January 2009 - Vol. 5, No. 3
In this issue:
Please note: As of July 2009, this Web site is available as an information resource, but is no longer being updated since the program is not currently active.
Local Efforts in Community Transportation
Minnesota partnership develops action plan for older drivers
By 2030, Minnesota’s population of individuals over age 65 will grow to 1.2 million—and the related proportion of drivers will grow as well. In 2006, older drivers were involved in only 7 percent of all traffic crashes in Minnesota but accounted for 17 percent of all traffic fatalities.
These statistics point to the need for good multidisciplinary planning to keep older drivers driving safely and help transition them from the car to other alternatives when they are at risk and can no longer drive, says Mark Hoisser, president of DARTS and a member of the Minnesota Partnership for Safe Mobility (MPSM). MPSM was recently selected by the National Center on Senior Transportation (NCST) as one of six transit initiatives to receive training and funds toward developing a statewide older driver action plan that includes alternative transportation systems.
MPSM is a collaboration of 16 public, nonprofit, and academic experts whose mission is to “influence policy, create new initiatives, and promote research to improve the safety and mobility of Minnesota’s aging population.” Ten MPSM members met in Dallas in September to begin the work with five other states. Each state received $5,000 to develop its action plan as well as ongoing technical assistance. In November, MPSM was one of two state initiatives awarded an additional $6,000 from NCST for plan implementation. The MPSM team includes staff from DARTS, the Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging, the Minnesota Departments of Transportation (Office of Transit), Driver and Vehicle Services, Public Safety, and Health; and the State Highway Patrol. DARTS will serve as the lead agency and fiscal agent for plan implementation.
To date, Hoisser said Team Minnesota has set the framework and a timeline for the work to be implemented by October 2009; a summary presentation will be made at the annual Toward Zero Deaths conference that same month. The first phase of the Minnesota plan includes selectively adding key participants; mapping the state’s ticketing, evaluation, and examination process for older drivers; and creating a critical outreach and meeting calendar to prepare for implementation. A formal communication plan will be finished in the first quarter of 2009 along with enhancements to the MPSM Web site. Longer-term strategies include added research, policy, and advocacy work on behalf of older drivers and mobility options for communities.
The NCST, in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), solicited proposals for comprehensive older driver safety plans that were unified in approach and inclusive of alternative transportation systems. NCST and its partner organizations will help states coordinate local organizations, address older driver obstacles, and provide transportation alternatives in urban and rural locations.
State Efforts in Community Transportation
ICTC submits plan, details initiatives for upcoming year
In its recently submitted annual report to the governor, Minnesota’s Interagency Committee on Transit Coordination (ICTC) identified key coordination areas and action recommendations for 2009.
The first is vehicle and client sharing, for which the committee is exploring insurance options for providers. If insurance companies could allow sharing of clients via an insurance pool or consortium, this could save clients money due to economies of scale. The ICTC in 2009 will also establish a working group, consisting of members from the Minnesota Departments of Human Services (DHS) and Transportation (Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations and Office of Transit), Metropolitan Council, and Council on Disability to clarify motor carrier and specialized transportation services (STS) rules and regulations so they are no longer viewed as a barrier to transportation coordination.
Another area being examined is cost sharing and purchasing, for which the Met Council is working on creating billing software. The ICTC will consider forming a working group, including members from the Minnesota Department of Finance, to identify possible strategies for developing standardized contract costing principals and methods. The feasibility of the cost sharing strategy may be tested with a demonstration project in late 2009.
The ICTC is also working with an interagency group undertaking a billing study to develop a way to coordinate funding for cost-effective service delivery and to develop protocols for data management across state agencies to facilitate its use by local systems. As part of the effort, the billing study group will identify appropriate accountability measures such as timeliness, cost effectiveness, and ease of use. Once completed, the committee will issue guidance on appropriate transportation measures to all state agencies.
