Please remember FTSB has moved when mailing in your KPTA dues. 

The address is below:

Pam Shepherd, Executive Director

Federated Transportation Services of the Bluegrass, Inc.

2308 Frankfort Ct., Lexington, KY  40510

859-233-0066 Phone

859-233-1668 Fax

Thanks so much for all the members support of KPTA.

From the desk of ....

                               Vickie S. Bourne 

Executive Director, Kentucky Office of Transportation Delivery

Please enjoy the latest edition of the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety (KOHS) Voice newsletter.

Visit the following link for previous issues:  http://transportation.ky.gov/highway-safety/pages/voice-newsletter.aspx

     News 

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will expand its statewide call center and 'Vet' Transportation Connection to include five public transit providers, enhance partnerships between veterans, military, medical and service organizations statewide to identify and address transportation needs, and promote the resource to more than 335,000 veterans who live in the state.

From the desk of ...

Vickie S. Bourne, Executive Director,

Office of Transportation Delivery

Please post this information on the KPTA web site:

Roanoke, Virginia Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzling DOT Funds

On January 17, 2012, Diane Holdren of Roanoke, Virginia, pled guilty in United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia to one count of willfully and knowingly embezzling money from the United States Department of Transportation.  In 2006, Valley Metro, the business entity that manages the Roanoke City bus service, was awarded over $80,000 in grant funds from FTA to replace furniture at the company's downtown Roanoke administration building.  Valley Metro hired Ms. Holdren to complete the project.  

In her plea, Ms. Holdren admitted she fabricated and submitted multiple bids of furniture vendors to Valley Metro in relation to the project.  She admitted to fabricating and inflating all vendor bids, thus guaranteeing that Valley Metro would have to pay more than the true costs associated with the project. Following Valley Metro's acceptance of the b ids, Ms. Holdren submitted inflated invoices related to the bids that included inflated and nonexistent shipping costs. 

Subsequently, Valley Metro paid the furniture vendors directly based on the inflated bills it had received from Ms. Holdren.  The vendors then issued checks to Ms. Holdren for the difference between the true costs and the costs paid by Valley Metro that were based on the defendant's deceptions.  The total loss caused by the defendant's actions is between $80,000 and $120,000.  Sentencing is scheduled for April 30, 2012. 

This is a joint investigation with the United States Postal Inspection Service.

 DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

________________________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                               Civil Rights Division

MONDAY, MAY 16, 2011                                                                          (202) 514-2007

WWW.JUSTICE.GOV                                                                       TDD (202) 514-1888

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES ADA SETTLEMENT

WITH INTERCITY BUS COMPANY, MEGABUS

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced a comprehensive settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with intercity bus service providers Megabus USA LLC., and Megabus Northeast LLC., which are located in Chicago and Elizabeth, N.J., respectively.  The Justice Department initiated its investigation of Megabus as part of its ongoing review of the private transportation industry.  In particular, the department has been investigating accessibility of private transportation operations for individuals with disabilities.    

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Megabus will ensure that all of the vehicles in its intercity service are fully accessible to individuals with disabilities, including individuals who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids.  Megabus will also alter its online reservation services so that passengers with disabilities are able to access schedule information and make reservations in the same manner and using the same reservation system as other passengers.  Megabus will pay a $55,000 civil penalty to the United States, and $12,500 in damages to a complainant who was not permitted to use the ramp on a passenger bus, and who was forced to transfer out of his wheelchair rather than be secured in the wheelchair, as required by federal regulations, during his trip from New York, to Baltimore.  The United States credits Megabus for their cooperation throughout the investigation and their willingness to address the deficiencies identified.

“Commercial passenger buses are an affordable and growing sector of the transportation industry, and making sure that they are fully accessible to individuals with disabilities is a necessary part of integrating individuals with disabilities into all aspects of American life,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.  “The department is committed to vigorously enforcing the transportation requirements of the ADA.”

Title III of the ADA prohibits specified private transportation providers like Megabus from excluding persons with disabilities, including persons with mobility impairments, from full and equal enjoyment of the services provided.   Anyone interested in learning more about federal disability rights statutes can call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301, 800-514-0383 (TTY), or access the ADA website at www.ada.gov.

This link will take you to the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Notice for downloading in Microsoft Word format. 

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