Training
Texas Transit Association Statewide Training Initiative
TTA is now expanding access to educational resources by launching a Statewide training initiative covering the many obstacles that transit staff face, including funding, procurement, and regulatory compliance. This training opportunity is made possible with a grant through TxDOT.
To administer this program, TTA will work closely with Easterseals, which has over 34 years of experience developing and implementing training programs and workshops for rural, suburban, and urban transit agencies. This training curriculum will be designed and delivered to be relevant to transit providers at various levels of management, accounting, and procurement professionals, front-line supervisors, dispatchers/ call center staff, and drivers. It will incorporate best practices from both the public and the private sector.
All courses, workshops, and webinars, in-person or virtual, are designed to be interactive and participatory. These courses will be offered to Transit agencies in Texas at no cost, but space is limited, so make sure that you and your staff don’t miss out on this great opportunity.
Upcoming Training
TTA’s Upcoming Courses
These courses are offered to transit agencies in Texas at no cost by grant funding through TxDOT.
Successfully Dealing with Annoying People (webinar)
Date: March 17, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. central
Presenter: Carol Wright Kenderdine, Carol Wright Consulting
Description:
Have you ever said, “That person drives me crazy!”? Has anyone ever said that about you? We all have people in our lives who pose challenges. However, people can’t drive you crazy if you don’t give them the keys. This webinar will provide ideas and concrete practices that you can implement immediately. These proven techniques will assist you in getting along better in your professional and personal relationships. There will always be difficult people, but this fresh perspective on dealing with them can change your life starting now!
Etiquette and Effective Communication with People with Disabilities for Dispatchers and Call Center Staff (remote workshop)
Date: March 21, 2026
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. central
Presenter: Kristi McLaughlin, Easterseals Project Action
Description:
This 4-hour remote workshop aims to educate dispatchers and call takers on appropriate communication with people with disabilities. The workshop covers various topics including assisting difficult callers, effective communication and the ADA, and disability awareness and etiquette.
Embracing Safety Management Systems (webinar)
Date: March 24, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. central
Presenter: Carol Kenderdine, Carol Wright Consulting
Description:
Safety Management Systems (SMS) have become a standard throughout the aviation industry. The approach to managing safety risk, by implementing a systemic approach to managing safety, including the necessary organizational structures, accountabilities, policies, and procedures. assessing risks in its daily operations. This course will provide an overview of SMS, background on its history, and its role in the evolution of Safety management. It will highlight the four pillars of a Safety Management System: Safety Policy, Safety Risk Management, Safety Assurance, and Safety Promotion, and discuss how to implement an SMS program for rural and other small transit agencies.
Risk Management, Decision Making, Time Management, and Stress Management (In-person)
Date: April 7-8, 2026
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. central each day
Location: AACOG, Art Training Room, 8200 Perrin Beitel, San Antonio, TX 78218
Presenter: Carol Kenderdine, Carol Wright Consulting
Description:
This 2-day, in-person workshop is made up of 4 parts. Together, these 4 parts will help you tackle some of work and life’s most challenging problems. Leave feeling in control, confident, and equipped with tools that will assist you back at the office and in your daily lives.
Part 1 - Risk Management: Identifying and Responding to Uncertainties
Part 2 - Making Tough Decisions
Part 3 – Time Management
Part 4 – Stress Management
AI Workshop: The Smarter Way to Deploy (In-person)
Post- Conference Sessions
Date: May 1, 2026
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Location: Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, 1501 Mac Davis Ln, Lubbock, TX 79401
Presenter: Stephen Kuban
Description:
Building on the teaser session, this interactive workshop provides hands-on experience with AI tools applied to an important challenge facing rural transit agencies: effective technology procurement. Participants will learn how to use AI to research software vendors, evaluate through scenarios, and make better technology decisions faster. What Participants Will Learn:
- How to use AI to research and compare transit technology vendors objectively.
- Building scenario-based evaluation criteria that expose what matters most.
- Drafting RFP sections and evaluation rubrics using AI acceleration.
- Strategies for aligning internal stakeholders before procurement begins.
Civil Rights, Title VI, LEP, ADA, Diversity, and Inclusion (In-person)
Post- Conference Sessions
Date: May 1, 2026
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Location: Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, 1501 Mac Davis Ln, Lubbock, TX 79401
Presenter: Carol Kenderdine, Carol Wright Consulting
Description:
As a transit agency, you are required to adhere to many rules and regulations—often learning and interpreting them “on the fly” as you operate your system day to day. This workshop will guide participants through the critical responsibilities related to Civil Rights, Title VI, Limited English Proficiency (LEP), Diversity, Inclusion, and ADA requirements, with specific attention to recent updates and executive orders that impact Title VI and related compliance expectations. The session will provide up-to-date guidance on current federal requirements and practical strategies for implementation, while offering opportunities for participants to assess their own agency’s practices, identify gaps, and explore best practices for effective and sustainable policy development.
Cost Allocation: What, Why, and How? (In-person)
Post- Conference Sessions
Date: May 1, 2026
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Location: Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, 1501 Mac Davis Ln, Lubbock, TX 79401
Presenter: Michael Walk and Carrie Diamond, TTI
Description:
Public transit agencies need to understand and report on their fully allocated costs by mode and service to comply with federal rules, set sponsored service rates, and establish budgets. This can be complicated, especially for transit agencies with multiple modes, service types, and jurisdictions. National RTAP's Two-Variable Cost Allocation Calculator can help transit agencies make the process of cost allocation a little less daunting. This workshop will introduce attendees to critical cost allocation concepts, best practices, and National RTAP’s Cost Allocation Calculator. The workshop will include group discussions, demonstrations of how to use the Calculator, and time for Q&A.
Agencies interested in hosting future training classes can contact Laura@TxTransit.org for details.
Host agencies are expected to provide the following:
Training Room with a projector that can accommodate up to 35 individuals classroom style.
Refreshments and coffee for morning and afternoon breaks.
Please note that the training location must be in close proximity to dining establishments to allow participants to leave and return within one hour.
Host agencies may also provide lunch if there are no dining establishments nearby.
The host agency is encouraged to offer tours of their facility.