TransitNews is a newsletter of Tindale-Oliver & Associates, Inc.
Spring 2013
TransitNews ADA Data Collection Technology The Americans with Disabili es Act (ADA) was enacted into law by the U.S. Congress in 1990 to prohibit discrimina on based on disability, requiring equal access to all programs and services offered by an en ty. Title II of the ADA addresses public services, requiring that public en es develop a Transi on Plan to iden fy any barriers to accessibility and list the improvements needed to bring these deficiencies into compliance with the ADA. To assist public transit agencies in the development of the required ADA Transi on Plan and to improve the efficiency and accuracy of ADA assessments, TOA has developed a mobile data collec on applica on. Run on tablets and smartphones, this ADA Assessment “app” enables the recording of GPS coordinates in the field (map views), photographs, and iden fica on of deficiencies, hazards, ameni es, and needed improvements to infrastructure such as bus stops. The informa on is collected in a standardized online form and can then be uploaded online, thereby allowing nearly instantaneous review back in the office. Summary tables of the data, such as the number and loca on of non‐compliant bus stops, can be generated with ease. Automated data collec on using this app is far less me‐ consuming and offers a more accurate product than the standard “clipboard and paper” method. TOA con nues to stand at the forefront of developing innova ve technologies to assist transit agencies. For more informa on, contact Bryan Weinstein, P.E., at bweinstein@ ndaleoliver.com
TOA’s smartphone ADA Assessment “app” allows for photographs, map views, and data collec on in the field.
Inside This Issue Maximizing Your Local Match .......................................................................................... 2 Streetcars: Public Transporta on and Urban Design .......................................................................................... 3 New TOA Transit Projects ................................................. 4
TransitNews is a newsletter of Tindale-Oliver & Associates, Inc.
Maximizing Your Local Match In February 2013, the FDOT District 4 Office of Modal Development conducted a Public Transit Grant Workshop to provide transit agencies and potential grant applicants with information about federal and state requirements, grant programs, approval processes, and using their local funds and resources to help access and leverage more state and federal dollars. TOA presented a session on local matching mechanisms and leveraging local resources that included details related to “soft match” allowances such as Toll Revenue Credits and in‐kind contributions as well as dedicated sources of funds such as Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts and Municipal Services Taxing Units (MSTU). Specific examples of these mechanisms were highlighted. The session was well‐received, and District 4 staff intends to provide additional sessions in the future that include more detail and hands‐on applications. The Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged has scheduled TOA to conduct a similar session at its 21st Annual Best Practices and Training Workshop on August 6–7, 2013, in Daytona Beach. Focusing more on smaller and specialized transportation systems, TOA will provide examples and real‐world guidance. The session will be designed to allow interactive exercises that will assist participants in better understanding these innovative matching concepts and how to use the ideas in their local agencies. For more information, contact Richard Dreyer, AICP, CCTM TOA’s Director of Business Development for FDOT rdreyer@tindaleoliver.com Examples of local matching in the workshop included Toll Revenue Credits, HART’s park‐and‐ride improvement program, and Polk Transit’s Universal Access program, among others.
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Spring 2013
Streetcars: Public Transportation and Urban Design In recent years, communi es throughout the U.S. have been inves ga ng the feasibility of developing streetcar systems to connect assets and a rac ons within urban areas. Interest has grown in these systems because of their ability to provide both urban transit circula on and economic development opportuni es in the form of infill development and redevelopment. These a ributes require a true mul ‐disciplinary approach to system planning and design to connect transporta on and land use and to ensure the greatest return on investment. Recently, TOA’s Transit and Urban Design & Community Planning groups have been involved with the Urban Circulator Feasibility Study in Sarasota (Florida), working collabora vely to examine the costs and poten al benefits of implemen ng a new circulator system. The study includes an analysis of both streetcars and rubber‐ re trolleys as poten al transit modes to connect the area’s many unique a rac ons, downtown employment centers, and historic urban neighborhoods. When completed, the study will include a detailed summary of next steps that should be taken at the local, state, and federal levels to determine the most effec ve way to implement the system, serving as a framework for City staff and local elected officials to use to move forward. TOA’s mul ‐disciplinary approach to urban transit systems will also be used for the new Conceptual Streetcar Feasibility Study in Gainesville (Florida). Managed by the Gainesville Regional Transit System (RTS), it will examine opportuni es for the development of a new system that will connect the University of Florida, Innova on Square, and downtown Gainesville. For more information, contact Michael English, AICP Principal menglish@tindaleoliver.com Page 3
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New TOA Transit Projects
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