Networking and Professional Development

State RTAP Manager's Toolkit

Download Full-Text Toolkit

Networking and Professional Development


Though State RTAP Managers may be physically isolated from one another most of the time, there are many opportunities for connecting electronically and in person throughout the remainder of the year. Webinars and forums specifically for State RTAP Managers can be excellent tools for sharing information between programs. Additionally, the U.S. DOT and FTA have an abundance of trainings available through e-learning opportunities, and in addition many State RTAP managers congregate at certain conferences year-to-year. The Transportation Safety Institute also offers an array of courses that RTAP Managers can tap into. 


National RTAP regularly hosts breakfast meetings for RTAP Managers at events like CTAA’s annual EXPO, and the biennial FTA State Programs Meeting


National RTAP hosts the State RTAP Managers' Forum, used solely by State RTAP Managers and National RTAP to ask questions and to share information. 


AASHTO’s Standing Committee on Public Transportation (SCOPT), hosts the MTAP (Multi-State Technical Assistance Project) alerts platform. RTAP Managers can use the platform to share and obtain technical assistance expertise with other RTAP managers around the country. RTAP program funds can be used to join MTAP.


Conferences and Webinars

State RTAP Managers generally attend certain conferences as time and money allow, including the AASHTO/APTA/CTAA State Public Transportation Partnerships Meeting, State Transit Association meetings, CTAA EXPO, and the Rural Public and Intercity Bus Transportation Conference (RIBTC). More conferences can be found in the Find Anything Toolkit



In the past, National RTAP has held a State RTAP Manager webinar series. Although the series is currently not running, RTAP managers can watch archived webinars.


Peer Networking

State RTAP managers are encouraged to use National RTAP’s Peer-to-Peer Network, which connects RTAP managers with each other to answer specific questions or provide guidance. RTAP Managers are encouraged to post their programs’ annual or quarterly newsletters, in order to share best practices and rural transit news, that would shine a positive spotlight on initiatives in their respective states. We also host State RTAP Manager Peer Roundtables twice a year, which gives participants the chance to discuss issues of interest to State RTAPs. Summaries of the Peer Roundtables are posted after the events. Additionally, RTAP Managers convene at the special breakfasts National RTAP hosts at many conferences.


Reaching Out

State RTAP managers are generally happy to share their experience with other states. A list of RTAP managers from each state and territory is available on our website. For other organizations with which State RTAP Managers should be familiar, particularly if they need technical assistance, see the How to Find Anything Toolkit.

Suggest-a-Topic

Updated May 5, 2022

Share by: