History and Mission

About National RTAP

History of National RTAP

Millions of rural and tribal citizens are unable to drive for health, economic or lifestyle reasons.  Transit is a real solution to maintaining a high quality of life in rural areas—providing access to jobs, healthcare, education, shopping and numerous other activities utilizing public transportation. The Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA) provided several funding programs for transit in small urban and rural areas during the early 1970s. The 1974 National Mass Transportation Assistance Act created an annual formula grant program. Since 1979 UMTA—renamed Federal Transit Administration (FTA) in 1991—has provided formula funding to states under the Section 5311 Non-Urbanized Transit Program to establish and maintain transit systems in communities with populations under 50,000.


Soon after, program founders recognized that community transit drivers, dispatchers, maintenance workers, managers and board members needed special skills and knowledge to provide quality service to their diverse customers across large service areas. As a result, the Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP) was created in 1987.


The Formula Program for Rural Areas provides funding for the RTAP program. A portion of the funding is reserved for National RTAP; the remainder is distributed to the states by formula. 


The goals of the RTAP program are to promote the safe and effective delivery of public transportation services in rural areas and to facilitate more efficient use of public transportation resources. To meet those goals, the program focuses on the following objectives:


  • Improving the quality of training and technical assistance resources available to the rural transit industry
  • Encouraging and assisting state, local, and peer networks to address training and technical assistance needs
  • Promoting the coordination of transportation services
  • Building a national database of information about the rural transit industry   


Since its inception, National RTAP has contributed to the achievement of these objectives at the national level by developing and distributing training materials, providing technical assistance, creating web-based applications, producing reports, publishing best practices, conducting research, and offering peer assistance for rural and tribal transit providers and state RTAP programs.


National RTAP operates today under a cooperative agreement between the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Neponset Valley Transportation Management Association.

National RTAP History Timeline

1986

Congress authorized creation of a Rural Transit Assistance Program under Section 16(h) of the Surface Transportation Act.

National RTAP began on July 1, 1987

1987

First materials distributed to states (our resource catalog and substance abuse training).

1988

1990

Launched an electronic bulletin board via computer and email.

National RTAP becomes a program of the FTA.

1992

1994

Training modules cost between $30-$45 each.

Launched first website and began Achievements in Rural Transit Assistance awards.

1995

1999

Launched an online forum for peer-to-peer assistance.

nationalrtap.org website launched. Launched training modules on problem passengers and preventative maintenance.

2001

2004

Launched training modules on financial management and transit manager roles.

2005

Created a CD-ROM version of our resource catalog.

Held our 20th anniversary reception at the CTAA EXPO.

2007

2008

Neponset Valley TMA began administration of National RTAP.

First webinar held (on conducting an investigation of misconduct).

2009

2010

First photo contest.

ProcurementPRO and Website Builder launched.

2011

2012

First National RTAP Technical Assistance Conference held.

GTFS Builder launched.

2013

Facebook page created.

2014

2014

Toolkits and 2 The Point training cards launched.

eLearning launched.

2015

Twitter page created.

2017

2018

First salary survey database. YouTube and Instagram pages created. First Twitter chat and Peer Roundtable held.

Cost Allocation Calculator launched. First Rural Transit Day. First Tribal Transit Awards.

2019

2021

Started Tribal Transit Mini-Conferences.

Share by: