You may have read about theUnited We Ride (UWR) ini-tiative in our January 2004

issue. UWR is a transportation coor-dination effort spearheaded by theFederal Coordinating Council onAccess and Mobility (CCAM), madeup of representatives from 11 federalagencies involved in transportationfunding. It is intended help improve

mobility and access toservices by eliminat-ing barriers in regula-tion, funding or prac-tice that limit coordi-nation at the federal,state, and local levels.Initial surveys byCCAM identified a

total of 62 federal funding programssupporting transportation!

What’s happening at the federal level?Federal activities have been underway for several months now, withregular meetings to change or clarify

October 2005

The Newsletter for Kansas Rural and Specialized Transportation Providers ● The University of Kansas Transportation Center

..............................................................Inside:

United WeRide, continuedPage 2

FTA’sIntercity Bus ProgramPage 3

DP Live nowavailable to all Kansas transit agenciesPage 5

Recoveringfrom bus driver burnoutPage 6

How todesign an adPage 8

Helping passengerswith arthritissymptomsPage 10

Ready for winter driving?Page 11

Keep it toyourself:Protectingpassengers’privacyPage 12

CalendarPage 14

ResourcesPage 15

Go to page 3Go to page 2

Kansas “United We Ride” effortsare under way

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Justin Dorsey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Since 2004, intercity bus servicehas been abandoned in manyKansas communities. For exam-

ple, in August 2004 Greyhound Linesabandoned service to eight locationsalong I-70, and in April 2005,TNM&O Coaches abandoned theirSouth Hutchinson to Wichita toPueblo, Colorado route. Due to ser-vice abandonment, citizens have beenforced to find alternate means of

Connecting thedots... for ridersFederal program helps fosterintercity transit

..............................................................

Kansas Trans Reporter

Features

federal regulations, produce reportsand guidance for use at the state andlocal level, and hold planning andtraining sessions around the country.An Executive Order on HumanService Transportation was issued byPresident Bush in January 2004(Executive Order 13330) to requiregreater efforts at coordination and toreport back to the President on thoseefforts. A report was completed by

CCAM in 2005 identifying severalfocus areas and an action plan to sup-port those focus areas. The Report tothe President and other products ofthe federal effort can be seen athttp://www.unitedweride.gov.

New federal legislation sup-ports human service transporta-tion coordinationIn addition to the efforts of CCAM,the recent transportation reauthoriza-tion bill, SAFETEA-LU, includesseveral key provisions related tohuman service transportation coordi-nation as part of the Job AccessReverse Commute Program,Program for Older Adults andPeople with Disabilities, and theNew Freedom Initiative. One signifi-cant requirement of the bill is to havehuman service coordination plans atthe local level. While guidance hasnot been issued for complying withthis requirement, it is clear that anemphasis on coordination from fed-eral funding sources is here to stay.

What is “Kansas United WeRide”?We can easily say that the State ofKansas has been working on trans-portation coordination for manyyears. The establishment of theCoordinated Transit Districts in1995 formalized efforts to workwithin a region to coordinate trans-portation efforts. However, the pri-mary emphasis within theCoordinated Transit Districts hasbeen to coordinate the efforts of

agencies receiving funding from theKansas Department of Transporta-tion, that is, those receiving Section5310 and Section 5311 funding. TheUnited We Ride effort acknowledgesall the other sources of funding andprograms that exist to supporthuman service transportation, such assenior services, Medicaid, job ser-vices, rehabilitation services, educa-tion, and many more.

The United We Ride initiativeattempts to bring those fundingsources together at all levels—federal,state, and local—to streamlineadministration and improve actualtransportation service delivery at locallevels. It also includes a local planningcomponent to encourage local com-munities to complete self-assessmentto look for improvements.

The State of Kansas effort atUnited We Ride has been underwayfor a few months and will gainmomentum this fall as the stateimplements a grant received from theFederal Transit Administration to

conduct a state self-assessment oftransportation coordination.Submitted in partnership with severalstate agencies, with endorsementfrom Governor Sebelius, the grantprovides assistance to identify ourstrengths and areas that needimprovement to allow greater coordi-nation of services and fundingstreams at the local level.

The self-assessment processincludes a request to the Governor’sCabinet Secretaries to appoint keyrepresentatives from each of theirrespective agencies to a Governor’sCommittee on TransportationCoordination. This committee willthen be responsible for overseeing thecompletion of a state self-assessmenton human service transportationcoordination. Participants in thisprocess will include state staff, repre-sentatives of local transportationagencies, human service agencies, andconsumers. The project will be car-ried out in several working meetingsto develop a state action plan toimprove transportation services.

What has happened so far?A meeting was held last December inKansas City with representatives ofeach of the four states in FTA’sRegion VII (Kansas, Missouri,Nebraska, and Iowa). Participants inthe meeting included state and localagencies; some of you may have par-ticipated in this meeting. The pur-pose of that meeting was to begin theprocess of identifying goals for eachof the participating states.

Our work group identified avision for our efforts: Enhance multi-agency coordination to provide efficient,sufficient and reliable transportation toall Kansans. Here are some of the keyelements of that vision identified bythe working group:—Provide transportation as neededacross the state. The services provid-ed must be customer-focused.

United We Ride,continued from page 1

2 KTR ● October 2005

The United We Ride effort acknowledges allsources of funding and programs (not just Section5310 and 5311 funding) that support human ser-vice transportation: aging, Medicaid, job services,rehabilitation services, education, and many more.

KTR ● October 2005 3

Features

—Consider the needs of both ruraland urban communities.—Ask “why not?” instead of “why?”Develop an understanding of how tomake the regulations work to meetthe needs of our state and debunkmyths about funding regulationwhere they exist.—Identify incentives for each stateagency to participate in the effort.—State agencies should work todevelop consensus on priority needswithin the state.—Be inclusive in involving stake-holders, both public and private, inthe coordination process.

