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Registration Now Open, From the Other Washington, CTANW Conference Announcement, Job of the Week, Transit Jobs and News!
Vol. 4, Issue 18: May 17, 2019
Registration Now Open
 
WSTA is excited to announce registration is now open for the 2019 43rd Public Transportation Conference, Vendor Expo, and State Roadeo. 

Please visit the Conference website for information regarding; registration, lodging, agenda, how to get there, and Wall of Fame nomination guidelines and entry form. 

CLICK HERE to visit the Conference Website

We will be rolling out guest speakers, session details and further conference highlights as we the weeks go on.  In the meantime take advantage of that early bird registration price and get your hotel! 

Thank you to our Hoste Agencies King County Metro and Sound Transit as well as our Conference partners WSDOT. 

Stay tuned for more information! 


 

Administration Pulls California High Speed Rail Funding

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced that it will deobligate $928.6 million in funding to the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) for its California High-Speed Train Program project. FRA argued that CHSRA has “failed to make reasonable progress on the Project” and “abandoned its original vision of a high-speed passenger rail service connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles.” A letter from FRA Administrator Ronald Batory expands on the rationale for the decision. FRA also asserted that it will examine possible deobligation of $2.5 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds awarded to CHSRA. See California Senator Dianne Feinstein's reaction and House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy's reaction for more information. Please let us know if you have any concerns regarding local impacts in California, and we would be glad to follow up with our colleagues at DOT.
 

Senate Finance Forms Tax Extenders Task Forces

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Ranking Member Ron Wyden announced the formation of bipartisan task forces intended to develop long-term fixes to 42 expiring tax provision, as well as a task force to address tax provisions for natural disasters. The tax extender task forces are subdivided into: Employment and Community Development, to be co-led by Washington Senator Maria Cantwell; Disaster Tax Relief; Health; Energy; Cost Recovery; and Individual, Excise, and Other Expiring Policies. See this report produced by the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) on the tax provisions under consideration for additional information.

DOT FTA FY 2019 Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program. There is $423.35 million in total program funding. The deadline to apply is June 21, 2019.
 
The purpose is to support projects to replace, rehabilitate, purchase, or lease buses and related equipment and facilities. Projects may include construction of bus facilities. FTA will prioritize projects that address significant maintenance needs, improve transit safety, and deploy technologies that connect buses with other networks. Grantees may allocate up to one percent of funding for workforce development and training activities.
 
The minimum cost share requirement is generally 20 percent of the total project cost; however, the local cost share requirement is only 15 percent to acquire buses or 10 percent to acquire or construct bus-related equipment or facilities that assist with compliance with the Clean Air Act (CAA) and/or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. There is a 10 percent set aside of this funding for projects in rural areas. For your reference, the maximum award received by a single applicant in FY 2018 was $11 million. In the previous round, no State received more than 8 percent of the total funding availability.
 
Eligible applicants include State, local, and tribal governments that provide fixed route bus services, as well as any entities that allocate funds to fixed route bus operators. Subrecipients may include private nonprofit organizations engaged in public transportation.
 
For more information, please see the NOFO or Program Website. For questions or assistance, you may contact Mark Bathrick at mark.bathrick@dot.gov or (202) 366-9955. We would also be glad to make an inquiry on your behalf.

 

Senate Appropriations to Begin Markups in June

According to a recent CQ Roll Call interview, Senate Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee Chairwoman Shelley Moore Capito announced that markups for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 appropriations bills will begin in June. Unlike the House, the Senate Appropriations Committee has not yet set top-line 302(a) spending allocations, but Chairwoman Capito indicated that discretionary funding levels might match those of FY 2019.




2nd Annual Providers Summit and Annual Meeting
 
The CTANW 2nd Annual Providers Summit and Annual Meeting is in SeaTac again this year and we would love to see you there!  Mark your calendar for June 13 and 14 and click HERE to register now!
 
When: June 13-14
Where: SeaTac Doubletree Inn
Registration: CLICK HERE
Cost: $200 for both days, or $125 for one day
Topics: See the agenda below
Lodging:  SeaTac Doubletree Inn, https://book.passkey.com/go/2019CTANW
Meals: Breakfast and lunch included both days
 

 Tentative Program Agenda
Thursday, June 13
Coalition Building
Procurement
Transportation's Role in Battle Against Sex Trafficking
Respectful Language
UTC regulations
GPAC Process
Grants Management Services
Future of Transportation
Changes in ADA Paratransit
Keynote:  "It's the Little Things"
 
Friday, June 14
Legislative Panel
CTANW Annual Meeting
Excellent Customer Service
Optional tour of 2016 Complete Streets Project in Kirkland

WSTA Job of the Week:

Manager of Finance and Administration
Spokane Transit

 

Plans, organizes, coordinates and manages the agency’s fiscal and administrative staff and activities including financial, administrative and risk management functions. Ensures fiscal and administrative services are provided in compliance with a variety of applicable State and Federal laws, regulations and requirements as well as directives of the Board and the Executive Director. Serves as a member of the Agency’s management team. This position is also the Internal Auditor & Treasurer of the PTBA as authorized by RCW 36.57A.130. As Internal Auditor this position must report to the Executive Director and the Board of Directors on irregularities that would place Skagit Transit in compliance liability.

 

 
CLICK HERE

WSTA offers a comprehensive clearinghouse for transit jobs across the state.  Use our website to interactively locate an agency in the area you wish to work or scroll through the list agencies and jobs available.  

If you are a transit agency and have an opening - please use the submit button on the website.
 
Visit WSTA Committees web page, HERE, for information on each meeting listed below.

SMTA 2nd Quarter Meeting
May 30
Semiahmoo Resort

2nd Quarter WSTA Board of Directors 
May 30 - 31
Semiahmoo Resort

HR Roundtable
June 7
Wenatchee, WA

Transit Planners Meeting
June 14
Everett, WA 
2nd Quarter FOLC Meeting
June 26
Richland, WA

2019 Washington State Public Transportation Conference, Vendor Expo, and State Roadeo
August 16-20
SeaTac, WA

Full 2019 Events Calendar
can be found HERE

transit employees are encouraged to follow, engage and participate in the WSTA committee structure.  No need to be asked or nominated to join your counterparts around the state!

What Committee best fits you?  

Click HERE to find out! 


 
WSTA pays an annual membership to the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC), which allows our Transit Agency members access to their services.  Check out what is new with MRSC. 

Available for WSTA Transit Members: 
Ask MRSC - Ask MRSC Archives


 


Ask Transit
WSTA's partner tWashingtonton State Transit Insurance Pool (WSTIP) provides an "Ask Transit" tool which allows agency employees to ask a question and staff will work to research that question and respond back. 
.
Click Here to Ask Transit

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