Procurement Workshop (In-Person)
Title: Procurement Workshop
Dates/Time: July 15-16, 2024, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Central
Location: Commons Conference Center, 2901 Read Grandberry Trail, Austin, TX 78758
Instructor: Greg Harnett, RLS & Associates
Description: This 2-day workshop will cover the fundamental rules for conducting FTA-funded procurements. Specifically, we will examine the requirements associated with each threshold of procurement (i.e., micro-purchase, small purchase, formal purchase), non-competitive procurements, joint and cooperative procurements, rolling stock procurement and disposition, and procurement of design and construction services. Further, we will discuss the causes of common procurement findings arising from FTA audits, as well as what agencies can do to achieve compliance in these areas.
TTA will host and Evening Reception in Austin for our members.
Tuesday, July 16, 2024
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Free for TTA Members ($50 each for Non-Members)
This event has limited space so RSVP today!
TTA’s Sunset Evening Reception
Tuesday, July 16, 2024
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Free for TTA Members ($50 each for Non-Members)
Join us for an unforgettable networking event, on the Lonestar Riverboat as we cruise along Ladybird Lake. You will enjoy drinks and appetizers with your peers while taking in a beautiful sunset over Downtown Austin. Near the end of the evening, you will witness a spectacular sight: the largest colony of Mexican free-tailed bats emerging from Congress Avenue Bridge. RSVP today!
Check-in: 6:30 PM at 208 Barton Springs Rd.
Note: the boat will be leaving sharply at 7:00 PM
This event has limited space so RSVP today!
(Limited to 4 per agency)
Sunset Evening Reception Flyer
8:30a.m., at The University of Texas at Austin Commons Conference Center, 10100 Burnet Road Austin, TX, in the Big Tex 1.102 room
Please remember to print out a parking pass before you arrive and place on your dashboard
Contact Robbi Smith, with TxDOT for more information.
Robbi Smith, MPA, CTCM
Communications Manager
Public Transportation Division
(512) 500-6341/mobile
Email – robbi.smith@txdot.gov
Join us as we partner with SWTA this July to offer TTA’s first Statewide Maintenance Training Session. This course is designed specifically for Maintenance Technicians, Shop Foremen, and working Shop Managers. This training session aims to enhance your expertise and elevate your skills to the next level. Participants will engage with industry professionals, learn cutting-edge techniques, and stay updated with the latest advancements in maintenance practices. Whether you’re looking to refine your current abilities or expand your knowledge base, this training will provide an invaluable professional growth and development opportunity. This is also an excellent networking opportunity with peers from around the state. Don’t miss out on this chance to become a more proficient and effective leader in your field.
Topics covered:
- Paratransit Lift Training
Braun Training-Hands On and Classroom
- Paratransit AC Training
Classroom with vehicle review
- The Philosophy of Maintenance
- Reactive Maintenance-How did we get here, and how do we get back on track
- Preventative Maintenance
- Predictive Maintenance
- Operations/Operators are your customers
Dates: July 29-30, 2024
Location: Trinity Metro Facility Ft. Worth
Who should attend: Maintenance Technicians, Shop Foremen, and working Shop Managers
Cost: This course is offered to transit agencies in Texas at no cost by grant funding through TxDOT
Registration
Agenda
We are still looking for agencies to host future training sessions. Agencies interested in hosting future training classes can contact Allen@TxTransit.org for details.
Title: Effective Communication and Disability Etiquette (Webinar)
Date/Time: July 30, 2024, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Central
Instructor: Kristi McLaughlin, Easterseals Project Action
Description: This webinar on disability etiquette aims to educate individuals on appropriate behavior and communication with people with disabilities. The webinar covers various topics such as understanding disability, language usage, body language, accessibility, and laws and policies related to accessibility and disability.
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://meet.goto.com/636305389
You can also dial in using your phone.
Access Code: 636-305-389
United States: +1 (646) 749-3122
Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts:
https://meet.goto.com/install
Title: Tapping into the Power of Generational Diversity (webinar)
Dates: August 8, 2024
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Central
Instructor: Kristen Joyner, KJBackpack
Description: Five generations are working in our transit systems, each vastly different from the next, with each person bringing values and characteristics that can be stimulating and confusing. Learn how to lead, challenge and inspire by tapping into unique gifts, setting boundaries for non-negotiables and bridging the gaps all for a more enriching transit work experience.
Title: Hiring, Keeping and Motivating Employees (in-person, 1-day)
Date: August 14, 2024
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Location: Citibus, Lubbock, TX
Instructors: Kristen Joyner, KJBackpack and Robbie Sarles, RLS & Associates
Description: Transit has been hit hard with declines in ridership, service delivery, and loyal employees.
But there is hope! 2024 is showing signs of higher employment rates, fewer demands for increased wages, and improved employee satisfaction. Now that we are beginning to recover nationally, how do we evaluate what we keep and what we transform to take advantage of this changing market locally? What are the unique challenges for transit and your community that need to be addressed?
The session will cover:
- New Transit Work Environment and New Employee Expectations
- Understanding Your Purpose and Retaining Corporate Culture
- Keeping Employee Standards/Policies Current
- What do we need to examine to stay current with our employee’s needs?
- The role of training and employee growth
- Performance and Loyalty: What truly motivates?
- Looking Within: Management & Leadership Training
- Recruitment and Confronting Preconceived Perceptions
- Methods of Recruitment
- Reducing Length of Hiring Process
Title: Customer Service for Transit Professionals (in-person, 1-day)
Date: August 15, 2024
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Location: Citibus, Lubbock, TX
Instructors: Kristen Joyner, KJBackpack and Robbie Sarles, RLS & Associates
Description: Customer Service Workshop for Transit Professionals
Treating your passengers well is only one aspect of excellent customer service. Customer service encompasses relationships inside the transit agency and extends to the riders and to anyone within the transit agency’s area of influence, even non-riders. This workshop will show managers, supervisors, dispatchers and leads how to translate the important mission of service to our communities into actionable customer service that reaps benefits for the transit agency. The training will include practical discussion, techniques, role play and multimedia.
Key Learning Ideas of this Workshop:
- Excellent customer service is your first line of defense for front line employees.
- On the phone, in the office or on the road – skills and tips to maintain composure under pressure.
- Recognition of the customer service needs of individuals with disabilities and approaches that promise to enhance the experience and accessibility for all.
- Using customer service techniques to promote diversity, equity and inclusion to create a welcoming environment for all.
- Regulatory requirements including Title VI and ADA that set the floor for outreach, accessibility of information in alternative formats and language accessibility plans.