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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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2011-2012 Association of Travel Instruction Officers: |
President
President-elect
Secretary
Treasurer |
Mary
Riegelmayer
Peggy Schmidt
Susan Olsson
Rosanne Bopp |
To contact any of
the above ATI Officers or the eight additional ATI Board of
Directors members, please
CLICK HERE.
E-news Editor: Terry Moakley E-news Designer: Terry
Massie |
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ATI 2011-2012
Silver Sponsors
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http://ctdelco.org
Eddystone, Pennsylvania |
Baltimore, Maryland |
http://suburbantransit.org
Blue Bell,
Pennsylvania |
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IN THIS ISSUE: |
1.
President's
Message by Mary Riegelmayer
2.
National Center on Senior Transportation Grant
Opportunity
3.
Travel Training Position Available in Riverside, CA
4.
Congressional
2012 Public Transportation Appropriations Law Signed November 18
5.
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) Holds ADA and Accessible
Transportation Hearing
6.
USDOT Awards
Veterans, Wounded Warrior Transportation Grants
7.
Forward this Newsletter |
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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE BY MARY RIEGELMAYER
Happy Holidays everyone.
This year has passed so quickly and another year is almost gone. I
hope it was a happy and prosperous year and if not, that next year
will be. August will soon be here and as you prepare for the holiday
season, you may want to keep in mind that next year’s ATI conference
will be upon us before we know it. Our 2012 conference will be in
Boulder, Colorado, on August 10-12. Many organizations are
struggling in today’s economy to find ways to support their travel
training programs. Are you having similar difficulties? Share your
experiences, successes and failures by writing a blurb for the
newsletter. We’d love to learn from your experiences. If you have
some exciting news you would like the “world” to know, have
something interesting you’ve done or seen that you would like to
share, or have questions you want answers to, please consider
submitting them for inclusion in the e-news or newsletter. Make it
part of your New Year’s resolution to share your news and send the
interesting tidbits you’d like to see in print to either Board
member Jonathan Rubell,
jrubell@kennedyctr.org, or to Terry Moakley,
tmoakley@unitedspinal.org. Another way to share your knowledge
is to consider being a presenter at the 2012 Conference in Boulder.
ATI’s Conference Committee and Board of Directors are
working hard to make next year’s conference as successful as last
year’s Philadelphia gathering. We will be sending out a “Call For
Papers” soon, so start thinking about sharing your expertise by
presenting at the Conference. The Board is also working on a
five-year strategic plan and restructuring our membership
application, forms and roster to ensure a more effective and
efficient organization. You will be receiving more information in
the upcoming months regarding these changes and updates. We also
look forward to hearing from you. Have a wonderful Holiday season! |
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NATIONAL CENTER ON
SENIOR TRANSPORTATION GRANT OPPORTUNITY
The National Center on Senior Transportation recently announced a
grant opportunity titled “Enhancing Older Adult Mobility Through
Person-Centered Mobility Management.”
This funding may be used to create comprehensive mobility management
systems, increase mobility in urban and rural areas, and improve
public transit access for older persons. NCST expects to make up to
eight awards in amounts of $50,000 or less. Only nonprofit or
governmental agencies, including county or city government, councils
of government and Tribal Nations, that are involved in the
administration, delivery or coordination of transportation or aging
services may apply.
CLICK HERE to read the Request For Proposals or visit the
NCST website,
http://seniortransportation.easterseals.com/.
The deadline for grant proposal submissions is 11:59 PM ET December
23, 2011. |
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TRAVEL TRAINING POSITION
AVAILABLE IN RIVERSIDE, CA
The Riverside Transit
Agency (RTA) is seeking to fill the position of Travel Training
Specialist.
This position includes conducting
in-person assessments of passengers seeking training, teaching
program participants to travel safely and independently by accessing
public transportation throughout Riverside County, and assisting in
program marketing, community outreach and passenger relations
activities. Work hours must be flexible to facilitate scheduled
trainings. Bilingual ability (Spanish) is a must. Bachelor’s degree
in a related field and two years of progressively responsible
experience in the related field are required, but additional
education may be substituted or educational requirements may be
waived based on previous work history. This position is open until
filled.
CLICK HERE for complete job requirements and instructions
for applying. |
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CONGRESSIONAL 2012
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION APPROPRIATIONS LAW SIGNED NOVEMBER 18
President Obama signed
into law a fiscal year 2012 Appropriations package that includes the
U.S. Department of Transportation, and that was agreed to by the
House and Senate on November 17.
This law provides the Federal Transit Administration with $10.6
billion, which is three percent more than last year’s appropriations
amount. Also, it increases funds for both formula and bus grants,
and it expands the funding level for “New Starts” by 22%. New Bus
Rapid Transit (BRT) projects funded by this law will be undertaken
in Fresno, Oakland,
San Francisco, Jacksonville, Grand Rapids, El Paso, Seattle and
Hartford. Other major rail “New Starts” funding provided for in this
law include New York City, Dallas, Salt Lake City, Seattle,
Minneapolis, Orlando, Denver and Houston. On the other hand, the
budget for the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) was cut
by almost 25%. In a related development, it appears that the House
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will not move forward
with a five year transportation reauthorization measure until late
January or early February of 2012. |
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SENATOR TOM HARKIN
(D-IA) HOLDS ADA AND ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORTATION HEARING
On November 17, U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, chair
of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and
generally recognized as “the father of the ADA,” held a hearing at
the Capitol in Washington, DC, entitled “The Americans with
Disabilities Act and Accessible Transportation: Challenges and
Opportunities.”
Witnesses included David Capozzi, Executive Director of the U.S.
Access Board. Mr. Capozzi discussed shortcomings in the enforcement
of the Air Carrier Access Act, including inadequate training of
airline staff to provide appropriate assistance to passengers with
disabilities; mass transit issues, with some focus on Amtrak’s
failure to meet its 20 year ADA compliance responsibility; and taxi
issues, making the point that not much progress at all has been
achieved in the growth of accessible taxis. Other witnesses included
Marca Bristo, Executive Director of Access Living in Chicago, and
Bill Altom,
Executive Director, Association of Programs for Rural Independent
Living. Read all testimony at
http://help.senate.gov/hearings/hearing/?id=8d2471d5-5056-9502-5d10-0eac4326582a. |
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USDOT AWARDS VETERANS,
WOUNDED WARRIOR TRANSPORTATION GRANTS
On November 9th, U.S. Department of
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that the FTA has
awarded $34.6 million to projects in 55 states and Guam under its
“Veterans Transportation and Community Living Initiative” grant
program.
The big winner was the state of Florida, where six projects were
funded at a total of $7.3 million. Most of these grants will be used
to fund one call, one click projects; coordinated transportation
services; or, mobility management programs. To read the complete
list and description of projects funded under this initiative,
CLICK HERE. |
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FORWARD THIS NEWSLETTER
Know other travel trainers,
travel instructors, mobility specialists, ADA coordinators, ADA
Paratransit eligibility certifiers, travel buddies, human service
agency transportation staff, school transition coordinators,
independent living center or other disability group transportation
advocates—basically anyone who assists persons with disabilities or
seniors to use public transportation, or who is thinking of starting
any type of travel training service, from short and simple group
familiarization programs to intensive, short-term one-on-one travel
training?
If so, please forward this issue to them. Help ATI
build its membership and attract new sponsors |
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P.O. Box 2042 - Madison Square Station
- New York, NY 10159 |
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