Five goals were suggested by thisworking group and will be refined aswe move forward with the Governor’sCommittee. These goals address:1) broadening the perspective of fed-eral and state regulations to achievecoordinated services, 2) identifyingcommon goals of state agencies tomeet mobility needs, 3) inventoryingproviders and the types of trips pro-vided, 4) increasing use of technologyto assist in cost allocation or costsharing, and 5) identifying strategiesto sustain the effort among all thestakeholders to reach our goals.

Last December the group beganthe process of assigning some actionsteps to each of these goals. A work-ing session at the recent annualmeeting of the Kansas Public TransitAssociation in Topeka continued thatprocess, with actions suggested foreach of the goals. This list of actionsteps is being compiled and will bepresented to the Governor’sCommittee for review and considera-tion as their work moves forward.

What’s next?There are several activities takingplace at the moment to help work onthis project. The Kansas United WeRide work group has made a requestto place the establishment of theGovernor’s Committee on the

transportation to distant cities, med-ical facilities, and transportation links.However, alternate means are notavailable in many areas of Kansas.

One way to address this problemis for communities to offer intercitytransportation themselves, by mak-ing use of the Intercity Bus Program,

funded by the Federal TransitAdministration. This program givesgrants to agencies in rural and smallurban communities to improve busservice.

The programThe Intercity Bus Program, detailedin 49 U.S.C. Section 5311(f ), is partof each state’s mass transportationprogram for non-urbanized areas(population under 50,000.) The pro-gram gives grants to agencies thatcreate, maintain, and/or improveintercity bus service. According tothe Federal Transit Administration,intercity bus service is: “Regularlyscheduled bus service for the generalpublic which operates with limitedstops over fixed routes connectingtwo or more urban areas not in closeproximity, which has the capacity for

Intercity bus service,continued from page 1

Cabinet Secretaries’ agenda. A state-level stakeholders’ meeting is beingplanned tentatively for November2005. Finally, a state and local stake-holders’ meeting is tentatively sched-uled for early 2006 to complete theself-assessment for the self-assess-ment and action plan report.

A task force of state staff whohave attended the planning meetingsfor United We Ride is currentlymeeting to help develop the meetingschedules. The Kansas UniversityTransportation Center is workingwith the committee to provide logis-tical and technical support as neededon the effort.

During the time we are workingon the state-level assessment, weencourage local communities tobegin their own self-assessmentprocess. There are worksheets andother tools available to communitiesto assist with this process. KansasRTAP also is available to providetechnical assistance when your com-munity is ready to move forward.

We all know that coordinationtakes work...more meetings...morereports...more negotiation...moretime — time that none of us feel likewe have. But the benefits are thereand have been proven. Better coordi-nation and cooperation at the federal,state, and local levels, in partnership,means more rides in our communi-ties. And that’s why we’re all here atthe table.

If you have questions aboutKansas United We Ride, or wouldlike to explore technical assistance foryour community for transportationcoordination in your community,contact either Jim Van Sickel atKDOT, (785) 296-5192 or PatWeaver at Kansas RTAP, (785) 864-2595. ▲

The program givesgrants to agencies thatcreate, maintain, and/orimprove intercity busservice.

Go to next page

transporting baggage carried by pas-sengers, and which makes meaning-ful connections with scheduled inter-city bus service to more distantpoints, if such service is available.”

Keep in mind, “urban,” in FTA’sintercity bus service descriptionabove, may not mean what youthink. Urban, in this context, meansan area including a municipality orother built-up place that a state’stransportation secretary decides isappropriate for a local mass trans-portation system. Whether a com-munity fits the “urban” requirementis decided when an application forfunding is submitted to the KansasDepartment of Transportation. Theapplication can be found at:http://www.ksdot.org/burTransPlan/pubtrans/5311.asp.

FundingThe federal government requires thateach state spend at least 15 percent of its rural transportation funds onintercity bus service. However, if agovernor certifies that the state’sintercity bus needs are being ade-quately met, the state can spend themoney elsewhere. Each state mustconsult with intercity bus providersbefore certifying that intercity busneeds are adequately met.

In Kansas, all current intercitybus service programs are fully fund-ed. Those programs do not exhaustall the designated intercity bus fund-ing; therefore, Governor Sebelius hascertified that the state’s intercity busneeds are being adequately met, andremaining intercity bus funds can beused elsewhere.

Grants can be used for:—planning and marketing for inter-city bus transportation;—capital grants for intercity busshelters;

—joint-use stops and depots;—operating grants through purchase-of-service agreements, user-side subsi-dies, and demonstration projects; and—coordinating rural connectionsbetween small mass transportationoperations and intercity bus carriers.

Eligible grant recipients includestate and local agencies, non-profitorganizations, and operators of masstransportation services. Further, inKansas, all agencies that receive

intercity bus grants must be part of aCoordinated Transit District (CTD.)

As with many grants, fundingrequires a local match. Capitalexpenses require a 20 percent localmatch, while operating expensesrequire a 50 percent local match.1

Use of Intercity bus funds: An example in KansasDevelopmental Services ofNorthwest Kansas, Inc. (DSNWK,Inc.), part of Coordinated TransitDistrict 8, uses intercity bus grantsto help provide regularly scheduledtransportation service from St.Francis to Hays, Kansas. Three fixedroutes exist; two have round-trip ser-vice twice a week and one hasround-trip service once a week.Stops exist in 13 counties andinclude medical facilities and socialservices.

Three examples from otherstatesIn Missouri, intercity bus funds aregenerally dispersed to routes thatincur an operational deficit and haverural stops, said Shirley Tarwater ofthe Missouri DOT. For example,Greyhound has received an operat-ing subsidy of $106,000 to operatetwo routes. The first route runs fromKansas City, MO to West Plains,MO then enters Arkansas, a total

one-way distance in Missouri ofaround 320 miles. The second routeruns from St. Louis to Farmington,MO then enters Arkansas, a totalone-way distance in Missouri ofabout 70 miles. Also, a regionalprovider has received an operatingsubsidy of $45,000 to provide feederservice to St. Louis. Passengers arepicked up in Potosi, MO, travel toFarmington, then continue to St.Louis. One-way service is 100 miles.Service is popular with recentlyreleased prisoners needing trans-portation to Lambert InternationalAirport in St. Louis.

