Community Spec, LLC » Featured

Community Spec Opens New Office & Begins Merge with Terrapin Blue

Chelsey — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:54:22 +0000

Community Spec operating under their parent company, Terrapin Blue Holdings, LLC is positioned to be a leader in the motorcoach industry as experts in grant writing, submission and affiliated grant services. With their family of companies – Community Spec, Plan of Action and Green Room International Productions – Terrapin Blue Holdings, LLC will be the one source for bus companies to further their business. With the ability to write and facilitate grants for their partner companies, manage emergency preparedness training and anti-terrorism efforts for the motorcoach industry as well as furthering media relations through website production, online marketing and search engine optimization Terrapin Blue Holdings, LLC is positioned as a unique consultancy firm to grow bus industry awareness.

For more information about Terrapin Blue or the other organizations, please visit www.terrapinblue.com.

As of May 17, Terrapin Blue Holdings, LLC has expanded to a second location with a new office in Chicago, IL. Anthony Vaccarello and Chelsey Quick, formerly of The BusBank, launched the new location for Terrapin Blue Holdings, LLC. Both Anthony and Chelsey worked with the company’s extensive operator network to build relationships and partnerships with valued vendors in the motorcoach industry. For more information about Terrapin Blue or its other organizations, please visit www.terrapinblue.com.

Community Spec Submits Grants for Hopeful Operators

Chelsey — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:53:14 +0000

Community Spec recently submitted 70 Federal Transit Administration Over The Road Bus Accessibility Grants (OTRBA), which provide funding that allows bus operators to offset the incremental costs of providing ADA accessibility to passengers. The 2010 cycle of OTRBA grants were recently submitted and will be announced for awards during late summer of this year. Community Spec has been very instrumental in securing Federal Transit Administration 5311(f) intercity fixed route funding for bus operator partners securing over $750,000 in South Carolina, $1,500,000 in Mississippi, and over $300,000 in Alabama. The funding received from the 5311(f) program will allow bus operators to purchase vehicles to provide intercity service and supplement operating and marketing costs.

Community Spec Secures More than 3.1 Million for Bus Operators

Chelsey — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:48:51 +0000

Community Spec, operating under the parent company of Terrapin Blue Holdings, LLC, recently secured more than $3.1 million for their bus operator partners through the 2010 United States Department of Homeland Security Intercity Bus Security Grant program (IBSG) that was announced on Thursday, May 13, 2010.

For the third consecutive year in a row, Community Spec clients were at the top of the funding list taking the top three spots in 2010. Over the course of their six years providing professional grant services to the private transportation industry, Community Spec has achieved a 90 percent success rate securing grant awards for their partner companies. The funding provided through the intercity bus security program will allow bus operators to implement facility security enhancements, mitigate events on buses through real time surveillance, vehicle tracking, and provide anti-terrorism training for drivers as well as establish emergency preparedness plans for their organizations.

Newton Bus Service, Inc Recently Awarded Federal Funding through the IBSG

Chelsey — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:47:47 +0000

Newton Bus Service, Inc based out of Gloucester, VA was recently awarded more than $220,000 in federal funding through the Intercity Bus Security Grant program. This is the highest value grant awarded in Virginia this year. Through careful planning and work with Community Spec, LLC, headed by Ryan Kelly, Newton Bus Service, Inc was able to accomplish this great step forward for their business. Newton Bus Service, Inc has been an integral part of the local community commerce in the Gloucester, Richmond, and Peninsula areas throughout their more than 55 years in business. The grant award will be utilized to install GPS Equipment on vehicles and put “Real Time Surveillance” on the motorcoaches as well. Additionally, funds will be utilized to improve access control and security for their facilities in Richmond and Gloucester.

Policy paper will advance transportaion in Greater Nashville Metropolitan Area

Chelsey — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:01:46 +0000

Community Spec will work with Red Clay Capital and Gray Line of Nashville to develop a policy paper articulating and advancing the case for regional transportation including the economic, social, and cultural benefits to the Greater Nashville Metropolitan Area.

What is a policy paper?

Policy papers summarize and dissect published research and discussion on current issues and make specific recommendations for practitioners, patients, and policy makers.

EPA Clean Diesel Grant in development for California Bus Association

Chelsey — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:59:58 +0000

Community Spec is currently developing a Clean Diesel Grant for the California Bus Association.

