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"Our mission is to support providers
of travel instruction for the purpose of
teaching people with disabilities and seniors
to travel safely and independently."
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IN THIS ISSUE: |
1.
Call For
Papers Coming Soon
2.
Current
Transportation Appropriations Law Extended
3.
New
Freedom Report Available on FTA Website
4. Sidewalk Cross Slope Research Continues
5.
What is “Complete Streets?"
6. Accessible Taxis Debut in DC
7. Forward this Newsletter |
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CALL FOR PAPERS
COMING SOON
The ATI Conference
Committee is preparing the Call For Papers for ATI’s 10th Annual
Professional Development Conference, to be held from Friday, August
13 to Sunday, August 15, 2010 at the Sheraton Baltimore City Center
Hotel in Baltimore, MD.
To learn more about our host hotel, visit
http://www.sheratonbaltimorecitycenter.com. The ATI conference
is recommended for travel instructors, travel trainers, mobility
specialists, travel buddies, ADA coordinators, human service
agencies, transportation advocates—basically anyone in the field of
teaching individuals with disabilities and/or seniors to use local
public transportation service, or, anyone thinking of establishing a
travel training program. If you have an idea for a presentation at
the 2010 ATI Conference, email your request to Rosanne Bopp at
rozzdom@aol.com, or to Terence Moakley at
tmoakley@unitedspinal.org. |
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CURRENT TRANSPORTATION APPROPRIATIONS LAW EXTENDED
As health care reform continued to dominate the news and the
action of both houses of the U.S. Congress before and after the
holiday season, our legislative bodies quietly approved a Defense
Department appropriations bill that also extended the current
highways and transportation authorization law through February 28,
2010.
This means that many public transportation projects, as well as
operating assistance levels, continue at the federal fiscal year
2009 levels. The SAFETEA-LU highway and transportation funding
authorization law expired on September 30, 2009, and this is the
ongoing reason for very short-term appropriations measures. At press
time, it is unclear when the Congress will take up a new multi-year
highway and transportation authorization bill. |
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NEW FREEDOM REPORT
AVAILABLE ON FTA WEBSITE
The Federal Transit
Administration has published a report on the JARC and New
Freedom services in operation in federal fiscal years 2007 and
2008.
This report provides the first FTA evaluation of the New Freedom
program since its inception. Travel training services are one of
many eligible activities for grants in the New Freedom program,
and over 200 New Freedom services were in operation nationwide
in 2007 and/or 2008. The New Freedom report and profiles may be
found at
www.fta.dot.gov/funding/grants/grants_financing_3549.html.
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SIDEWALK CROSS SLOPE
RESEARCH CONTINUES
The U.S. Access
Board (www.access-board.gov)
is sponsoring research by the Human Engineering Research Laboratory
at the University of Pittsburgh on the effects of cross slope on
wheelchair travel.
Preliminary study results indicate that surface slopes running
across the direction of travel, often referred to as the “cross
slope,” have a major impact on manual wheelchair propulsion. HERL
researchers found that measures used in previous studies do not
fully capture the complex effects of cross slope, and that few
studies included testing in outdoor environments over a range of
surfaces. Further, the complex effects of cross slope are more
pronounced among older adults, women, and individuals with
progressive conditions, such as multiple sclerosis and upper
extremity impairment. Subject testing to measure work, energy,
distance-per-stroke and pushrim forces is ongoing at HERL on a range
of cross and running slopes and surface conditions. |
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WHAT IS "COMPLETE
STREETS?"
Complete Streets are designed and operated
to enable safe access for all users—public transportation riders,
bicyclists, pedestrians, older persons, children, individuals with
disabilities and motorists.
The National Complete Streets Coalition seeks to fundamentally
transform the look, feel, and function of the roads and streets in
our communities by changing the way most roads are planned, designed
and constructed. On this Coalition’s website,
www.completestreets.org, one can find an awareness-building
slide show on the need for complete streets, or arrange for a
workshop in your city to help get a complete streets law adopted.
Complete Streets is a movement that is gaining momentum every day.
Learn how it can positively transform your community. |
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ACCESSIBLE TAXIS DEBUT
IN DC
Yellow Cab, tel. (202) 544-1213 or Royal
Cab, tel. (202) 398-0500 in Washington, DC are the numbers to call
to get a wheelchair-accessible taxi trip.
Currently, these companies are offering limited
wheelchair-accessible taxi service in a brief testing phase of the
first accessible taxicabs in our Nation’s Capitol. The service is
being provided by Toyota Sienna minivans equipped with ramps at the
rear door and interior wheelchair tie-downs. The companies are
starting out with limited service to learn and address any
operational problems prior to a March rollout of a total of 20
wheelchair-accessible taxis. Wheelchair-accessible taxi trips in DC
must be booked through either of the above dispatch numbers; can
only accommodate standard size wheelchairs weighing 600 lbs. or
less; and, are curb-to-curb trips, so wheelchair users are
encouraged to be at a location with easy access to the street. Fares
are the same as those for non-wheelchair using customers, and tips
for quality service are encouraged. The Metropolitan Washington
Council of Governments seeks feedback of any type to be sent to
tpbcoordination@mwcog.org. |
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FORWARD THIS NEWSLETTER
Know other travel trainers who are
not ATI members, or other persons simply interested in ATI’s
mission?
If so, please forward this issue
to them. Help ATI build our membership and attract new sponsors! |
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P.O. Box 2042 - Madison Square Station
- New York, NY 10159 |
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