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2022 FTA Transit Asset Management (TAM) Virtual Roundtable: On Tuesday, July 19, FTA hosted the 13th Transit Asset Management (TAM) Roundtable as a virtual event. The session featured a panel of transit agency executive leadership that discussed future planning for TAM at their agencies. It also included a presentation from FTA staff that highlighted TAM program updates. If you are interested in learning more, the recording and transcript will be available on the 2022 TAM Roundtable website.
Submit Your Agency’s TAM Plans: TAM Plan examples are available on the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) website. Submit your TAM Plan to APTA to be featured on the site.
U.S. DOT Announced New Funding Opportunities: FTA will award more than $400 million to 39 states for transportation projects designed to modernize bus systems and make bus routes safer. In addition, President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allowed FTA to announce new funding to expand the availability of sustainable buses in communities across the country. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will also award more than $20 billion as an investment in U.S. transit that will modernize and expand transit services in communities across the country while combatting the climate crisis. Lastly, FTA announced approximately $343 million available in Fiscal Year 2022 grants via the All Stations Accessibility Program, which helps finance capital projects that are designed to repair, improve, modify, retrofit, or relocate station infrastructure.
National Transit Institute (NTI) TAM Lifecycle Management Training: Mark your calendars and sign up for the fall and winter sessions of National Transit Institute Enhancing Your Transit Asset Management Program with Lifecycle Management training. There is still space available in the October, November, and December sessions.
2020 National Transit Database Snapshot Report: Check out FTA’s National Transit Database Snapshot Report for a summary of data reported by transit agencies in 2020. 2018 and 2019 National Transit Database Snapshot Reports are also available.
2022 Using TAMPLATE to Create a TAM Plan Webinar: On April 28, 2022, the FTA TAM Program hosted a webinar on how to use TAMPLATE to create a TAM Plan. This webinar included a presentation from the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation.
New FTA Review of Standards for the Track-inspection and Maintenance Report: FTA recently published the Review of Standards for Track Inspection and Maintenance as part of the FTA Standards-development Program. The FTA-sponsored report focuses on the state of inspection and maintenance practices for rail transit agencies in the U.S. The report includes a comparison of U.S. standards for rail transit track inspections and maintenance with the standards of other countries, a gap analysis to determine deficiencies in our current standards, and recommendations to FTA regarding the development of voluntary standards, protocols, guidelines, and/or recommended practices.
New Primers on Applying Transportation Asset Management for Traffic Signals and Intelligent Transportation Systems: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released two publications on Applying Transportation Asset Management for Traffic Signals and Intelligent Transportation Systems. These primers will help state and local agencies apply asset management principles to assets that are consistent with the FHWA requirements for Transportation Asset Management Plans (TAMPs). These documents—along with the related webinars—are located on the FHWA Asset Management for Operations website.
APTA Policy Brief – Workforce Shortages That Impact the Recovery of Public Transportation: In March 2022, APTA released a policy brief highlighting how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the public transportation workforce, creating shortages that resulted in cancelled or delayed services. Bus operator positions were the most difficult to fill, followed by bus maintenance positions, supervisory positions, and rail operator and maintenance positions.
Transit Cooperative Research Program Synthesis on Bus Rapid Transit: The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Bus Rapid Transit Current State of the Practice Report, which includes survey findings, shows that there is currently a high level of interest in bus rapid transit and prioritized bus services in both the U.S. and Canada.
NCHRP 23-06 – Guide to Computation and Use of System level Valuation of Transportation Assets: The Guide to Computation and Use of System level Valuation of Transportation Assets details how to calculate asset value and use it to support application in TAM. This guide is designed for use by all U.S. public agencies that manage transportation assets, including state and local DOTs, transit agencies, port authorities, and airport operators.
Supply Chain Impacts on the State of Good Repair: Agencies across the country are struggling with delays in manufacturing and shipping, leaving transit fleets in need of parts and skilled mechanics to help install the parts once they arrive. The delays linked to the supply chain have resulted in more vehicles being sidelined as they await repairs. To manage delays, Seattle area transit coordinated with local agencies and sought new suppliers and products.
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is Working on Replacing its Aging Trolley Fleet: The first step in the replacement process for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) trolley fleet occurred when the transit agency issued a request for proposals for replacement vehicles. SEPTA has eight trolley lines that run for 68 miles through the region, connecting communities in West Philadelphia, Southwest Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, and Delaware County. In addition to buying new vehicles to replace the 130 vehicles currently in use, they will also make on-street improvements to bring existing stations into compliance with ADA requirements. The project will cost an estimated $1.8 billion, which includes $800 million for the vehicles.
The Detroit Department of Transportation Adds Four Electric Buses into Detroit’s Public Transit Fleet: On May 23, 2022, the Detroit Department of Transportation announced that it officially launched four electric buses into regular service during a launch ceremony featuring local leadership figures, local sustainability experts, and Proterra leadership. According to the article, the new vehicles are the first electric buses in the Detroit Department of Transportation fleet and will provide the city’s residents with an environmentally friendly travel option that produces fewer emissions, is quieter and more energy efficient, and that requires fewer parts than vehicles powered by standard fossil fuels.
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