psilon_{i,u}^{(q)} - 1 \right]^	ext{T}.
\]

Our testing experiences indicate that the parameter \( \lambda = 0.7 \) is an appropriate value to combine the previous multiplier values with the current subgradient information. The step size parameter is updated as

\[
\alpha^q = \mu^q \frac{\langle \bar{L} - L^q \rangle}{\| A^q \|},
\]

where \( \bar{L} \) is the optimal solution and \( L^q \) is the value of \( L \) at iteration \( q \). In our implementation, a feasible solution generated from a priority rule-based heuristic method is used to replace the optimal solution \( \bar{L} \). Note that, \( 0 < \mu^q < 2 \) is required to ensure theoretical convergence. Clearly, a small step size \( \mu^q \) could lead to a slow convergence rate, but a large step size could result in serious oscillations. In our experiment, \( \mu^q \) is set to \( 1/(q + 1) \), and we stop decreasing \( \mu^q \) after a certain number of iterations.

It is well known that the applicability and effectiveness of the Lagrangian method rely on having a relatively small number of constraints to dualize. Since there are a total of \( (2m - 1) \times T \) station and segment resources, the dimension of the capacity constraints in a train scheduling problem is extremely large, leading to a very large \( \| A^q \| \) but a negligible step size in Eq. (24). Recognizing that most of the resource constraints are non-binding in an optimal train scheduling solution, a relax-and-cut logic described in Caprara et al. (2002) is
adapted here to dynamically relax resource capacity constraints by only dualizing a subset of constraints at every iteration. Specifically, if a resource has not been used within recent several iterations, the algorithm automatically resets the price for the unused resource back to zero. With this dynamic constraint generation scheme, the set of Lagrangian multipliers varies along the iterative process. In the branch-and-bound process, the previously optimized values of the multipliers at a predecessor node are used as the initial values for multipliers associated with the corresponding successor nodes.

4.2. Crossing conflict-based lower bounds

Although Lagrangian relaxation offers a natural way to construct a lower bound estimate for constrained resources, it still requires considerable computational effort, as illustrated previously. In this study, we propose a simple lower bound rule for the single-track train timetabling problem by recognizing the unique minimum headway requirements. Essentially, this lower bound rule estimates the minimum additional train delay for resolving the remaining crossing conflicts in a partial schedule, and it ignores the existing overtaking conflicts and new conflicts that could be generated in the future.

To calculate this lower bound, we first estimate the minimum additional delay for resolving a single crossing conflict, and then count the total additional delay for all the existing crossing conflicts in a partial schedule. As shown in plots (a) and (b) of Fig. 7, a conflict is said to be a crossing conflict when two trains run in opposite directions or an overtaking conflict when two trains run in the same direction. Mathematically, we can define a crossing conflict as a conflict if
\[ e_{i,j} \geq s_{f,j}, e_{f,j} \geq s_{i,j}, \quad \text{and} \quad o(i) \neq o(i'), \] and an overtaking conflict as a conflict if
\[ e_{i,j} \geq e_{f,j}, s_{f,j} \geq s_{i,j}, \quad \text{and} \quad o(i) = o(i'). \] (25)

Fig. 8 shows a conflict between two trains \( i \) and \( i' \) at segment \( j \). If train \( i \) is scheduled first, then the resulting delay for train \( i' \) is \( e_{i,j} + h_j - s_{i,j} \), otherwise, scheduling train \( i' \) first delays train \( i \) with \( e_{i,j} + h_j - s_{i,j} \) time units. Hence, the following proposition is in order.

**Proposition 1.** The minimal additional delay for resolving a crossing conflict at segment \( j \) is
\[ \min(h_j + e_{i,j} - s_{f,j}, h_j + e_{f,j} - s_{i,j}) = h_j + \min(e_{i,j} - s_{f,j}, e_{f,j} - s_{i,j}) \geq h_j. \] (27)

In fact, resolving a crossing conflict at an intermediate station should maintain minimum headways at the corresponding upstream and downstream segments, so the resulting delay is the sum of additional delays at two adjacent segments. For example, Fig. 9 shows two trains \( i \) and \( i' \) involved in a crossing conflict at station

![Fig. 7. Illustration of a crossing conflict and overtaking conflict.](image)

![Fig. 8. Illustration of additional delay for resolving a conflict at a segment.](image)
Proposition 3. Consider trains $i$ and $i'$ starting at stations $u_0$ and $u_2$, respectively. Train $i$ travels from station $u_0$ to station $u_2$ and train $i'$ travels from $u_2$ to $u_0$. Segments $j$ and $j+1$ are two segments adjacent to stations $u$. Formally, we have the following proposition.