In South Dakota, in FY 2004the governor certified intercity busneeds were being adequately met,thus no intercity bus funds were dis-persed, said Melissa Schofield of theSouth Dakota DOT. However, inFY 2005, intercity bus funds weredispersed to six public transportationcompanies. These companies providefeeder service, taking passengers toand from intercity bus stops.

In Nebraska, according to Jerry

1 In Nebraska, the State Legislaturesets aside funds to help localitiesmeet the match requirement.

Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas,Inc., part of Coordinated Transit District 8, usesintercity bus grants to help provide regularlyscheduled transportation service from St. Francisto Hays, Kansas. Service includes three fixedroutes with stops in 13 counties.

Intercity bus service,continued from page 3

Features

4 KTR ● October 2005

KTR ● October 2005 5

The Mental HealthConsortium’s(TMHC)

drug-testing man-agement system,DP Live, is anInternet-based resultreporting and randompool maintenance program.The system has been testedthrough a pilot project involving anumber of agencies over the lastyear, and has proved to be very effi-cient and easy to use.

DP Live is now available to allKansas Section 5311 transit agencies,at no cost to the agencies. The great-est advantage of this program is theuser’s ability to track tests and obtainresults immediately after they areentered into the system by TMHCstaff. The system is designed to:

● Provide access to test results virtu-ally anytime and anywhere.

● List, add, edit, delete, and printparticipant information.

● Update company information suchas contact, address, telephone and faxnumbers.

● Provide a secure connection. Datacannot be seen by anyone but thelogged-in user.

● Provide full loggingand audit trail of useractivity for review by

TMHC staff.

● The ability toprovide testresults to our

customers as soonas they are processed

by TMHC staff.

● The ability to update random poolsat your convenience.

When you sign up for DP Live, youragency’s designated employer repre-sentative (DER) is given an accountname and password. This limitsaccess to your DER to informationfor your agency only and ensuresthat confidentiality is maintained asrequired by FTA Drug and Alcoholregulations.

All transit agencies withInternet access are encouraged toenroll in DP Live. Signing up isquick and easy; just contact AnnetteMcNaul, Manager of Third PartyAdministrative Services at TheMental Health Consortium at (800)886-1123. ▲

Wray of the Nebraska Departmentof Roads, intercity bus funds aregenerally dispersed on a per-milebasis for routes that incur an opera-tional deficit. For example, theNortheast Nebraska Area Agency onAging received $46,600 for tworoutes. The first route is operated byBlack Hills Stage Lines, Inc. andruns from Norfolk, NE to Omaha,NE, a total one-way distance of 138miles. The second route is operatedby K & S Express and runs fromNorfolk, NE to Chadron, NE, atotal one-way distance of 323 miles.

Bottom lineIf better links to intercity service issomething your community wants orneeds, the Intercity Bus Programmay help. Contact John Rosacker atthe Kansas DOT at (785) 296-0342for more information.

Sourceshttp://www.fta.dot.gov/legal/statutes/49_usc_53/501_2107_ENG_HTML.htm (Federal Transit Administrationpolicy definitions);

http://www.fta.dot.gov/legal/statutes/49_usc_53/501_2116_ENG_HTML.htm (Federal Transit Administrationinformation on the Intercity BusProgram);

http://www.fta.dot.gov/library/refer-ence/statsum03/sec5311.html(Federal Transit Administrationinformation on public transportationfunding for non-urbanized areas). ▲

More information about intercity bus service can be found at:

● http://www.fta.dot.gov/legal/statutes/49_usc_53/501_2143_ENG_HTML.htm ● http://www.fta.dot.gov/library/policy/circ9040_1E/chp7.htm● A list of public transportation contacts at the Kansas Department of Transportation can be found at:

http://www.ksdot.org/burTransPlan/pubtrans/pubtranscontacts.asp

DP Live now available to allKansas transit agencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Sandy Flickinger, Kansas DOT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Features

Admit it. It’s Sunday night,and you’re not thrilled aboutthe idea of going back to

work tomorrow. If you’re truly dread-ing Monday, and the only way youcan get through the week is by look-ing forward to your breaks andthinking about going home at theend of the day, you might be suffer-ing from job burnout.

What is job burnout?The Center for ManagementDevelopment at Wichita StateUniversity defines job burnout as“that stage of life when an individualhas little enthusiasm for their currentposition and feels trapped and help-less to change the situation.” Stress isa major contributing factor of jobburnout. Being stressed may lead youto frequently feel tired, have difficul-ty laughing, want more time alone,and be afraid of the future.

Work stress could have morethan one source. Maybe there havebeen recent changes at work, or youfeel as though your supervisors aren’tas supportive as they could be.Maybe you’re exhausted fromputting in extra hours to boost yourincome. Or maybe you just generallyfeel unappreciated.

Mike Noel, consultant forLazaro & Noel, a transportationtraining and consulting firm inJohnstown, Pa., says the nature of abus driver’s job lends itself toburnout. “It’s repetitive. You drive the

same routes and pick up the samepeople every day,” says Noel. The jobalso tends to encourage poor healthhabits. “You sit down a lot, and youeat in 10 minute gulps because you

get 10 minute breaks,” he says.However, while you can’t control thenature of the job, you can controlyour time when you aren’t at work.

Physical and mental healthIf you know you’re burned out, admitit. Say it out loud, Noel says, topeers, family members, and youremployer. “It’s okay to feel that way.Silence doesn’t help. It just builds,”he says. It might feel good to unloadyourself to peers, because they often

understand better than anyone else.Let your family and colleagues knowwhat’s going on, and ask them to beunderstanding if you are short onpatience. When you feel irritable,take a deep breath and remind your-self of what is really upsetting you.Try not to take your frustration outon the people you care about.

