Category: Transportation

Maranacook & Bangor Adult Ed. Programs Partner to Offer FREE School Bus Driver Training

Regional School Unit (RSU) 38 and Bangor Adult Education Programs are offering commercial driver license (CDL) classes this September, November, and January free of charge for eligible students. The project aims to help fill a critical workforce need across Maine for school bus drivers. While there are 10 free spots available per month, September is almost full and they are actively recruiting for November 2021 and January 2022.

The project was initiated by Bangor Adult Education director Greg Leavitt and grew into a partnership with RSU 38 Adult Education Program Director Steve Vose. They are able to offer the free classes using funds from a workforce innovation grant through the Maine Department of Education’s Adult Education Team.

“This is an ‘innovative’ workforce grant so let’s innovate,” said Vose who has spent a lot of time over the past couple months recruiting, getting participants ready to start the class this month, while also planning and recruiting for November and January, and adapting the program to be responsive to the needs of prospective participants. He is setting up reading tutors, if needed, to help students have success both during and after course completion. They are also exploring ways to pay students a working wage while they take the class – this would enable students to sign on without worrying about taking a month off work.

“If we continue to do the same old things, we are going to continue to get the same old results,” added Vose.

The CDL (Class B) class prepares students to meet the Maine BMV Class B school bus driving requirements and consists of 42 hours of classroom instruction to prepare students for the state written and skills exam and 30 hours of driving instruction to prepare students for the state road test.

The classes will take place at 75 North Road in Readfield, with driving time arranged individually with students. Tentative November class dates are, Nov. 4 – Dec. 18 on Thursdays from 6:00pm – 9:00pm and Saturdays 8:00am – 2:30pm. January dates are yet to be determined.

For more information or if students are interested, contact Steve Vose at steve_vose@maranacook.com or call 207-242-8795.

This story is part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. To submit a story or share good news, email Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

 

2021 Diesel Emissions Reduction Grants Available for Tribal and Insular Area Government Agencies

United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Transportation and Air Quality is soliciting applications for projects that achieve significant reductions in diesel emissions. Eligible entities include tribal governments (or intertribal consortia) and Alaska Native villages, and insular area government agencies, which have jurisdiction over transportation or air quality.A total of approximately $4.5 million will be made available to tribal governments (or intertribal consortia) and Alaska Native villages, and approximately $500,000 will be made available to insular area governments.Eligible diesel vehicles, engines and equipment may include buses.

EPA’s ten regional offices will manage the awards. The number and size of cooperative agreements made under this announcement, and the amounts for the two categories identified above, are subject to the availability of funds, the quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations.

Please visit https://www.epa.gov/dera/tribal for questions and answers and additional details about the following information sessions:

Funding Opportunity Information Sessions
Wednesday, May 12, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. (ET)
Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. (ET)
Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. (ET)

For more information view: 2021 Dera Tribal Insular Area Grants (PDF)(86 pp, 2 MB) or contact the EPA to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.

Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA): 2021 Request for Grant Applications

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is excited to announce the availability of approximately $46 million in Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grant funds to support projects aimed at reducing emissions from the nation’s existing fleet of older diesel engines. Under this competition, between 40 and 70 awards are anticipated.

Eligible applicants include regional, state, local or tribal agencies, or port authorities, with jurisdiction over transportation or air quality. Nonprofit organizations may apply if they provide pollution reduction or educational services to diesel fleet owners or have, as their principal purpose, the promotion of transportation or air quality.

