register here.

SAVE THE DATE

IN THE MEDIA

L.A. Metro Considering Congestion Pricing—Charging tolls on Los Angeles freeways during times of highest use and taxing Uber and Lyft rides are two new sources of revenue being considered by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Cities with Higher Public Transit Use Can Cut Their Road Traffic Death Rate in Half—Says APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas in POLITICO.

VTA Plans to Develop Properties—The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (CA) is planning to develop two of its Milpitas properties in the coming years, likely into dense housing and a hotel.

What You Should Know about Your Bus Driver—A driver's-eye-view of what it's like behind the wheel of a city bus, from a San Francisco Muni bus driver.

Metro Extends Deadline for Silver Line Privatization—The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is extending the deadline for companies interested in managing the second phase of the Silver Line once construction is complete. In addition to U.S.-based companies, businesses from Canada, France, Italy and Japan have expressed interest.

Alaska Railroad Resumes Services Following Earthquake—The Alaska Railroad restored all regularly scheduled freight and passenger services Dec. 4, following the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Southcentral Alaska Nov. 30.

Washington State DOT to Host an Artist-in-Residence—Washington will become the first state to embed an artist in a statewide agency, bringing a creative approach to advancing the agency's goals like improving safety, reducing congestion, promoting economic vitality, supporting multimodal transportation systems and creating healthier communities.