Proposition 2. Consider trains $i$ and $i'$ running from $u_0$ to $u_2$ and from $u_2$ to $u_0$, respectively, and they have no required dwell times between stations $u_0$ and $u_2$. If they have to meet at an intermediate station, the minimal additional delay for resolving a crossing conflict at any intermediate station between stations $u_0$ and $u_2$ is $g + h$, where $g = \min_u g_u$ and $h = \min_j h_j$.

Proof. Suppose we resolve a crossing conflict between trains $i$ and $i'$ at station $u$. If train $i'$ passes through station $u$ first, then train $i$ is delayed by at least $g_u + h_{j+1}$ time units, but if train $i$ passes through station $u$ first, then train $i'$ is delayed $g_u + h_j$ time units. Since the exact intermediate station for trains to meet is generally unknown, at least $g + h$ time units of delays are required to resolve a crossing conflict at any intermediate station.

Consider Fig. 9(b) and (c), we have two parts of the additional delay at station $u$: part I is the headway between the arrival times of the two trains at station $u$, and part II is the headway between the departure times of the two trains. Since the departure time of the second train is only constrained by the minimum headway, the $h$ time units in the lower bound rule are, in fact, an accurate estimate for the delay associated with part II. In contrast, the arrival times of these two trains at station $u$ are determined by their previous path trajectories separately, so the first train might arrive at station $u$ much earlier than the second train. In this case, the minimum headway of $g$ time units might significantly underestimate the actual delay in part I. On the other hand, the actual delay in part I at station $u$ generally should not be greater than the free running time of downstream segment $j + 1$, otherwise it could be advantageous to change the train meeting station.

If no headway constraint is imposed on consecutive train arrival times at stations, it is easy to verify that the minimal additional delay for resolving a crossing conflict at an intermediate siding is $2h$ by replacing $g$ with $h$. To determine if two trains have to meet at one of the intermediate stations, we can estimate the possible meeting region based on feasible dwell time windows specified for two trains. The related proposition is given as follows.

Proposition 3. Consider trains $i$ and $i'$ starting at stations $u_0$ and $u_2$, respectively. Train $i$ travels from station $u_0$ to station $u_2$ and train $i'$ travels from $u_2$ to $u_0$. Suppose that at least one intermediate station exists between the stations, and that they have no required dwell times between stations $u_0$ and $u_2$. If $e_{i,j_1} \geq s_{i,j_1} + d_{i,j_1}$ and $e_{i,j_2} \geq s_{i,j_2} + d_{i,j_2}$, then the minimal additional delay for resolving the crossing conflict between trains $i$ and $i'$ is $g + h$.

Proof. If $e_{i,j_1} \geq s_{i,j_1} + d_{i,j_1}$ and $e_{i,j_2} \geq s_{i,j_2} + d_{i,j_2}$, then $e_{i,j_1} \geq s_{i,j_1}$ and $e_{i,j_2} \


– (2) backlit flashing linear high-intensity LED lights
    - Taillamp Lighting Solution – Halogen base lamps and (2) integrated hemispheric lighthead white LED marker lights.
    - Rear Lighting Solution – (2) backlit flashing, linear high-intensity LED lights (mounted inside liftgate glass) and (2) backlit flashing, linear high-intensity LED lights (mounted inside the liftgate lip)
    - Front Console Mounting Plate
    - Rear Console Plate
    - Hidden Door Lock Plungers
    - Control System – CenCom controller, control head, and wire
    - 100-watt Siren/Speaker – Includes wire
    - Wire Harness – (2) light connectors that supports up to (6) LED lights each (engine compartment), (2) grilled LED light connectors, (1) 10-amp siren/speaker circuit (engine to cargo area)
    - Whelen CenCom relay center/siren/amp with Traffic Advisor
    - Light controller/relay/CenCom wiring (wiring Harness) with additional input/output pigtails
    - High-current pigtail
    - Whelen specific WECAN cable connects CenCom to control head
    - Pre-wiring for grille LED lights, siren and speaker
    - Overlay wiring harness, grille LED lights, siren and speaker wiring, and control power harness

ADDITIONS OR DEVIATIONS FROM THESE SPECIFICATIONS MUST BE NOTED ON THE BID DOCUMENTS.
**ATTACHMENT B**

**PROPOSAL COVER SHEET**

This cover sheet must be placed on the very top of your proposal.