Visit the DERA National Grants Web Page for Application and Eligibility Information

Informational Webinars: Request for Applications 2021 DERA National Grants

Tuesday, January 26, 2021; 1:00-2:00 p.m. (ET)
Join the Webinar
Dial-In: (202) 991-0477
Participant Code: 863 530 573#

Wednesday, February 3, 2021; 3:00-4:00 p.m. (ET)
Join the Webinar
Dial-In: (202) 991-0477
Participant Code: 609 539 899#

Thursday, February 11, 2021; 2:00-3:00 p.m. (ET)
Join the Webinar
Dial-In: (202) 991-0477
Participant Code: 451 189 144#

Webinar Highlights:

  • Program Details
  • Changes This Year
  • Eligible Entities, Projects, Vehicles, Engines & Equipment
  • Funding: Availability, Project Funding Percentage, Restrictions
  • Proposal Submission
  • Evaluation Criteria
  • Potential Pitfalls
  • Tools, Resources and Support
  • Question & Answer Period

Visit the DERA National Grants Web Page for Application and Eligibility Information

If you have questions, please contact DERA@epa.gov.

School Bus Purchase Program Applications Open Nov. 1st to 25th

The Maine Department of Education is accepting applications to receive subsidy for new school buses purchased through the School Bus Purchase Program.  The application period is November 1 through November 25, 2020.

The Department will be able to approve about $9 million in school bus allocations that combines new bus requests and the prior year bus term commitment.  Round one applications will be accepted for school buses proposed to be purchased during fiscal year 2021-2022.  This program provides subsidy to school administrative units (SAUs) in order to offset partial costs of new school buses that are used to transport students to and from home and school and school events.  This program is a resource to help SAUs purchase new school buses, retire end of life school buses, and respond to emergency and special bus needs.  Eligible vehicles must meet Code of Maine Regulations Chapter 85 minimum qualifications, with the exception of Section 3.1.

The School Bus Purchase Program instructions and information are available on the Maine DOE’s NEO dashboard. To fill out an application, you must log in to NEO.  For more information or technical assistance, please contact Pat Hinckley at 207-624-6886 or email pat.hinckley@maine.gov .

Students, Parents, and Schools Celebrate School Bus Driver Appreciation Week Oct. 19-23

Nationally, while school buses are the gold standard of safety and considered the Titans of Transportation, school bus drivers are the heroes of safety that go above and beyond the call of duty as they deliver the most precious cargo – our students.

Locally, parents, students, teachers, and superintendents celebrate National School Bus Driver Appreciation Week by showing appreciation for school bus drivers that build local community, make special deliveries, arrive in early hours, help students in need, focus on safety, and more.  School staff and parents make special cards, deliver special snacks, talk with drivers about how much their commitment to student safety means to families, schools, and the community, and learn about a day in the life of a school bus driver. School district transportation directors celebrate National School Bus Driver Appreciation Week by providing driver safety training at the district. This is a time for celebrating school bus drivers.

Historically, Maine schools celebrate School Bus Driver Appreciation Week during National School Bus Safety Week which occurs annually during the third week in October. It is a time for Mainers to reflect upon the outstanding job performance of our school bus drivers who transport students to and from school and school related events throughout the year traveling over 30 million miles of urban and rural roads. In Maine about 80 percent of students ride the school bus which is much higher than the national average of 50 percent.

We welcome you to share stories about your Maine school bus driver heroes of safety on the Maine DOE social media on Facebook @MaineDepartmentofEducation1 and/or Twitter @mdoenews.  Here are some historic examples of Maine school bus driver heroes of safety:

School bus drivers receive extensive driver and safety training to provide the essential service of school transportation. They are responsible for conserving the comfort, safety, and welfare of students they transport. Should a critical incident occur that requires student relocation, school bus drivers will be called on to deliver students to a safe haven.

For information about school transportation policy contact Transportation and Facilities Administrator Pat Hinckley at pat.hinckley@maine.gov .

For information about how to become a school bus driver contact the Maine Association for Pupil Transportation (MAPT) http://www.maptme.org/

Maine Schools Join Others Around the Nation to Recognize 2020 National School Bus Safety Week October 19-23 

2020 National School Bus Safety Week theme: Red Lights Mean Stop!  The theme is derived from the Poster Contest the year before. The 2019 winning poster, depicted above, was drawn by Bryan Torres-Tavarez, a 12th Grader at Stars Academy in Paterson, NJ. 

National School Bus Safety Week, scheduled October 19-23 this year, is a public education program that acknowledges the value of school bus safety.  It is also a great time to THANK our bus drivers for the important work that they do.  