The California Bus Association has been around since 1969 and is committed to remaining compliant with regulatory agencies—the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, California Highway Patrol, Department of Motor Vehicles, Air Resources Board and others.

5311(f) intercity, fixed-route grant application developed for Escot Bus Lines Sunliner

Chelsey — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:58:50 +0000

Community Spec developed a 5311(f) intercity, fixed-route grant for Brian Scott, president of Escot Bus Lines in the summer of2009.

ESCOT Bus Lines is a local, family owned company, which has serviced the Central Florida
community for the past 26 years.

The Sunliner provides service to Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, and Orange counties.

In the Tampa-St. Petersburg region, the average commuter spends an extra 45 hours per year sitting in traffic—that translates to a cost of over one billion dollars annually, approximately $809 per commuter
(According to the Texas Transportation Institute, The 2007 Urba Mobility Report, Mobility Data for Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL, September 2007).

The 5311(f) program is state-specific and provides funds on a competitive basis for transit projects that develop and support intercity bus transportation in rural areas.

CSI submitted the 5311(f) application for Escot Bus Lines to the Florida Department of Transportation.

Sunliner Video

(Green Room International Productions developed this video.)

Want to know more about the 5311(f) Program?

You can visit our Grant Programs page and look under U.S. The Department of Transportation section, or you can ask a CSI professional.

5311(f) intercity, fixed-route grant application in development for ACR Coach

Chelsey — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:57:15 +0000

Community Spec is currently developing a 5311(f) intercity, fixed-route grant for ACR Coach, which will provide intercity service between Starkville, MS and Birmingham, AL.

This state-specific program provides funds on a competitive basis for transit projects that develop and support intercity bus transportation in rural areas.

CSI is working with Randy and Stephanie Futral of ACR Coach on this project.

ACR Coach Video

Green Room International Productions (GRIP) developed this video as part of the 5311(f) application.

Want to know more about the 5311(f) Program?

You can visit our Grant Programs page and look under U.S. The Department of Transportation section, or you can ask a Community Spec professional.

Partnership, plans continue for shore power system to reduce idling and increase efficiency

Chelsey — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:56:56 +0000

Community Spec is partnering with the New York Power Authority, Motor Coach Industries, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute—which educates the leaders of tomorrow for technologically based careers—on a New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) grant application for a new Coach Shore Power initiative.

Why is Community Spec developing the NYSERDA grant?

The demand for greener energy sources, motor vehicle anti-idling legislation, the high cost of oil and the demand for greater passenger comfort are driving the demand for new technology to solve these problems.

This Power Control and Distribution System (PCDS) plans to analyze, research, and develop a safe and reliable coach power control and distribution system with power management system devices in order to increase overall efficiency and minimize idle time.

To minimize the engine idling, the system uses a land based electrical energy source and distributes the power to required on-board systems.

The project will start in December, 2009 and the development and preliminary testing is expected to be completed by September, 2011.

SmartWay clean diesel initiative to be developed for United Motorcoach Association

Chelsey — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:32:42 +0000

Oct. 2009—The SmartWay and the National Clean Diesel Campaign recently announced the availability of assistance to create innovative finance programs, such as cost leases or revolving loan programs, to achieve reductions in diesel emissions throughout the United States.

Community Spec is taking this opportunity and developing a 2009 SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program grant application for the for the United Motorcoach Association.

To date the SmartWay Program has awarded $20 million dollars; another $10 million is expected to be awarded in the near future.

Examples of winning projects

• A revolving loan program to assist drayage (transport by truck for short distances) operators in the Houston-Galveston Area to purchase and operate cleaner trucks.

• A project called “Non-road Equipment Diesel Emission Reduction Program” that will establish a revolving loan program to encourage owners of non-road diesel equipment to replace, re-power or retrofit their older diesel equipment to maximize diesel emission reductions.

What is a revolving loan?

A revolving loan is a source of money from which loans are made.

As loans are repaid by the borrowers, the money is returned to the revolving loans funds (RLF) to make additional loans. In that manner, the funds become an ongoing or “revolving” financial tool.

The interest and fees paid by the RLF borrowers support program administration so that the fund’s capital base remains intact.

RLFs are typically administered by government agencies or non-profits with the goal of creating positive change within their community or target lending group.

Want to know more about the SmartWay Program?

Visit our Grant Programs page under the Environmental Protection Agency section.

The closing date for this round of applicants is December 8, 2009.