 Dear Kathy,
Over the past six months, NYPTA has increased its e-communications to its members and stakeholders throughout New York State. This month, I am pleased to introduce our newly formatted Association Update. Our new e-communications system will allow us to produce more reader-friendly e-updates in a more timely fashion.
I hope you like the new format, and that you continue to read your Association Updates on a regular basis. This is our primary communications tool designed to keep you informed of industry and Association news and developments. Any ideas you have on how we can improve our e-communications with you are welcome and appreciated. Please email us at
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Thank you for your support of public transportation in New York State,
Ray Melleady
President
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Glynn, Anglin Resign from State Positions
NYS DOT Commissioner Astrid Glynn's resignation will become effective on May 8, 2009. Stanley Gee, First Deputy Commissioner, will serve as Acting Commissioner. Commissioner Glynn was the first woman to hold the position in New York State. In recent newspaper reports, Commissioner Glynn has said she looks forward to returning to her home and family in Massachusetts.
NYS Budget Director Laura Anglin will resign her position and become President of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities on July 16, 2009. Laura Anglin become budget director in January, 2008. |
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NYSDOT Posts ARRA Frequently Asked Questions
The New York State Department of Transportation has added an "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Information" page to its website. The website contains a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions. A summary of the questions they answer are provided below. For answers, please visit: https://www.nysdot.gov/recovery
General Questions
How are the transportation projects that will receive American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding selected?
Where can I find information advertisements for construction contracting opportunities for ARRA projects?
What type of "ready to go" projects does NYSDOT plan on using ARRA funding to construct?
Locally Administered
Federal Aid Projects
Where can I find more information about ARRA Locally Administered Federal Aid Projects?
What are the Federal requirements for locally administered Federal Aid projects?
Which roads are eligible to use Federal funding for projects?
Which bridges are eligible to use Federal funding for projects?
What type of project work can Federal funding be used for?
What types of project approvals are required?
What types of agreements are required?
How does a project become listed on the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)?
What is the consultant selection process for a locally administered Federal Aid project?
What is the Environmental process or requirements for a Federal Aid project?
What type of construction contract documents are required for locally administered Federal Aid projects to build a project?
Where can more detailed information on Locally Administered Federal Aid Projects in New York State be found?
Federal Aid
How do you convert a State Aid SEQR project to a Federal Aid NEPA project?
What type of element specific projects are eligible for Federal funding?
Can bridge deck replacements be added to Element Specific work eligible for Federal funding?
Are "Where and When (aka on-call and highway work order) Contracts Federal Aid eligible?
Are Emergency Standby Contracts Federal Aid eligible?
Where can I find more information on Federal Aid and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) project requirements?
Project Process
Does a project need to be on the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)/Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) before it is submitted to the FHWA for approval to advertise as an American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) project?
Will Federal and State project processes be streamlined or modified to deliver American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) projects?
What format should the Design Approval Document be in for American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) projects?
Will there be reimbursement funds available for utility companies for American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) projects?
How will the number of jobs created by American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) projects be determined?
Will contractors be expected to meet Disadvantage Business Enterprise (DBE), Minority and Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE), Equal Employment Opportunity and On-the-Job Training Programs requirements?
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Lawmakers Honored by Environmental Groups for Bottle Bill on Earth Day
Governor Announces Pesticide Reduction Plan for State Parks
Governor David A. Paterson was honored last Wednesday by New York's environmental advocates for signing into law the Bigger Better Bottle Bill and maintaining his commitment to the environment through this economic crisis. The legislation broke a 9-year struggle to update the 1982 law governing bottle deposits by expanding it to include bottled water. By retaining 80 percent of unclaimed bottle deposits, the State is expected to receive an additional $115 million in annual revenue to help address New York's fiscal crisis.
Governor Paterson received the Earth Day Award from a coalition of more than 20 environmental groups including the Environmental Advocates of New York, New York Public Interest Research Group, Scenic Hudson, the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter and The Nature Conservancy. The groups also honored Senate Majority Leader Malcolm A. Smith, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Senate Environmental Committee Chair Antoine Thompson and Assembly Environmental Committee Chair Robert Sweeney for passing the critical legislation
Governor Paterson used the Earth Day event to announce an initiative to substantially reduce pesticide use throughout the State park system. The pesticide reduction plan targets areas frequented by children, such as beaches, playgrounds, picnic areas, baseball fields, campgrounds, and hiking trails.