Transportation is a great equalizer in education, providing students from all economic backgrounds with the opportunity to learn and succeed. NHTSA believes school buses should be as safe as possible. That’s why NHTSA safety standards for school buses are above and beyond those for regular buses.  School buses are the most regulated vehicles on the road.  

School buses are different by design.  They are designed and engineered so that they’re highly visible and include safety features such as flashing red lights, cross-view mirrors and stop-sign arms. They also include protective seating, high crush standards, and rollover protection features. 

In Maine, each school bus must be inspected biannually by an official inspection station designated by the Chief of the State Police as a school bus inspection station.  In addition, a school bus inspection must be conducted by the State Police at least annually.  That is three a year. 

School buses are protected by law.  Laws protect students who are getting off and on a school bus by making it illegal for drivers to pass a school bus while dropping off or picking up passengers, regardless of the direction of approach.   

In Maine, school bus safety laws support good driving behavior. These laws include: 

  • Passing a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing is a criminal violation punishable by a $250 minimum fine for the first offense and a mandatory 30-day license suspension for the second offense occurring within three years of the first offense. 
  • A vehicle may not proceed until the school bus resumes motion or until signaled by the bus operator that it is okay to proceed. 
  • A school bus operator who observes someone illegally passing a stopped school bus can report violations to a law enforcement officer.  
  • School buses are required to stop at railroad crossings. 
  • Unless otherwise posted, the school zone speed limit is 15 miles per hour during school opening or closing hours, as well as recess. 

More information about National School Bus Safety Week can be found here: https://www.napt.org/nsbsw 

For information about school transportation policy contact Transportation and Facilities Administrator Pat Hinckley at pat.hinckley@maine.gov 

The National School Bus Safety Week public education program is sponsored by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS), National School Transportation Association (NSTA), National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT), Pupil Transportation Safety Institute (PTSI) and school bus manufacturers and suppliers. 

 

Maine Students Encouraged to Participate in 2020 School Bus Safety Poster Contest

Pictured: 2019 National Association for Pupil Transportation Poster Contest Overall Winner, Bryan Torres-Tavarez, Stars Academy, Paterson, NJ. Source: NAPT Facebook Page.

The national 2020 School Bus Safety Poster Contest is underway and Maine is encouraging students to participate again this year.  The theme is Be Safe – Know the Danger Zone! Please share the contest information below with transportation staff and educators state-wide that are interested in helping students participate in this exciting opportunity to show off their visual arts skills and their knowledge of school bus safety!

National School Bus Safety Poster Contest Rules Please note: It is very important that the posters meet the established rules in regards to size, theme, materials, and placement of student information to be considered at the national level. The last page of the rules provides for a student information sheet to be attached to the back of each poster.

Collect posters throughout the school year and send them to Terry Balduff at the contact information below and/or bring them to the Maine Association for Pupil Transportation (MAPT) Safety Conference in July.

Terry Balduff
terry.balduff@msad60.org
(207) 676-2856
C/O MSAD No. 60
150 Noble Way
North Berwick, Maine 03906

Posters will be displayed at the MAPT Safety Conference in July and voted on by those in attendance at the conference. The winners from each category will be submitted to the NAPT for the National Competition representing Maine in October 2020.

Categories that artists may be entered into (Maine will host all categories except for CAD (Computer Aided Drawing) drawings.

  • Division #1- Grades K-2
  • Division #2- Grades 3-5
  • Division #3- Grades 6-8
  • Division #4- Special Education (Grades K-12)

2020 AWARDS: (State Level)

  • First Place Winners: $75.00 each plus Trophy and Certificate of Appreciation
  • Second Place Winners: $50.00 each plus Trophy and Certificate of Appreciation
  • Third Place Winners: $25.00 each plus Trophy and Certificate of Appreciation

Savings Bonds in lieu of cash may be awarded. 