Next, develop a plan of action.Work on developing good physicaland mental health habits. It’s easierto deal with stress when you’re feel-ing your best. Exercising and eating

well are essential because youmay not always able to do thatwhile on the job. Try to walk

for 30 minutes everyday, cut back on alco-hol and caffeine, drinkmore water and geteight hours of sleep at

night. After sitting onthe bus all day, don’t

come home and watch TVfor hours, says Noel. And evaluate ifworking overtime is necessary. “Youmight make extra $30, but what is itworth?” says Noel. Decide whatthings are important to you, such as

birthdays, kids’ baseball games andanniversaries, and don’t give them upfor work.

Detached concernAnother way to deal with jobburnout is to adopt a “detached con-cern” demeanor. This is a way ofdealing with the aspects of the jobthat you can’t control—like com-plaining passengers or a grouchyboss. Take the attitude that you willchange what you can, but detach

Management

If you know you’re burned out, admit it. Say it outloud—to peers, family members, and your employer.It’s okay to feel that way. Silence doesn’t help.

Healing the burnRecovering from bus-driver job burnout

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Laura Snyder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6 KTR ● October 2005

KTR ● October 2005 7

Management

yourself from what you have no con-trol over. For example, if your pas-sengers are complaining, do the bestyou can to address their concerns,but if the problem is out of yourcontrol, don’t dwell on it. Think ofyourself like an athlete who plays towin, but accept that you can’t alwayswin. Do your best, but be detached.

Another way to use detachedconcern is to focus on the present.Ask yourself, “What can I do aboutit today?” Also try to be flexible anddon’t get attached to a fixed idea ofthe way things should be. If youdon’t like management’s policies,give them a chance, or better yet, becreative and suggest alternative solu-tions to problems.

Finally... laugh. Find the humorin a situation or laugh at the absur-dity of it.

Other optionsAlthough it’s not always an option insmaller agencies, you might want tolook into redefining your position, oreven seeking a transfer within thecompany. That way you could do thetasks you enjoy most and have achange of pace.

If you still aren’t happy, you maywant to consider quitting. TheCenter for Management Develop-ment recommends you ask yourselfthe following questions before decid-ing to quit: Is the stress of changingjobs worth the long-term benefitsyou hope to gain by quitting? Canyou handle that amount of stressright now? Have you taken steps tocounter the consequences of leaving,such as looking for a new job, ormaking sure you can afford to quit?Have you learned all the lessons thissituation has to offer? If the answerto all of these questions is “yes,” itmay be time to move on.

You’re in controlYour managers may want to take a

look at our sidebar to see how theycan help combat job burnout, butremember, you do have some controlover your job satisfaction. And alsoremember the job you do is neededand appreciated by your riders.

“Drivers shouldn’t think of theirjobs as driving from A to B,” saysNoel. “They make sure people get tothe doctors, to college, and to theirjobs. They provide the opportunityfor people to live a high quality oflife.” Noel says he considers rural dri-vers luckier than those in big cities

because they have the opportunity toconnect with their customers. “Gooddrivers shouldn’t go without cookiesat Christmas,” he said. “They shouldhave too many of them.”

For more information, contactMike Noel at (814) 262-7535 ordirection@lazaro-noel.com

Source“How to Beat Job Burnout” by Dr. Don Hackett, Center forManagement Development atWichita State University. ▲

A healthy investment

Managers should take an interest in job burnout, because it decreasesproductivity and increases sick days. “It’s a good investment to teach

stress management,” says Noel. “Companies owe their drivers that.” Noelrecommends companies initiate programs that teach employees how todeal with customers and manage conflict and stress.

Keeping happy, loyal employees means safer agencies. More than halfof transit accidents—up to 60 percent—happen within a driver’s first threeyears, says Noel. Burnout leads to a higher turnover rate and more new dri-vers—which can mean more accidents.

Create a “family”Noel also says transit agencies should take a team approach and try to getdrivers involved in problem-solving and safety-planning with other agencyemployees. Employees who feel like family won’t burn out as easily. Evenhaving company picnics and celebrating birthdays make employees feel likea more important part of the company. Because driving is a very indepen-dent job, says Noel, drivers tend to have an “us” and “them” attitude aboutmanagement.

Positive feedback can also help eliminate an “us” and “them” concept.“A lot of drivers tell me they only hear from management when they’re introuble,” says Noel. “Management staff need to give positive feedback andthank drivers for doing a good job, not just be the cops and catch them fordoing a bad job.” He urges managers who ride along on routes not to lookfor what drivers are doing wrong, but to become aware of and talk with thedrivers about what they do, and the problems they deal with.

Noel says companies don’t suffer as much from job burnout when theysupport their employees going through rough times in their lives. Givetime off to spend with a family member in hospital, offer paid time whenemergencies arise, and be understanding about kids and marriage prob-lems. You will create loyal employees, he says.

Marketing

How to design an ad

If you’ve ever used the yellowpages or your local newspaper toadvertise your transit company,

you know that print advertising is apowerful marketing venue. A well-done, attention-grabbing ad makesyour advertisement even more suc-cessful. Unfortunately, creating an adisn’t easy for those of us who lackartistic talent. But if you can mastersome basic principles of design, witha few tips from a pro, you can createan ad that is appealing and profitable.

ContrastThe first principle of design, con-trast, helps you achieve that stand-out effect. To add contrast to youradvertisement, look for ways to makeelements different. Contrast shouldbe striking. If you’re going to maketwo items contrast, make them verydifferent. Don’t use a 14 point fontand an 18 point font. The text in 18point is supposed to stand out, somake it bigger!

Contrast in text can also beshown through font face. If you usetwo fonts, use a serif, like TimesNew Roman, and a sanserif, likeArial. If you’re unfamiliar with thedifference between the two fontfamilies, serif fonts have the “flags”on the points of each letter, andsanserif fonts do not. Sanserif fontsare generally hard to read in smallprint, so use a serif for this purpose.However, sanserif fonts are a greatcontrast to a small, serif font and area good choice for headers.

In the ads below, you can seehow contrast makes a difference. In

the first ad, your eyesglaze over the information because itall looks the same. Choose somepieces of information to bold andput in a “heavier” font, and you havea much more readable ad. See theconstruction ad examples above.