**Bid Title:** Four (4) 2022 Police Utility Vehicles
Ford Explorer Interceptor or Chevrolet Tahoe PPV

**Bid Due Date & Time:**

We have received all documents related to the above referenced project. We have examined all documents and have had the opportunity to submit questions for clarification. We hereby propose to furnish vehicles per the specifications as follows:

Year, Make & Model of Proposed Vehicle(s)
Total Lump Sum Price of Vehicle(s)

• Including vehicle prep & delivery

• Tax Exempt – Do not include tax

| Estimated Delivery Date: |

Company Name:

Address:

Federal Identification Number:

By:________________________________________________
   ____________________________  (Authorized Signature)  (Date)

Title:__________________________________________________________
ATTACHMENT C

NON-COLLUSION CERTIFICATE

I HEREBY CERTIFY I am the ____________________________________________________

(Title)

and the duly authorized representative of the firm of __________________________________

whose address is________________________________________________________________

AND THAT NEITHER I nor, to the best of my knowledge, information and belief, the above
firm nor any of its other representatives I here represent have:

(a) Agreed, conspired, connived or colluded to produce a deceptive show of
competition in the compilation of the bid or offer being submitted herewith;

(b) Not in any manner, directly or indirectly, entered into any agreement, participated
in any collusion to fix the bid price or price proposal of the bidder or offeror
herein or any competitor, or competitive bidding in connection with the Contract
for which the within bid or offer is submitted; and that no member of the County
Commission of Jefferson County, West Virginia, administrative or supervisory
personnel or other employees of Jefferson County have any interest in the bidding
company except as follows: (complete if applicable)

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

I solemnly affirm under the penalties of perjury that the contents are true to the best of my
knowledge, information, and belief.

Signature: ______________________ Printed or Typed Name: ________________________

Date: ______________________<|endoftext|>### Document Information

### Version History

Version
Date
Author
Reviewer

1621
10/26/16
Editha Dura
Roel Sinadjan

1622/1623
11/21/16
Editha Dura
Roel Sinadjan

1624
12/8/16
Mia Ladoroz
Roel Sinadjan

1625
12/20/16
Mia Ladoroz
Roel Sinadjan

1626
01/13/17
Mia Ladoroz
Roel Sinadjan

1701
01/26/17
Mia Ladoroz
Roel Sinadjan

1702
01/31/17
Mia Ladoroz
Roel Sinadjan

1703
02/14/17
Mia Ladoroz
Roel Sinadjan

1704
02/28/17
Mia Ladoroz
Roel Sinadjan

1705
03/15/17
Mia Ladoroz
Roel Sinadjan

1706
03/24/17
Mia Ladoroz
Roel Sinadjan

1707/1708
04/24/17
Mia Ladoroz
Roel Sinadjan

1709/1710
05/23/17
Editha Dura
Roel Sinadjan

1711/1712
06/21/17
Editha Dura
Mia Ladoroz/Roel Sinadjan

1713/1715
07/18/17
Editha Dura
Mia Ladoroz/Roel Sinadjan

1716-1717
08/15/17
Editha Dura
Mia Ladoroz/Roel Sinadjan

1718/1719
09/27/17
Editha Dura
Mia Ladoroz/Roel Sinadjan

1720/1721
10/11/17
Editha Dura
Roel Sinadjan

1722/1723
12/05/17
Precious Mae Cenia
Roel Sinadjan

1724/1801
01/03/18
Precious Mae Cenia
Roel Sinadjan

1802/1803
02/10/18
Precious Mae Cenia
Roel Sinadjan

1804/1805
03/05/18
Precious Mae Cenia
Roel Sinadjan

1806/1816


autics Commission's approach plan for the airport.

