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November 17, 2023 | An APTA Publication
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FTA Announces $5 Million to Improve Transit Access
“For seniors, for people with disabilities, for low-income families, transit access isn’t just about getting where you need to go, it’s about dignity and independence,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Thanks to President Biden, we are proud to provide new funding that will connect underserved populations with necessities such as medical care and groceries through affordable, accessible public transit.”
FTA’s Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility (ICAM) Grants, support public transportation projects that improve state and regional coordination and will help advance the goals of the President’s Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.
“All Americans should be able to easily access healthcare and other critical needs to live their lives,” said FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez. “We are excited to provide funding opportunities to improve how local, state and regional organizations coordinate transportation services to facilitate connections in communities. We are committed to ensuring no American is left out.”
Applications for funding will be evaluated based on criteria outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity in the Federal Register. An additional $4.8 million is authorized for FY24 and FTA may award additional funding that is made available to the program prior to the announcement of project selections.
Applications are due by Feb. 13.
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APTA Events Early-Bird Registration Discounts Ending TODAY!
Early-bird registration discounts for APTA’s Safety & Risk Management Seminar, Dec. 10-13 in Austin, TX, and the Business Members Annual Meeting, Jan. 23-26 in Rio Grande, PR, end TODAY!
 APTA’s Safety & Risk Management Seminar is a thought-provoking event with special tracks for both transit risk management and safety professionals. Learn the latest practices from industry experts and network with your peers.
The Business Members Annual Meeting is a robust exploration of critical issues, business topics and market trends. Make your voice heard and help shape APTA’s private-sector agenda at this meeting.
All APTA business members are encouraged to register and attend the Business Members Annual Meeting.
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Register for these APTA Webinars
Power Up: Working with Electric Utilities in Public Transportation’s Zero-Emission Transition
Nov. 29, 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Coordination with local electric utilities is a critical and essential step as many public transit agencies transition to electric-powered fleets. Webinar panelists will review the physical infrastructure and power supply required to charge multiple battery-electric buses at a time, and ways to work out the most favorable rates.
Learn more and register.
Lessons from Down Under–Insights from APTA’s Study Mission to Australia and New Zealand
Dec. 4, 6:00 p.m. Eastern
In August, APTA, in partnership with the Public Transport Association Australia New Zealand (PTAANZ), brought 35 public transit executives from the U.S. to Australia and New Zealand to learn from the region’s top public transport authorities, projects and operators.
Over the course of two weeks, the U.S. delegation met with industry practitioners in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney to discuss priorities, successes and lessons learned, focusing on project delivery models, customer service enhancements and the transition to zero emissions.
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Upcoming APTA Events
Winter Legislative Committee Meeting
and Capitol Hill Holiday Reception
Dec. 7
Washington, DC
Please note: the hotel room-block cutoff has been extended until Nov. 21. Reserve your room today!
2023 Commuter Rail CEO Workshop
Dec. 6–7
Washington, DC
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New CEOs Named
Monica Tibbits-Nutt, MassDOT
 MA Governor Maura T. Healey has appointed Monica Tibbits-Nutt as secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). Tibbits-Nutt has been serving as acting secretary since mid-September and was previously undersecretary for transportation.
Tibbits-Nutt also served on the MassDOT Board of Directors and as vice-chair of the Fiscal Management and Control Board that oversaw the MBTA from 2015-2021. Prior to accepting her current role, she was executive director of 128 Business Council, a transportation management association and regional service provider that builds privately funded, cooperative public transportation routes throughout the Route 128 West Corridor.
In addition, Tibbits-Nutt is vice president of the non-profit Youth Engagement Planning (YEP!), which brings urban planning and community advocacy into K-12 environments, and serves on the board of directors of WTS International and the WTS Foundation and on the board of trustees of TransitCenter, a foundation that works to secure a more just and sustainable future with abundant public transportation options.
Sharon Cooney, California Transit Association
 The California Transit Association (CTA) has announced the appointment of Sharon Cooney, CEO, San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), as chair of its executive committee. Cooney succeeds Karen King, CEO, Golden Empire Transit District, Bakersfield.
Cooney previously served as vice chair of the committee during the 2021-23 term. She also led the association’s Finance & Management Committee and Transit Operations Funding Subcommittee.
Cooney was named the first woman CEO in the history of MTS in 2020 after a 15-year career with the organization where she held many top-level positions, including director of government affairs, director of planning, chief of staff and deputy chief executive officer.
For APTA, Cooney is a member of the Public Transportation CEO Coordinating Council and serves on the Bus & Paratransit CEOs, Rail Transit CEOs, Legislative and Access committees, among others.
 In addition, CTA has elected Erin Rogers, CEO and general manager, Omnitrans, San Bernardino, as vice-chair.
Rogers joined Omnitrans in 2017 as deputy general manager, before becoming the first woman appointed to lead the agency in 2020. She has nearly three decades of experience in the public transit industry, including 16 years at the Orange County Transportation Authority, where she served as assistant general manager for 10 years.
For APTA, Rogers is a member of the Executive Committee, Board of Directors and Public Transportation CEO Coordinating Council. She is chair of the Bus & Paratransit CEOs Committee and serves on the Mid-Size Operations; Innovative Funding, Finance and P3; and Access committees, among others. She is a graduate of the Leadership APTA Class of 2010.
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In Memoriam
William Mooney, WRMooney & Associates
 William Robert Mooney, III, died Nov. 7. He was 70 years old.
Mooney began his career in public transportation in 1975 with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), where he would stay for more than 34 years—serving as head of its paratransit program, rail and bus operations and ultimately as chief operating officer.
After CTA, Mooney served as VP of rail for Halcrow, before moving to Samsung C&T as Sr. VP, open standards fare systems. He then joined H.W. Lochner, Inc., where he served as vice president or rail and transit for five years before forming his own independent transit consultancy, WRMooney & Associates.
For APTA, Mooney had been a member of the Standard Bus Procurement Guidelines Working Group and Standards Development Oversight Council and had been chair of the Rail Standards Policy & Planning Committee. In addition, he had served on the High-Speed & Intercity Passenger Rail; Rail Transit; Bus Technical Maintenance; Bus Operations; Innovative Funding, Finance and P3; Sustainability; and Legislative committees, among others.
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FTA Listening Session on Hours of Service, Fatigue Risk Management
FTA will use the information received in response to the ANPRM to inform future decision-making on whether and how to pursue federal regulatory action. The ANPRM will be open for comments until Dec. 29.
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FTA to Hold TRACS Meeting
The committee’s focus areas for 2022–24 include reducing bus collisions, cybersecurity and data management, and advancing worker and rider safety.
TRACS provides information, advice and recommendations on transit safety and other issues as determined by the Secretary of Transportation and the FTA administrator.
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