AlignmentContrast alone won’t help youif your text is flying around inyour ad. Alignment, the sec-ond principle of design,means anchoring down yourtext and graphics. Nothingshould be placed on a pagejust because you think it looksgood there. Everything shouldlink to something else.

“Let the picture tell youwhat to do withthe design,” saysCarol Holstead,journalism pro-fessor at theUniversity ofKansas whospecializes indesign. Forexample, If youhave a pictureof a personlooking up andto the right, putthe header

where the person’s eyes are looking.Just remember that too many bits oftext all over the page make the eyewander and lose focus. See the busi-ness card examples above for an illus-tration of this principle.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Laura Snyder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8 KTR ● October 2005

The advertisement at rightdoes not have enough vari-

ation in font size or fontweight. The reworked ad,

below, fixes the problemand is easier to read.

In these business cards,you can see the differ-

ence in readabilitybetween the first

example, where thetext is all over the

place, and the secondexample, where the

text is neatly alignedto the right.

KTR ● October 2005 9

RepetitionAnother way to keep your ad lookingclutter-free is to stick with only afew elements and repeat them. Thisis called repetition, the third princi-ple of design. Repetition helps youorganize and unify your ad. You canrepeat fonts, colors, bullets, or anyelement in your ad. Above all, beconsistent. Don’t put your phonenumber in a 12 point Garamondfont and your fax number in an 8point Franklin Gothic font.

The ad below shows good use offont repetition. The list of items onsale is in the same font as the saleinformation at the bottom of the ad.The italicizing of “at” is repeatedwith the list of sale items italicized.

ProximityProximity, the fourth and last ele-ment of design, is another way tounify the elements in your ad. Thismeans you group together items thatrelate to one another. For example,put all of the contact informationtogether, instead of splitting up the

Marketing

phone number and e-mailaddress. Look at the wine tast-ing ads above for another exam-ple. See how, in the secondexample the date and locationare grouped together, separatefrom the rest of the ad text? Thismakes the information much moreaccessible to the reader, not to men-tion easier on the eyes. See what adifference proximity makes?

A note about white spaceSometimes inexperienced designersare afraid of blank space. Don’t be!Remember, white space adds con-trast to the bold elements already onyour page. But don’t go overboardwith white space, especially betweenelements that should be groupedtogether. Don’t forget the principleof proximity. Also, be careful not totrap white space between elementson your page. All white space shouldsomehow be connected to the mar-gin of the page.

A few more tipsHolstead offers some final tips tokeep in mind when designing yourad. Remember that less is more. “Ithink that people err on the side oftrying to put too much informationinto ads,” Holstead says.

Holstead also recommendsthumbing through newspapers ormagazines and seeing which ads

catch your eye. “Look at where youreye goes,” she says. “It’s always goingto be ads that have contrast, a boldgraphic or picture, or something thatstands out. Not too much text.”For more great tips on designingyour ad, check out The Non-Designer’s Design Book by RobinWilliams.

SourcesMarketing Ideas to Get You There:West Virginia Transit Manual. WestVirginia Division of Public Transit,Jan. 2001.

Williams, Robin. The Non-Designer’sDesign Book. Peachpit Press, 2004.

(Graphics in this article wereexcerpted from pp. pp 26, 27, 32, 33,57, 70, and 71 from The Non-Designer’s Design Book, 2nd Edition(ISBN 0-321-19385-7) by RobinWilliams, Copyright 2004, withpermission of Pearson Education,Inc. and Peachpit Press.) ▲

This advertisement makes effective use of font repetition.

At right, all the information is pre-sented together, and tends to get lost.In the re-worked ad, below, similaritems are grouped together, makingthem easier for the reader to find.

Safety

Be a pain-reliever

With 25 percent of Kansansover age 18 having doc-tor-diagnosed arthritis,

and 15.6 percent more having possi-ble arthritis, the likelihood that youwill transport someone with arthritissymptoms is great1. Here are somesuggestions of what you can do tomake your passenger’s boarding, ride,and exit more comfortable.

Individuals with doctor-diagnosedarthritis, according to the Center forDisease Control and Prevention, areindividuals who report they havebeen told by a health care profes-sional that have some form of arthri-tis. There are over 100 forms ofarthritis. Some examples includeosteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis,

lupus, gout, fibromyalgia and carpeltunnel syndrome.

Individuals with possible arthritisare individuals who report that theyhave had symptoms of pain, aching,or stiffness in or around a joint dur-ing the past 30 days that began morethan three months ago. However,they have never been told by a healthcare professional that they have aform of arthritis.

Of the Kansans with doctor-diagnosed arthritis, over a thirdreport activity limitation, and 12percent with possible arthritisreported activity limitation. Thismeans tasks like boarding and exit-ing a bus are more difficult for pas-sengers with arthritis.

Symptoms of arthritis may notbe obvious in a passenger. A passen-ger with arthritis may seem to be inpain, have limited motion, or show

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Laura Snyder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

fatigue. He or she may also havejoints that creak and pop. You canalso look for skin that is pulled tautover a swollen joint and shiny.

Although you should not ask thepassenger what his or her condition isbecause of privacy concerns, you canalways ask if and how you can be ofassistance. Cindy Winters, managerof the Kansas Arthritis Program, sug-gests this tip for offering assistance topassengers boarding the vehicle. “Ifyou take them by the hand, do notsqueeze it,” she says. “Give supportunderneath the elbow, and let thepassenger gently rest his or her handon yours.”

Sources

Impact of Doctor-Diagnosed Arthritis for Kansans. Kansas ArthritisProgram fact sheet, Kansas Department of Health and Environment.Provides statistics, by age, of Kansans with doctor-diagnosed arthritis.

“People with Arthritis Can Travel Too!” Eustice, Carol and Richard,2005. http://www.arthritis.about.com/cs/travel/a/youcantravel_p.htm.This article gives advice for travelers with arthritis, as well as some tipsfor more comfortable car travel.

