This year’s winning projects help meet their regions’ needs  through various program areas, including: bicycle and pedestrian planning, air quality, equity, project implementation, public involvement, safety, and transit. Contact information for each award-winning organization is also provided.

The Excellence in Regional Transportation Award is a program of the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Research Foundation and its program affiliate RPO America. RPO America serves as the network for the nation’s rural and small metropolitan transportation planners and other professionals.
This awards program is partially funded under a cooperative agreement with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

View the 2013 award winners (PDF)

Looking for award winning projects from prior years?  See the awards reports below:

• 2012 awards (PDF)
• 2011 awards (PDF)
• 2010 awards (PDF)
• 2009 awards (PDF)
• 2008 awards (PDF)
• 2007 awards (PDF)

For more information on the Excellence in Regional Transportation Awards program, visit www.RuralTransportation.org.

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GEORGIA

River Valley Regional Commission, Prison to Peanuts Bicycle Adventure

River Valley Regional Commission, RVRC Mobility Management

Three Rivers Regional Commission, Regional Mobility Management

KENTUCKY

Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency, Vanpooling Services

MAINE

Eastern Maine Development Corporation, Linking the Rural Regions of Four Counties in Maine to Enhance Transportation Opportunities and Improve Quality of Life

NORTH CAROLINA

Isothermal Planning and Development Commission, Pockets of Rural Poverty

Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments, North Carolina Lakes District

Land of Sky Regional Council of Governments, From Cradle to Construction – Project Tracking

Piedmont Triad Rural Planning Organization and UNC Highway Safety Research Center, Rural Comprehensive Speed Management Planning

Western Piedmont Council of Governments, Western Piedmont Annual Air Quality Conference

PENNSYLVANIA

North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning, Engage North Central Pennsylvania

SOUTH CAROLINA

Lower Savannah Council of Governments, Lower Savannah Regional Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan

Lower Savannah Council of Governments, Resuscitation of Transit ( and Senior) Services in Allendale, SC

Lowcountry Council of Governments, Regional Mobility Management in the Lowcountry–From Cooperation to Consolidation

VERMONT

Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, Transportation Surveys: Attitudinal Changes and Trends in Chittenden County VT, 2000 – 2012

VIRGINIA

New River Valley Planning District Commission, Regional Transit Organization Study – Regional Transit Coordinating Council

The REDI College Access Program is the cornerstone of a program to increase educational attainment levels and improve workforce skill levels in rural West Tennessee. Mentors work in high schools across 11 counties to provide assistance to seniors on college exploration and the application and enrollment process. REDI focuses on first generation, economically
disadvantaged students, but also works with any student. College Transition Coaches at two regional colleges help incoming REDI students transition to higher education and provide assistance with financial aid, tutoring, and other support services. The retention rate of REDI students is above average for both of the participating colleges. The Southwest Tennessee Development District serves as the parent organization for REDI staff and provides vision and leadership to the initiative.

Lisa Hankins, REDI Director: lhankins@swtdd.org
Joe W. Barker, Executive Director: jwbarker@swtdd.org
731-668-6439
www.reditn.com

The Forsyth County Real World Event’s goal is to provide youth between the ages of 13 and 21 with the tools to be self-sufficient and successful in the real world. The youth must attend a budgeting class prior to the actual event, which covers the basics of planning a monthly budget to meet both needs and wants within a hypothetical income. At the event, participants
visit booths where they must chose the best option in regards to their budget constraints. The Piedmont Triad Regional Council, a member of the planning committee, helps recruit youth, provides funding for the event, and assists with budgeting classes throughout the community. Approximately 175 – 200 youth participate in the event every year, which is supported by several partnerships.

Deon Carter, Workforce Development Program Manager, Youth Programs: dcarter@ptrc.org
Althea Hairston, Workforce Development Director: ahairston@ptrc.org
Matthew Dolge, Executive Director: mdolge@ptrc.org
336-761-2111

Today’s Kids Under Attack is an innovative creation by the South Plains Association of Governments’ (SPAG) law enforcement program staff. The program targets high risk youth with a pro-active approach to handling potential problems in school and home environments. Instructors present topics involving violence, teen suicide, damaging effects of video games, sexual assault, bullying, generational changes, and family issues. In addition to student training (over 6,000 youth have participated), the program also involves parents, social agencies, law enforcement officials, and school officials as part of the adult training component (over 250 participants to date). SPAG manages presentations, marketing, registration, and continuing education credit. The program has increased awareness of issues facing youth and has improved relationships between law enforcement and youth.

Gay Lynn Stone, Director of Training and Emergency Communications: gstone@spag.org
Tim C. Pierce, Executive Director: tpierce@spag.org
806-762-8721

Many houseboat manufacturers in Wayne County, Kentucky faced drastic layoffs and plant closures through the economic downturn. A regional venture capital firm and the University of Kentucky School of Architecture worked together to develop the Houseboat to Energy Efficient Residences program, a creative way to address the need for improved energy efficient housing, utilization of an equipped manufacturing plant, and reemployment of a skilled and ready workforce. The Lake Cumberland Area Development District partnered in grant writing and administration of the project’s funding. Architecture students have created prototypes for energy efficient houseboats, helping one business increase employment from 12 to 56 full-time staff. The project will potentially bring back 575 skilled houseboat builders and 1,000 related jobs in the region.

Donna Diaz, Executive Director: donnad@lcadd.org
270-866-4200

Maysville Community and Technical College (MCTC) received a grant to address the shortage of Registered Nurses (RNs) in the region, leading to the development of the Increased Training for Regional Advancements in Nursing (I-Train) program. Through this program, MCTC hired four new instructors for night and weekend classes. The Buffalo Trace Area Development District (BTADD) provided support for the Allied Health Care Case Manager position to guide the program’s nontraditional students and
enhance their success in obtaining their credential. The case manager is a member of the BTADD staff who meets with students, facilitates workshops, coordinates tutoring, and assists with interview techniques. While traditional RN programs have a graduation rate around 50 percent, 100 percent of students in the first cohort with access to these ongoing support services completed training.

Denise Wietelmann, Director of Workforce Development: dwietelmann@btadd.com
Amy Kennedy, Executive Director: akennedy@btadd.com
606-564-6894

The Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments received a planning grant to convene economic development partners to determine how to build a regional infrastructure for coordinating seamless workforce and economic development activities for the Research Triangle region of North Carolina. The resulting partnership, Triangle Worksource (TWS), supports regional business and economic development efforts for recruitment, expansion, and rapid response activities. TWS projects include a website to educate businesses about services, videos to promote the partnership, a regional candidate database, and job boards. Regular meetings allow business service representatives from all participating boards to coordinate on-the-job training opportunities, recruiting assistance, and candidate referrals for companies throughout the region.

Vincent Gilreath, Workforce Development Director: vgilreath@kerrtarcog.org
Diane Cox, Interim Executive Director: dcox@kerrtarcog.org
252-436-2040
www.triangleworksource.com

The South Delta Planning and Development District collaborated with several partners to provide job skills, career track, and business development training for unemployed or underemployed adults in the Mississippi Delta through the deployment of the Mobile Outreach Skills Training (MOST) program. An important partner is GE Aviation, which requires highly skilled workers for
manufacturing composite components for jet engines. The MOST program rapidly responds to GE’s hiring and training needs, and the unique configuration of the Mobile Training Units allows flexibility in class sizes as hiring needs change. The PDD wrote the original grant and continues to manage other funding sources. Over 200 candidates have completed training and now work for GE Aviation, which has had a tremendous impact on the local economy and the surrounding counties.

Mitzi Woods, Workforce Investment Area Director: mwoods@sdpdd.com
William B.Haney, Jr., Executive Director: bhaney@sdpdd.com
662-335-6889

http://www.mostjobstraining.com

The Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments (COG) partnered with Trident Technical College (TCC) on SC Works Trident and Trident Technical College Workforce Training Collaboration to address workforce development issues in this three-county region in South Carolina. TCC offers approved occupational trainings, including Certified Production Technician certification through the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council. The COG communicates with area employers to understand their needs and provide information on this training to help them recruit qualified employees. Employers have the opportunity to
interview candidates immediately following graduation, giving them access to a pipeline of skilled individuals. The program is effective in matching employers’ needs with the participants’ skills and making sure training leads to long-term employment.

Andrea Kozloski, Special Assistant to the Director: andreak@bcdcog.com
Ronald Mitchum, Executive Director: ronm@bcdcog.com
843-529-0400
www.tridentscworks.org