Section 55. That § 50-10-7 be amended to read as follows:

50-10-7. In the event that a political subdivision has adopted, or hereafter adopts, a general zoning ordinance regulating, among other things, the height of buildings, any airport zoning regulations adopted for the same area or portion thereof under this chapter, may be incorporated in and made a part of such general zoning regulations, and be administered and enforced in connection therewith, but such may not limit the effectiveness or scope of the regulations adopted under this chapter.

Section 56. That § 50-10-8 be amended to read as follows:

50-10-8. Any zoning or other regulations applicable to any area within which, according to an airport approach plan adopted by the commission, measures should be taken for the protection of airport approaches, including not only any airport zoning regulations adopted under this chapter but any zoning or other regulations dealing with the same or similar matters, that have been or may be adopted under authority other than that conferred by this chapter, shall be consistent with, and conform to, the commission's approach plan for such area, and. The regulations shall be amended from time to time as may be necessary to conform to any revision of the plan that may be made by the commission.

Section 57. That § 50-10-9 be amended to read as follows:

50-10-9. All airport zoning regulations adopted under this chapter may be reasonable, and none unreasonable. No regulation shall require the removal, lowering, or other change or alteration of any structure or tree not conforming to the regulations when adopted or amended, or otherwise interfere with the continuance of any nonconforming
use, except as provided in § 50-10-28.

Section 58. That § 50-10-10 be amended to read as follows:

50-10-10. Where advisable to facilitate the enforcement of zoning regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter, a system may be established for granting permits to establish or construct new structures and other uses and to replace existing structures and other uses or make substantial changes therein or substantial repairs thereof. In any event, before any nonconforming structure or tree may be replaced, substantially altered or repaired, rebuilt, allowed to grow higher, or replanted, a permit must be secured from the administrative agency authorized to administer and enforce the regulations, authorizing such replacement, change, or repair. No such permit may be granted that would allow the structure or tree in question to be made higher or become a greater hazard to air navigation than it was when the applicable regulation was adopted; and whenever, if the administrative agency determines that a nonconforming structure or tree has been abandoned or more than eighty percent physically deteriorated, or decayed, no permit may be granted that would allow said the structure or tree to exceed the applicable height limit or otherwise deviate from the zoning regulations. Except as indicated all applications for permits for replacement, change, or repair of nonconforming uses shall be granted.

Section 59. That § 50-10-11 be amended to read as follows:

50-10-11. Any person desiring to erect any structure, or to increase the height of any structure, or to permit the growth of any tree, or to otherwise use his the person's property, in violation of airport zoning regulations adopted under this chapter, may apply to the board of appeals, as provided in § 50-10-15, for a variance from the zoning regulations in question. Such variances A variance shall be allowed where if a literal application or enforcement of the regulations would result in practical difficulty or unnecessary hardship and the relief granted
would not be contrary to the public interest but would do substantial justice and be in accordance with the spirit of the regulations.

Section 60. That § 50-10-13 be amended to read as follows:

50-10-13. No airport zoning regulations shall be adopted, amended, or changed under this chapter except by action of the governing body of the political subdivision in question after a public hearing in relation thereto, at which parties in interest and citizens shall have an opportunity to be heard. Notice of the hearing shall be given at least fifteen days prior to the date of the hearing by publication of a notice of the time and place of holding the hearing in a legal newspaper or a newspaper of general circulation published in the political subdivision or subdivisions in which is located the airport hazard to be zoned, provided that, however, if there be no such newspaper, or newspaper published in the said subdivision or subdivisions, the notice shall be published in the nearest legal newspaper; or newspaper of general circulation.

Section 61. That § 50-10-14 be amended to read as follows:

50-10-14. The governing body of any political subdivision adopting airport zoning regulations under this chapter may delegate the duty of administering and enforcing the regulations to any administrative agency under its jurisdiction, but such administrative agency may not be or include any member of the board of appeals. The duties of the administrative agency shall include that of hearing and deciding all permits under § 50-10-10, but such agency may not have or exercise any of the powers delegated to the board of appeals.