“Tips for Car Travel.” Arthritis Foundation, 2004.http://www.arthritis.org/resources/travel/Automobiles/car_travel.asp.This article tells how to use cushions, knee wedges, and seatbelt pads tominimize discomfort while traveling.

“How to Recognize the Signs of Arthritis,” 2005.http://www.ehow.com/how_10162_recognize-signs-arthritis.htmlLearn to identify the visible signs of arthritis in your passengers.

Give support underneaththe elbow, rather thangrasping the rider’s hand.

Accommodate passengers with arthritis

1Even if you transport mostly pas-sengers with disabilities, they, toomay have arthritis. According to theKansas Arthritis Program, more thanhalf (55 percent) of Kansans withdisabilities have doctor-diagnosedarthritis, while 14 percent have pos-sible arthritis.

10 KTR ● October 2005

KTR ● October 2005 11

Safety

Encourage passengers witharthritis symptoms to sit toward theaisle so they can stretch their legs. Ifpossible, adjust the seat so there ismore leg room.

Getting up to exit the vehiclecould also be a problem for a passen-ger. If there are no armrests for thepassenger to push up from, you maywant to again give support from

under the elbow. “Don’t try to taketheir hands to help them, becauseyou don’t want to put a lot of pres-sure on smaller joints,” says Winters.“Use a larger joint or area, like theelbow or the forearm.”

You can also carry a few items inyour vehicle to make the trip morecomfortable for passengers witharthritis. Winters recommends carry-ing a step-stool to assist passengers asthey climb into the vehicle, especiallyif the first step of the bus is high.

You may want to have a pillowto offer to the passenger to placebehind the neck or lower back forsupport. Seatbelt cushions thatVelcro onto the shoulder strap arealso a good idea.

Helping a passenger with arthri-tis is as simple as offering a hand ora pillow. By following these tips, youcan make the ride more comfortableand enjoyable for your passenger. ▲

As old man winter approaches,icy and snow-packed roads arearound the corner. Are youready to drive on them? If not,this article’s discussion of win-ter driving techniques andsafety precautions can help.

While lying in bed,before drifting off tosleep, you flip on the

news for tomorrow’s weather.The weatherman says the year’sfirst snowfall, likely between 3 and 5inches, will happen overnight.Instinctively, you know to set yourmorning alarm a little earlier.However, the Kansas HighwayPatrol knows something else. They

know many accidents are likely tohappen. According to LieutenantJohn Eichkorn of the KansasHighway Patrol, “Most people’s win-ter driving skills are rusty from dri-ving in warmer conditions so thefirst snowfall is often the worst.”

Once at work, you will removesnow from your vehicle’s windshieldsand lights as part of your pre-tripinspection, buckle up, and leave foryour first stop of the day. But will

you remember to slow down? Youshould. Driving too fast for condi-tions was cited by LieutenantEichkorn as the leading cause ofaccidents in winter driving condi-tions. He suggests increasing follow-

ing distance, remembering that accel-eration and braking times increase onwinter road conditions, and knowingwhether your vehicle has anti-lockbrakes. Knowing whether your vehi-cle has anti-lock brakes determinesthe correct braking technique. If yourvehicle has anti-lock brakes, firmlypress the brake pedal until your vehi-cle stops. However, if your vehicledoes not have anti-lock brakes, firmly

Go to page 13

Ready for winter driving?

This winter, if your bus begins to lose power or is difficult to start don’tassume an engine problem. It might be something else. It might becaused by your diesel fuel. Diesel fuel, in cold conditions, can turn into agel type substance which can cause a vehicle to lose power, start, butonly have enough power to idle, or not start at all. The problem occurswhen molecules in the diesel fuel combine to become more solid, thusrestricting fuel from passing through the fuel filter. As a result, theengine is starved of fuel. If this occurs, add a diesel fuel additive to lowerthe fuel’s “gelling temperature,” or install a diesel fuel heater, or both.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Justin Dorsey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Although you shouldnot ask the passengerwhat his or her condition is because of privacy concerns,you can always ask ifand how you can be ofassistance.

You may have heard the term“HIPAA” floating around, butwhat does it mean? The

Health Insurance Portability andAccountability Act of 1996, orHIPAA, was designed to ensurehealth insurance coverage for peoplewhen they change or lose jobs.Before HIPAA, people leaving onejob risked losing coverage for pre-existing conditions when theyswitched to a new insurance policy.HIPAA is designed protect thoseindividuals. Further, HIPAA’s newsecurity rule requires confidentialityand holds medical providers account-able for disclosing protected healthinformation.

What does this have to do withtransit? According to Peggy Graham,HIPAA Officer for the state ofKansas, HIPAA normally applies tomedical providers who bill for thoseservices electronically. However, atransit agency might be subject toHIPAA regulations if they have busi-ness associate agreements with med-ical professionals who are subject tothese regulations.

“If a doctor has to tell informa-tion to a transportation service abouta passenger in case of an emergencyduring transport, then the doctorwould have a business associateagreement with that transportationagency. The agency is then boundunder the same HIPAA agreementwith the doctors,” said Graham. Forexample, if doctor tells a transitagency that a particular passenger is

diate family, a legal representative ofthe patient such as someone who haspower of attorney, and doctors, nurs-es and other health care professionalsinvolved with the patient’s treatment.Care should be taken that informa-tion is discussed with these individu-als alone, not in the presence of oth-ers who are not involved in the treat-ment of the patient.

You should not discuss the pas-senger with the media, his or heremployer, ex-spouse, in-laws, or evenother drivers. If your bus has a radio,do not discuss patient informationover it. Radio waves can be intercept-ed, and it is considered a form ofpublic communication. Keep papersthat may divulge PHI in a folder orenvelope, not lying on the seat foranother passenger to see. A good ruleof thumb for sharing informationwith a third party is to ask yourself,

“If I were the patient, would I wantthis person to know about this?”When in doubt, you can always askyour supervisor.

Electronic privacyPrivacy breaches about health infor-mation don’t just spread by word ofmouth. The information age has cre-ated new avenues for privacy leaks,both accidental and intentional. Ifyou have a computer database thatlists PHI about passengers, take care

prone to seizures, the agency shouldnot share that information. Whetheryou legally fall under HIPAA regula-tions or not, Graham says protectingprivacy by limiting access to passen-gers’ health information is always agood business practice.