The pesticide reduction policy is an outgrowth of Governor Paterson's Executive Order No. 4, adopted in April 2008, which established procurement specifications to minimize State pesticide use by State agencies. State Parks policy goes further than the Executive Order requirements by eliminating pesticide use to the maximum extent possible. The goal is to keep parks pesticide-free. |
Spring Conference Expected to Be One of NYPTA's Finest
Public transit managers, state officials and business partners gather at the beautiful Queensbury Hotel (Glens Falls, NY) this June for the Innovation and Sustainability Spring Conference. Participants will be offered a wide variety of presentations, addressing:
For more information, please download the conference registration brochure and registration forms from the Association website.
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State Bus Roadeo Scheduled
for September
Ulster County Area Transit Hosts This Year's Event
Plans are underway for the 2009 Bus Roadeo, scheduled for Saturday, September 29, 2009. The site for the event is the Valley Mall parking lot, Route 209, Napanoch. The hotel for the event is the Honor's Haven Resort & Spa, 1195 Arrowhead Road, Ellenville, New York 12428, www.honorshaven.com. The event is being hosted by UCAT - Ulster County Area Transit.
The Bus Roadeo is a great opportunity to provide some well-deserved bus operator recognition while promoting safety and professionalism. Transit Systems throughout New York State send the best bus operators to compete. They are considered the "Best of the Best". The competing bus operators drive a bus through a test course marked with traffic cones that simulate various situations encountered on the road. Competing bus operators are expected to meet Bus Roadeo qualifications by maintaining good attendance and a safe driving record.
The New York Public Transit Association welcomes your transit agency to participate in this year's Bus Roadeo. If your agency has not participated in a Bus Roadeo before and you are interested in learning more, please contact Jane Carroll at 845-340-3334,
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The schedule of events is as follows:
Friday, September 25th
Registration...............................12:00 - 4:00 pm
Bus Operator Meeting................... 4:00 - 5:00 pm
Committee and Judges Meeting........ 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Saturday, September 26th
Registration................................7:00 am
Practice.....................................7:00 - 11:00 am
Opening ceremony........................11:00 - 11:15 am
Lunch begins...............................11:15 am
Competition begins....................... 12:00 noon
Competition ends approx..................3:00 pm
Cocktail Hour................................6:30 - 7:30 pm
Awards and Dinner.........................7:30 - 10:30 pm
Available for purchase:
Royal Blue NYPTA Bus Roadeo nylon jacket with sweatshirt fleece liner. Order and payment must be done by May 18th for delivery at the NYPTA Spring Conference. Cost: sizes S to XL $40.00 add $1.00 for each X larger Checks should be payable to NYPTA Send your order to:
Jane Carroll
UCAT
1 Danny Circle
Kingston, NY 12401
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Vice President Biden Announces $300 Million in Recovery Act Funds for Clean Cities Program
Department of Energy Will Lead Alternative Fuel and Advanced Technology Vehicles Pilot Program
LANDOVER, Md. - During a visit to the WMATA Carmen Turner Maintenance and Training Facility in Landover, MD on Earth Day, Vice President Joe Biden announced $300 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for state and local governments, and transit authorities to expand the nation's fleet of clean, sustainable vehicles and the fueling infrastructure necessary to support them.
"For city and state governments across this country, every day is Earth Day thanks to the ambitious commitments they are making to green their vehicles and transit systems. Now it's time for Washington to help them deliver on those promises," said Vice President Biden. "From advanced battery cars to hybrid-electric city buses, we're going put Recovery Act dollars to work deploying cleaner, greener vehicles in cities and towns across the nation that will cut costs, reduce pollution and create the jobs that will drive our economic recovery."