Section 62. That § 50-10-16 be amended to read as follows:

50-10-16. The board established pursuant to § 50-10-15 shall adopt rules in accordance with the provisions of any ordinance adopted under this chapter. Meetings of the board shall be held
at the call of the chairman chair and at such other times as the board may determine. The
chairman chair, or in his the chair’s absence the acting chairman chair, may administer oaths and
compel the attendance of witnesses. All meetings of the board shall be public. The board shall
keep minutes of its proceedings, showing the vote of each member upon each question, or, if
absent or failing to vote, indicating such fact, and shall keep records of its examinations and
other official actions, all of which. The minutes shall immediately be filed in the office of the
board and shall be are a public record.

Section 63. That § 50-10-18 be amended to read as follows:

50-10-18. An appeal pursuant to § 50-10-15 shall stay all proceedings in furtherance of the
action appealed from, unless the agency from which the appeal is taken certifies to the board,
after the notice of appeal has been filed with it, that by reason of the facts stated in the certificate
a stay would, in its opinion, cause imminent peril to life or property. In such case, proceedings
shall may not be stayed otherwise than by a restraining order which may be granted by the board
or by a court of record on application on notice to the agency from which the appeal is taken and
on due cause shown.

Section 64. That § 50-10-27 be amended to read as follows:

50-10-27. In addition, either the political subdivision within which the property is located
or the Aeronautics Commission commission may institute in any court of competent
jurisdiction, an action to prevent, restrain, correct, or abate any violation of this chapter, or of
airport zoning regulations adopted under this chapter, or of any order or ruling made in
connection with their administration or enforcement; and the. The court shall adjudge to the
plaintiff such relief, by way of injunction, which may be mandatory or otherwise, as may be
proper under all the facts and circumstances of the case, in order fully to effectuate the purposes
of this chapter and of the regulations adopted and orders and rulings made pursuant thereto.
Section 65. That § 50-10-28 be amended to read as follows:

50-10-28. In any case in which:

(1) It is desired to remove, lower, or otherwise terminate a nonconforming use; or

(2) The approach protection necessary according to the Aeronautics Commission's commission's airport approach plan cannot, because of constitutional limitations, be provided by airport zoning regulations under this chapter; or

(3) It appears advisable that the necessary approach protection be provided by acquisition of property rights,

the political subdivision within which the property or nonconforming use is located, the political subdivision owning the airport or served by it, or the commission, shall acquire by purchase, grant, or condemnation in the manner provided by the law under which political subdivisions are authorized to acquire real property for public purposes, such an air right, easement, or other estate or interest in the property or nonconforming use in question as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this chapter.

Section 66. That § 50-10-30 be repealed.

50-10-30. If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the chapter which can be given effect without the valid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this chapter are declared to be severable.

Section 67. That § 50-10-31 be repealed.

50-10-31. This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Model Airport Zoning Act."

Section 68. That § 50-11-2 be amended to read as follows:

50-11


9,332.00
$70,361.00

* 0 mileage = EFT-24 is incomplete for that FY

Export to Excel

* N/A = not available

Maine Department of Education
How Are Bus Approval Decisions Made? – First (1st) Priority

• “Bus Replacement”
  – Emergency situation
  • An emergency situation occurs when a bus is damaged beyond economic repair due to:
    – accidents
    – fire
    – vandalism or
    – other [total] losses

Note: Districts are responsible for school bus maintenance
How Are Bus Approval Decisions Made? – Second (2\textsuperscript{nd}) Priority

- “Addition to Fleet”
  - Unique situation
  - An “addition to fleet” situation occurs when a district needs buses to:
    - Transport handicapped students
    - Transport for a special purpose
    - Transport increased enrollment students
    - Replace contracted services (emergency)
    - Replace contracted services (planned)

Source: CMR 05-071 Chapter 85
How Are Bus Approval Decisions Made? – Third (3\textsuperscript{rd}) Priority

- “Bus Replacement”
  - Age of the retiring bus
- “Age as the primary consideration, tempered by both high and low mileage”
May Districts Buy A Bus Different From The Bus That Was Requested and Approved?

- Bus approvals are based on the original bus request
- Can SAUs change fiscal year of purchase?
  - No changes are permitted
  - Bus approvals are valid one (1) year
    - Approvals are not carried forward
  - If a district cannot purchase a bus during the fiscal year of a Department bus approval:
    - The district must cancel the approval
    - Failure to cancel a bus prevents redistribution of funds to other districts in need of buses
Bus approvals are based on the original bus request.