What information is protected?HIPAA defines protected healthinformation (PHI) as any informationthat could be used to individually

identify a patient. These identifyingpieces of information include thename of the patient or patient rela-tives, patient address, phone numbers,social security numbers, Medicare orMedicaid ID numbers, medicalrecord or case numbers, patient diag-nosis, and date of birth.

Who CAN you share it with?HIPAA regulation allows disclosureof identifying information only tosomeone involved with the patient’streatment, such as the patient, imme-

Technology

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Laura Snyder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Keep it to yourselfProtecting passengers’ privacy

Whether you legally fall under HIPAA regulationsor not, protecting privacy by limiting access to pas-sengers’ health information is “good business.”

12 KTR ● October 2005

KTR ● October 2005 13

Go to next page

to keep that information private.Keep the computer monitor out

of view of people who don’t need tosee that information. Limit the num-ber of people in your agency whohave access to the information, andmake sure it’s only accessible with apassword. Passwords should consistof a combination of numbers and let-ters, both capital and lowercase, tomake them more difficult to crack.You should also change your pass-words periodically.

E-mails can easily be interceptedif you do not use encryption. Buyencryption software for your comput-er, or use a HIPAA-secure e-mailservice, from companies such asSafety Send, PostX or Orchestra.Even with protected e-mail, try notto discuss PHI via e-mail at all, ifyou can help it.

Even if your services do not fallunder a HIPAA agreement, take theinitiative to protect your passengers’privacy anyway. Your passengers willappreciate it.

For more information, contactPeggy Graham at:peggy.graham@da.state.ks.us.

Sources“Data Entry: Doing more forPrivacy.” Clolery, Paul. The Non-Profit Times. May 1, 2005.

HIPAA Information Guide: DriversQuick Reference. State of WestVirginia Department ofTransportation, Division of PublicTransit.

“HIPAA: Safeguarding Information.”Holloway, Jennifer Daw. Monitor onPsychology. http://www.apa.org/moni-tor/jan05/hipaa.html 2005. ▲

press the brake pedal until the pointof wheel lock-up, then release.Quickly repeat this process until yourvehicle stops.

Does this thought sound famil-iar?: “My vehicle is four-wheel driveso I have nothing to worry aboutfrom snow-packed roads.” If so,think again. According to LieutenantEichkorn, “Drivers of four-wheeldrive vehicles have a false sense ofsecurity on winter road conditions.Therefore, they may become com-placent.” Remember, although four-wheel drive gives a vehicle additionalmaneuverability on winter roads;four-wheel drive will not stop a

Technology

vehicle quicker than if it had two-wheel drive. Bottom line, no matterwhat the vehicle, winter driving isdangerous, even for large vehicles,like buses.

No one wants to be stranded,especially in a snow storm, but ithappens, so being prepared is impor-tant. For example, Reno CountyArea Transit puts kitty litter in theirparatransit vehicles to spread on theroad for additional tire traction.They also provide their paratransitdrivers with rubber shoe covers withspikes on the bottom. The shoe cov-ers are placed over the driver’s shoesand provide additional traction forwalking on wintry surfaces. Finally,for extra precaution, a vehicle emer-

Winter driving videotapes available from Kansas RTAP:

Winter Driving Safety (re: buses), 13 minutes. Discusses driving tech-niques and safety hazards. Produced by MetroLink, 2000.

Driving Snow: The Keys to Winter Driving (re: automobiles), 15 min-utes. Discusses braking techniques, skid techniques, front wheel and fourwheel drive differences, and the importance of proper tires. Produced bySavafilm, 1993.

Ready, Set, Winter: Driving Safety on Ice and Snow (re: automobiles),13 minutes. Discusses pre-winter maintenance, braking techniques, skidtechniques, and what to do if you become stuck in the snow. Produced byAAA, 1996.

Safe Winter Driving Considerations (re: automobiles), 13 minutes.Discusses pre-winter maintenance, braking techniques, front wheel andfour wheel drive differences, handling hills, and passing. Produced by theNational Safety Council, 2001.

Why Skid?: Winter Driving Techniques (re: automobiles), 18 minutes.Discusses wheel grip, weight transfer, steering, and braking techniques.Produced by Bridgestone Tire, 1994.

To request a video, go to http://www.kutc.ku.edu, click on the LendingLibrary link, then type the video title in the “Resource Name” box andclick Search. Then continue with the request process. Or contact JasonPfister at the Kansas University Transportation Center at (785) 864-5658.

Winter driving,continued from page 11

October 10-11, 2005Innovative Transit MarketingStrategiesMilwaukee, Wis.Contact: Maribeth SachoPhone: 414-227-3337

October 16-19Transit Trainers’ Workshop2005Phone: 732-932-1700 E-mail:gloehner@nti.rutgers.edu

October 17-21, 2005 or November 14-18, 2005Transit and Paratransit MgmtCertificate ProgramSanta Fe, NMPhone: 210-366-1436www.swta.org

October 23-25, 2005SWTA Transit MarketingSeminar & Marketing SpotlightAwards Tucson, ArizonaContact: Carol KetchersidePhone: 210-366-1435

November 14-16, 20052005 International Truck andBus Safety and SecuritySymposiumAlexandria, Va.Contact: Richard PainE-mail: rpain@nas.edu

November 15-16, 2005Professional Dispatching andScheduling Training SessionCharleston, WVContact: Len CahillPhone: 202-451-9653E-mail: cahill@ctaa.org

November 16-18—Oacoma, SDDecember 7-9—Oakland, CAPassenger Service and SafetyTraining SessionContact: Len CahillPhone: 202-451-9653

January 22-26, 2006SWTA’s 26th Annual Conference& EXPOMesa, Az.http://www.swta.org/pages/seminar.html

January 28-31, 2006APTA General ManagersSeminarLong Beach, Calif.Contact: Heather RachelsPhone: 202-496-4838

March 14-15, 2006Managing the Cost of ADAParatransit ServicesAustin, TexasPhone: 732-932-1700

Calendar

Rural Transit Conferences and Workshops

Editor’s Note: To include meetings or workshops in our calendar,send information to:Kansas Trans Reporter, KUTC,1530 W. 15th St., Room 2160,Lawrence, KS 66045.Email: weaver@ku.edu

gency kit can be placed in a vehicle.The emergency kit should include atthe minimum: a blanket, book,booster cables, candle, clothing,flashlight, first aid kit, gloves, hat,kitty litter, non-perishable food,shovel, and a send-help flag to alertpassing vehicles of the emergencysituation.