Regulatory Alert Update:  Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Official Delays Entry Level Driver Training (ELD) Rule

Yesterday, February 4, 2020, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) received approval to announce a two-year delay in the compliance date for all aspects of its 2016 final rule, requiring entry level driver training (ELDT) for all new commercial drivers.  Click here for a copy of the Interim Final Rule that is expected to be posted soon.

The Interim Final Rule announces that, “FMCSA extends the compliance date for the 2016 final rule, “Minimum Training Requirements for Entry-Level commercial Motor Vehicle Operators” (81 FR 88732, December 8, 2016), from February 7, 2020, to February 7, 2022. The two-year extension applies to all requirements established by the ELDT final rule…”

For further information, please contact Maine Department of Education’s Transportation and Facilities Administrator Pat Hinckley at pat.hinckley@maine.gov or (207) 624-6886.

School Bus Purchase Program Applications Open November 1

The Maine Department of Education is accepting applications to receive subsidy for new school buses purchased through the School Bus Purchase Program.  The application period is November 1 through November 25, 2019.

The Department will be able to approve about $9 million in school bus allocations that combines new bus requests and the prior year bus term commitment.  Round one applications will be accepted.  This program provides subsidy to school administrative units (SAUs) in order to offset partial cost of new school buses that are used to transport students to and from home and school and school events.  This program is a resource to help SAUs purchase new school buses, retire end of life school buses, and respond to emergency and special bus needs.  Eligible vehicles must meet Code of Maine Regulations Chapter 85 minimum qualifications, with the exception of Section 3.1.

The School Bus Purchase Program instructions and application information are available on the Maine DOE’s NEO website dashboard.  For more information or technical assistance, please contact Pat Hinckley at 624-6886 or email pat.hinckley@maine.gov .

Maine Schools Join Others Around The Nation to Recognize National School Bus Safety Week October 21-25

National School Bus Safety Week, scheduled October 21-25 this year, is a public education program that promotes school bus safety. 

Nationally, each day about 480,000 school buses travel the nation’s roads transporting about 25,000,000 students to and from schools and school-related activities. This makes school buses the largest mass transportation program in the nation. 

2019 National School Bus Safety Week theme: “My School Bus, The Safest Form of Student Transportation!”  The theme is derived from the Poster contest the year before.  The 2018 winning poster, depicted above, was drawn by Shivangi Ojha, an 8th Grader at Belton ISD in Temple, Texas. 

In Maine, there are about 3,000 school buses traveling about 30,000,000 miles per year and delivering about 140,000 students. While national ridership of school buses is about fifty percent, about eighty percent of Maine students ride the school bus. Local school transportation teams throughout Maine will educate the public about school bus safety and local transportation safety training during National School Bus Safety Week. 

Transportation is a great equalizer in education, providing students from all economic backgrounds with the opportunity to learn and succeed. Additionally, as pointed out by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration U.S. Department of Transportation, “School buses are by far the safest way for children to get to and from school.” 

School buses are specifically designed and engineered for safety in order to protect occupants against crashes and incidents on the road. Nearly every part of a school bus has higher standards of safety when compared to ordinary cars. The following school bus safety features are not found on any other passenger vehicle: 

  • School bus seats are above the crash line so that the impact of a vehicle colliding with a school bus hits beneath the seated passengers
  • Passenger seating and crash protection are required for school bus seating systems 
  • A steel cage around the fuel tank that provides bus fuel system integrity 
  • Emergency exits are provided by way of doors, windows and roof hatches 
  • Bus body joint strength that specifies the minimum strength of the joints between panels of the bus body and the body structure 
  • Rollover protection that specifies the minimum structural strength of buses in rollover-type crashes 

More information about National School Bus Safety Week can be found here: https://www.napt.org/nsbsw 

For information about school transportation policy, contact Transportation and Facilities Administrator Pat Hinckley at pat.hinckley@maine.gov 

The National School Bus Safety Week public education program is sponsored by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS), National School Transportation Association (NSTA), National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT), Pupil Transportation Safety Institute (PTSI) and school bus manufacturers and suppliers.