The Clean Cities Alternative Fuel and Advanced Technology Vehicles Pilot Program will speed the transformation of our nation's vehicle fleet, help to reduce carbon emissions and increase energy security by helping reduce U.S. dependence to foreign oil. This funding adds to the $11 billion already announced by the Department of Energy to bolster state and local government energy efficiency programs and weatherize low-income homes.
"These funds will give local and state governments the tools to expand the use of advanced technology vehicles in their fleets while at the same time building the infrastructure needed for tomorrow's clean economy," said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. "This program represents another step toward freeing America from its reliance on foreign oil and lessening our emissions that contribute to global climate change."
Vice President Biden was joined at the event by Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, who last year committed to convert the entire Maryland Transit Administration bus fleet to hybrid-electric buses by 2014. Earlier this year, the state of Maryland was able to accelerate purchase of the hybrid-electric buses with the help of Recovery Act funds and, as a member of the Clean Cities program, the state would be eligible to apply for additional funds needed to meet their goal through the pilot program announced today. The Vice President was also joined by United States Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards (D-MD).
"Sustainability, particularly in terms of stabilizing and reversing Global Climate Change before it is too late, may very well prove to be the defining economic, environmental, and moral issue of our times," said Governor O'Malley. "One of the boldest, most innovative, most forward-looking parts of the President and Vice President's vision for economic recovery and reinvestment, is their belief that we can fuel our country's economic engine by revolutionizing the way we fuel our cars, trucks, buses, trains and airplanes. Here in Maryland, where the $610 million in transportation investments we're receiving from the Obama-Biden Administration are supporting an estimated 17,000 jobs, federal investments are helping us advance toward a goal we've set of transitioning a full 40 percent of our state vehicle purchases to alternative fuel or hybrid vehicles by 2010."
The Clean Cities Program offers $300 million to support at least 30 alternative fuels or advanced vehicles projects and requires a 50 percent participant cost share. Technologies eligible to be funded include a number of different light and heavy-duty vehicles, including hybrid, plug-in electric hybrid, hydraulic hybrid, electric, fuel cell, and compressed natural gas vehicles. In addition, projects can support refueling infrastructure for alternative fuels, including biofuels and natural gas. Other efforts eligible for funds include public awareness campaigns and training programs on alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles and infrastructure.
"We are living in a critical time in our nation's history. We face an economic crisis, an energy security crisis, and a global climate crisis. The Recovery Act has already begun to put Americans to work undertaking the essential task of reducing our use of energy and our dependence on foreign oil, which will strengthen our economy and security. It will also boost investments in clean renewable energy generation from the wind, sun, and other clean sources," said Senator Cardin. "These funds will allow us to develop new sectors in our economy that will provide high-paying jobs here in America and technologies and services we can export aboard."
"On this Earth Day, I am proud to join Vice President Biden, Gov. O'Malley, and Sen. Cardin in announcing funds from the Recovery Act to be used for the Clean Cities Petroleum Reduction Technologies Project," said Rep. Donna F. Edwards. "This funding exemplifies the dedication of the Obama Administration and this Congress to invest in the development of alternative fuel technology and infrastructure. These efforts will help spur economic development through job creation in Maryland and across the country, and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels."
Applicants to the Clean Cities Program must be state governments, local governments, or metropolitan transit authorities, that partner with a designated Clean Cities coalition. Once awarded, these funds will help local and state government agencies make investments in clean transportation vehicles and fuels that they may not have the resources to do otherwise.
Clean Cities is a government-industry partnership led by the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy that promotes the growth of alternative fuels and showcases the potential of advanced fuels and vehicles. The existing program has helped put more than half a million alternative fuel vehicles on the road and played a role in the construction of thousands of alternative refueling stations. For more information on Clean Cities, please visit www.eere.energy.gov/cleancities.
The pilot projects will be funded with money appropriated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Administration expects these projects will create tens of thousands of U.S. jobs. More information on the Recovery Act and all projects funded by it are available at www.recovery.gov.
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| 2009 Spring Conference |
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Plan to join us for the 2009 NYS public transit industry Innovation and Sustainability Spring Conference! The program provides timely educational sessions, opportunities for networking and information sharing, and the latest information on products and services from transit's business community.
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NYPTA News & Info 
