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About RTAP

The Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP) was initiated in 1986 by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to provide funding to assist in the design and implementation of training and technical assistance projects and other support services tailored to meet the specific needs of transit operators in non-urbanized areas. The federal program provides an annual allocation to each State to develop and implement training and technical assistance programs in conjunction with the State’s administration of the Section 5311 formula assistance program. (Federal Transit Administration Circular 9040.1F)

The national program recognizes the need for transit systems in communities with populations under 50,000 and understands that these types of systems require special skills and knowledge in order to provide quality service in these unique areas. The National RTAP supports the statewide program by providing free technical assistance products and services to rural and tribal transit operators and state DOTs.

RTAP Objectives

  • To promote the safe and effective delivery of public transportation in non-urbanized and small urban areas of California and to make more efficient use of public and private resources.
  • To foster the development of state and local capacity for addressing the training and technical assistance needs of the rural/small urban transportation community.
  • To improve the quality of information and technical assistance available through the development of training and technical assistance resources.
  • To facilitate peer-to-peer self-help through the development of local networks of transit professionals.
  • To support the coordination of public, private, specialized, and human service transportation services.
  • To assist in building a national and state of California database on the non-urbanized and small urban segment of the public transportation industry.

MO-RTAP

The Missouri RTAP center is located at Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) in Rolla and since April 2012, Missouri S&T has been contracted by MoDOT to manage the RTAP program. MORTAP provides resources, training, and technical assistance to transit providers located in a non-urbanized area of Missouri and funded under the Section 5311 Non-urbanized Area Formula Program.

MORTAP also provides financial assistance to any RTAP eligible transit agency or organization wishing to attend a training program, professional development program, or educational conference under the RTAP Scholarship Program.

National RTAP

Committed to bringing technology and innovation to rural and tribal transit, National RTAP has developed cutting-edge technology tools for tasks such as building a website, managing resources and events, and finding federal clauses for procurement projects. Other products and services include training modules, webinars, technical briefs and newsletters, and networking resources. Transit providers can use National RTAP services and products to enhance their own knowledge and effectiveness by creating or updating training classes, getting expert advice from a peer, or asking questions about transit planning, operations, and funding.

National RTAP's website (www.nationalrtap.org) contains a wealth of information about products, programs, and news in the public transit sector. All resources, including training materials, eNews, and technology tools, can be accessed online through the website. A bi-weekly newsletter (eNews) is published by the staff, and includes updates about new resources, notices from federal and national agencies, and current events in the field. To receive eNews, interested individuals can sign up on the home page of the website. National RTAP also provides past webinar videos on the site, as well as an extensive collection of web app (web-based application) instructional videos.

Web apps available at no cost include:

  • EventShare, a global calendar for sharing events
  • ProcurementPRO 2.0, a tool that identifies the appropriate federal clauses and certifications for federally funded procurement projects
  • Website Builder, a website-building application hosted with National RTAP
  • GTFS Builder, a tool that helps to organize transit route and schedule data for upload to Google Transit
  • ResourceShare, a web app that allows users to upload and share documents, links, and other resources, as well as connects customers to National RTAP’s Resource Library
  • Contact Builder, a contact management and emailing tool

Transit agencies and states interested in using National RTAP’s web-based applications simply need to sign up for a free Cloud account. National RTAP In-the- Cloud is an online space where customers can access National RTAP web apps without having to download any programs.

In addition to technology-based tools, National RTAP has developed a suite of training modules covering a range of topics from transit system management to emergency procedures to customer service. National RTAP’s training modules provide transit providers and state DOT officials with practical training tools. Rural and Tribal transit providers and state DOT officials can also take advantage of National RTAP’s technical assistance services. To contact National RTAP or to take advantage of the free resources offered to rural and Tribal transit providers and other stakeholders, visit www.nationalrtap.org or by e-mail info@nationalrtap.org or call (888) 589-6821.