We hope this article hasrefreshed you on winter driving tech-niques and safety precautions. Foradditional winter driving instructionand information please check out thesource below and those mentionedthroughout the article.

Sources“Winter Survival Kit,” Grassroutes,Volume 15, Number 3: 2002.

Other sources include videotapesand Web sites listed in this article. ▲

Winter driving, continued from page 13

Winter driving Web sites

http://www.kansashighwaypatrol.org/ then click mediaKansas State Highway Patrol brochure on winter driving.

http://www.fema.gov/pdf/hazards/wndrvfs.pdfFederal Emergency Management Agency brochure of winter driving tips.

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/winterdrive/winterdrive.htmInformation on winter driving techniques and emergency kit preparationfrom the Ontario Ministry of Transportation

http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/WinterDriving/Information on pre-winter vehicle maintenance and winter driving tech-niques from “Car Talk” on National Public Radio.

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/quicknotes/badsnow.htmInformation on driving in blowing snow and whiteout conditions fromthe Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

14 KTR ● October 2005

KTR ● October 2005 15

Resources

Publications and videotapes

Resources Order Form

Use this order form to order the resources listed here. Send the order form to: KUTC Lending Library, 1530 W. 15th Street, Room 2160,Lawrence, KS 66044. Or fax the form to 785/ 864-3199.

❏ Carbon Monoxide – National Transit InstituteA fact sheet that provides a definition of carbonmonoxide, the effects, what can be done to reducecarbon monoxide hazards and the legal requirementsand professional guidelines for carbon monoxide expo-sure. Also available at no charge at: www.ntionline.com

❏ Effective Approaches to Meeting Rural IntercityBus Transportation Needs – American PublicTransportation Agency. This report will be of interestto individuals who plan, fund, market, or operate ruralintercity bus transportation services. This researchreport is a valuable resource that addresses fundingfor intercity bus projects, barriers to implementation,and strategies for initiating, preserving, and enhancingeffective intercity bus transportation. The report con-sists of three parts. Part 1 addresses “Rural IntercityBus Transportation Needs, Funding, and ProgramIssues.” Part II covers “Strategies to Improve andSupport Intercity Bus Services.” Part III providesdetailed project descriptions.

Name Title

Agency Phone

Street address Email address

City State Zip + 4 Date materials needed

❏ System Security Awareness for TransitEmployees: Warning Signs – Federal TransitAdministration, National Transit Institute (video-tape for two-week loan). Provides key aspects ofsystem security for transit employees. Increasesthe viewer's awareness of what to look for andwhat to do regarding suspicious activity, packages,devices and substances. The practices put forwardwill not only help a transit system define thethreat relative to terrorism, but will also improveoverall security, helping to reduce all levels of crime.

More Web sites to visit:

http://www.docpotter.com/art_bo-summary.htmlWays to identify job burnout and tips to help youovercome it.

http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol154/printad.htmThis site offers more helpful hints for designing anadvertisement.

http://www.arthritis.org/resources/travel/Trains/bus_travel.aspAdvice for travelers with arthritis, which can easilybe applied to passengers.

http://www.hipaa.org/Confused about HIPAA? Find answers here.

The Kansas Trans Reporter is an educational publication published quarterly by the Kansas University TransportationCenter. The newsletter is distributed free to rural and specialized transit providers and others with an interest in rural andspecialized service.

The Kansas Trans Reporter is co-sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration under its Rural TransportationAssistance Program (RTAP) and the Kansas Department of Transportation. The purposes of the program are to: 1) educatetransit operators about the latest technologies in rural and specialized transit; 2) encourage their translation into practical application; and 3) to share information among operators.

October 2005, Volume 18, Number 4. Copyright Kansas University Transportation Center. All rights reserved.Reproduction of material appearing in the Kansas Trans Reporter requires written permission.

For a free subscription to the Kansas Trans Reporter or to contact one of our faculty or staff,call toll-free 800/248-0350 (in Kansas) or 785/864-2595 (outside Kansas). Send correspon-dence to Kansas Trans Reporter, Kansas University Transportation Center, 1530 W. 15thStreet, Room 2160, Lawrence, KS 66045. Send e-mail messages to Patricia Weaver atweaver@ku.edu or Lisa Harris at LHarris@ku.edu. Visit our Web site at www.kutc.ku.edu

Send us the inside form with your corrected address, or fax your changes to 785/864-3199.

In addition to publishing the Kansas Trans Reporter, the Kansas RTAP program offers a variety of other educational services. Following is a partial list of these services:● Publication dissemination ● Program planning assistance● Technical assistance ● Video lending library● Telephone consultation ● Computer database searches ● Training development ● Referral services ● Web site ● E-mail discussion group

Assistance can be obtained by contacting a Kansas Trans Reporter staff person at the numbers or address above.

Project Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pat WeaverEditor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lisa HarrisContributors . . . Laura Snyder, Justin Dorsey, Sandy Flickinger

Co-sponsored by the Kansas DOT and the Federal Transit Administration

University of KansasTransportation CenterKansas Trans Reporter1530 W. 15th Street, Room 2160Lawrence, KS 66045-7609

Return Service Requested

Nonprofit Org.

U.S. Postage

PAIDLawrence, Kansas

Permit No. 65

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to reach us

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Address incorrect?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Other services

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kansas RTAP staff

..............................................................Kansas Trans Reporter

..............................................................