Steering Committee Meeting

The SURTC held its first steering committee meeting on October 2, 2002. Committee members were introduced to the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute (UGPTI) and SURTC. Mr. Gene Griffin, UGPTI director, provided an overview of the UGPTI organization, and the directors of each of the three research centers in UGPTI (Dr. Ayman Smadi, Advanced Traffic Analysis Center; Mr. Dennis Jacobson, the Department of Transportation Support Center; and Mr. Douglas Benson, TEL8) gave a short synopsis of their center's goals and objectives. Mr. Dave Sprynzynatyk, director of the North Dakota Department of Transportation provided a welcome from Bismarck over the TEL8 system.

A national perspective overview was given by Dr. Lewis Clopton, Federal Transit Administration (FTA), on five key issues: 1) USDOT Surface Transportation University Program, 2) FTA Core Program Gals, 3) Professional Capacity Building, 4) FTA University Activities, and 5) Small Urban and Rural Transportation Challenges and Opportunities.

Mr. Dale Marsico, director of the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) discussed three key issues his organization is dealing with: 1) transportation re-authorization, 2) certification for industry professionals, and 3) improving communications with state insurance commissioners.

The results of the User Needs Assessment Survey conducted by SURTC was presented and discussed. The discussion, following the presentation, lead to identification of six key focus projects for SURTC:

• Training is a very important element of SURTC and this was validated by the survey
• Developing a "best practice" guidebook would be beneficial to transit managers
• The benefits of area transit systems' profiling were highlighted and noted that profiles are not currently available for several states
• A composite of a local area's system average operating costs and revenues for services provided
• Greater utilization of the World Wide Web in three key areas, education purposes, driver training, and collection and dissemination of privileged statistical data for managers
• SURTC could help with educational planning for the Dakota Transit Association (DTA)

	Left to right: Peggy Morris, DTA; Bruce Lindholm, SDDOT; Lyn Hellegaard, MTDOT; Keven Anderson, MDOT; Lori Van Beek, City of Moorhead Transit; Julie Bommelman, MAT-Fargo; Rick Thomas, Souris Basin Transportation; and Crystal Bahe, SURTC student.
	Left to right: Dale Marsico, CTAA; Rich Douglas, Wyoming DOT; Lewis Clopton, FTA; and Bruce Fuchs, NDDOT.

Keven Anderson

Minnesota Department of Transportation District 4 headquarters focuses on west central Minnesota. Keven Anderson is the MN/DOT representative to the Small Urban & Rural Transit Center board. His service area includes 3,671 lane miles of roadway, 327 state bridges, 13 rest areas and 12 transit providers.

As a Minnesota state employee, Anderson calls his viewpoints more fiscal and technical. SURTC, he said, can contribute to improving the performance and funding of public transportation, which will in turn contribute to helping local residents.

His premise is to treat public transit as a business rather than a social service program that requires constant funding. "In my opinion, each system needs to have complete plans and goals as well as day-to-day reports in order to justify and tweak their performance. Performance parameters such as rides per hour, cost per hour, cost per ride and farebox recovery need to be analyzed and used to mold a rural system."

"I would propose that the rural systems could gain enormously by fashioning themselves after the urban system, as long as they realize that some of the logistics and concepts are different and would need a broader viewpoint in order to apply," Anderson said.

He also believes the opportunity for combined or cooperative transportation in most areas is enormous. Public transit, he said, needs to integrate itself into programs such as Day Activity Centers, special school transportation, Headstart, Medicare as well as elderly and disability transportation. These are also additional likely sources of revenue.

Coordination of services and dollars can also move public transit officials away from having to explain to citizens why a Headstart bus pulls up behind the public transit bus that pulls up behind the school bus.

Dale Marsico

Dale Marsico serves on the SURTC board, representing the interests of the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) and bringing his own rich background in transportation, health and human services. CTAA executive director since 1996, Marsico sees the Small Urban & Rural Transit Center as something unique, timely and needed.

"I've felt that we need a stronger link between colleges and universities that serve rural states and communities provides rural transportation services and support. Using the university and its potential links through various departments and training opportunities can strengthen local projects and local efforts to improve transportation access for rural residents," Marsico said. He welcomes being on the ground floor of SURTC's initial work.

The vision of SURTC parallels much of CTAA's vision of a mobile society with freedom, independence, dignity and choice seen as essentials for new and expanding community transportation alternatives.

Marsico believes transportation and people's needs are an intricate partnership. Both standard of living and quality of life are enhanced when the full technical expertise of SURTC comes into service planning and development. This ultimately benefits those who need greater transportation access. Rural communities seek to improve their economic base in these uncertain economic times and transportation and transit have great implications for economic development.

Marsico reflects the attitude of the SURTC board when he emphasizes the need to find ways to help people be mobile. His own move into the transportation field came through his work in primary and secondary health care for rural communities as well as developing regional activities in the employment and training field. He became the first chief administrator for the Brazos, Texas Transit District, where he developed a reputation for coordination and innovative service that included special emphasis on transportation planning and infrastructure development. The Texas DOT presented him with the Friend of Transportation award.

At the CTAA, Marsico seeks to broaden the traditional base by reaching out to those in related fields, works to see that the Association's legislative priorities are achieved and to expand awareness of community transportation as an important part of the nation's transportation future.