In the area of communications and coordinated planning, the ICTC noted that the new Web site, www.coordinatemntransit.org, is up and running, and the committee will be working on locally coordinated plans. The 2008 report to the governor (PDF 37 KB), as well as ICTC meeting minutes, are available on the site.
The ICTC was established in 2005 by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty to further the coordination of health and human service programs and Minnesota's public transportation systems across the state.
Mn/DOT appoints new director for transit office
Mike Schadauer
Mike Schadauer has been appointed director of the Office of Transit, replacing longtime Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) veteran Donna Allan, who retired last February.
In his new position, Schadauer will manage grant programs for Greater Minnesota transit systems as well as participation in the Rural Transportation Assistance Program, development of the Greater Minnesota Transit Plan, and Mn/DOT’s bicycle and pedestrian initiatives.
A 1983 graduate of the University of Minnesota, Schadauer has a passion for developing intercity rail projects. He contributed to the engineering of a number of high-profile endeavors including the Hiawatha Light Rail transit, Northstar Corridor Rail, and Central Corridor LRT projects.
“I’m really excited about taking what I learned from my previous jobs, while making sure that each new transportation project is a sound investment for the entire community.”
Though he’s begun to acclimate to his current position, replacing long-time director Donna Allen, was admittedly a bit nerve-wracking. “It’s tough to follow someone who has been so instrumental to an organization,” Schadauer said. “But on the other hand, it’s a great foundation to jump onto, and fellow staff members have taught me a great deal since June.”
As for personal contributions to the department, Schadauer said he’s hoping to use his previous knowledge of alternative transportation to promote more work on intra-city rail programs.
As an avid bike commuter and second-generation environmental advocate—his father never drove to work, but rather, always walked or used public transportation—Schadauer said he’s dedicated to instilling a sense of environmental responsibility, via green transportation, to his two sons.
“I want them to know they can make a difference,” he said.
National Efforts in Community Transportation
TCRP reports available online
The federal Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP), administered by the Transportation Research Board, provides practical transit research to address technical and operational issues. TCRP emphasizes putting research results into the hands of organizations and individuals that can use them to solve problems.
Recent TCRP publications include:
Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas (TCRP Report 127) explores salary and benefit characteristics of transit systems in rural and small urban areas. An interactive computer tool, produced as part of this project, is available online and is designed to allow transit managers to quickly and easily obtain compensation and benefit data from comparable transit systems.
Civil Rights Implications of the Allocation of Funds between Bus and Rail (TCRP Legal Research Digest 27) examines complaints filed under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the Federal Transit Administration. The report also explores the number of Title VI challenges, the nature of transit agencies' responses to these challenges, U.S. Supreme Court decisions associated with Section 602 disparate impact violations, intentional discrimination claims, immunity, and more.
Effects of TOD on Housing, Parking, and Travel (TRCP Report 128) explores the demographics of transit-oriented development (TOD) residents and employers and their motives for locating in TODs. The report also examines the travel characteristics of residents before and after moving to a TOD and ways to increase transit ridership among these residents. In addition, the report reviews the potential effect of land-use and design features on travel patterns, transit rider-ship, and the decision to locate in a TOD.
Transit Systems in College and University Communities (TCRP Synthesis Report 78) explores practices and trends in the areas of campus transit operations, policies, and planning, with a special focus area in technology and environmental innovations. The report also examines innovative partnership strategies used to enhance services for students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding community.
Integration of Para-transit and Fixed-Route Transit Services (TCRP Synthesis 76) explores the experiences of transit agencies that have attempted to depart from the traditional binary model of separate fixed-route and para-transit services by seeking a variety of ways to integrate their services. Options examined in the report include the provision of para-transit feeder services, community bus or circulators, connectors, fixed-route fare incentives, and route deviation.
Uses of Fees or Alternatives to Fund Transit (TCRP Synthesis Report 28) explores the use of impact fees for transit in the United States. The report examines policy and legal considerations relating to the use of impact fees and developer exactions for transit, reviews various methodologies currently in use, and identifies cases that exemplify strategies transit agencies may pursue when considering impact fees as an alternative funding source.