Can SAUs change bus type: A, C, or D?
- Requires Department approval before purchase
- **Bus allocation will be reduced**
  - Change down: D to C or A; C to A
    - Total state bus approval allocation is reduced to the lower bus Type rate
  - Change up: A to C or D
    - Total state bus approval allocation is held at lower bus Type rate
May Districts Buy A Bus Different From The Bus That Was Requested and Approved? (cont.)

- Bus approvals are based on the original bus request
- Can SAUs change bus capacity?
  - Requires Department approval before purchase
  - Bus allocation will be reduced
    - Change from larger to smaller bus
      - Total allocation will be reduced to the max approval amount for the smaller bus
    - Change from smaller to larger bus
      - Total allocation will remain the same as the max approval amount for the smaller bus
May Districts Buy A Bus Different From The Bus That Was Requested and Approved? (cont.)

- Bus approvals are based on the original bus request.
- Can SAUs change bus purchase payment terms?
  - Requires Department approval before purchase.
  - Change from cash (1 year) to term (2 to 5 years).
    - District total allocation will remain the same.
  - Change from term to cash (1 year).
    - Bus allocation will be reduced.
  - Change term payment years.
    - Increase years, e.g. from 2 to 3: no reduction.
    - Decrease years, e.g. from 5 to 2: reduction.
Program Application Rounds

• Round 1
  – Occurs annually
  – Applications open Nov. 1 and close Nov. 25
  – State approvals announced Dec. 30 to Jan. 15

• Round 2
  – Depends on cancellations, may or may not occur
  – Opens after Round 1 approval announcement
    • All applications that did not make Round 1 approval are automatically moved to Round 2
  – No specific approval date (~March to Oct.)

Source: CMR 05-071 Chapter 85
Program Reports

• Bus Purchase Program reports
  – EFT-17 bus request
  – EFT-18 superintendent intent to purchase bus
  – EFT-19 bus cancellation
  – EFT-20 bus purchase

• Annual transportation reports (July 1 through Oct. 15)
  – EFT-21 Transportation Safety and Training
  – EFT-24 Vehicle Mileage and Operations
  – EFM-43 OOD, SPED, Homeless and CTE
Program Subsidy Reminder

- **Subsidy Amount**
  - ED 279 report, section 3 A, other allocations
  - Contact Maine DOE school finance
- **Delayed district reports effect subsidy (ED 279)**
  - Bus *cancellation* report (EFT-19)
  - Delayed cancellation reports prevent redistribution of bus money to other districts
  - Bus *purchase* report (EFT-20)
  - Delayed reports lead to withheld subsidy
- **Timely transportation reports are important**
• Statutory Authority
  – “Authority to withhold state subsidy until reports are received. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, if a school administrative unit has failed to file the reports by this Title in the format and within the time periods specified, the Commissioner may withhold state subsidy payments until these reports are received.”

[20-A M.R.S. § 6801-A(2)]
EPS Model Review Cycle

- Statute requires EPS model review every 3 years
  - Transportation is in the FY 2019-20 group review
- Maine DOE contracts the review with USM
  - CEPARE studies are for the Commissioner who may use the analysis to make recommendations for changes to funding of transportation operating
  - Funding formula changes do need approval of the Committee to move forward to the full Legislature for enactment
- EPS website:
  http://www.maine.gov/education/data/eps/epsmenu.htm

20-A M.R.S. § 15671
P.L. 2005 Chapter 2 (LD 1)
Frequently Asked Questions

• **Q1:** How do I know if we received a bus approval?
  – Superintendent receives an email; approvals post on NEO Bus Approval Summaries screen

• **Q2:** Does an approval roll over to the next FY?
  – No. Approvals are valid for 1 year

• **Q3:** My application met the program requirement; why wasn’t my bus approved?
  – Being eligible does not guarantee an approval; about 1/3 to 1/2 of requests are approved; bus age, special needs transport, emergencies, and additions to fleet take precedence
• Q4: Do the Maine school bus specifications include extra vehicle features?
  – No. The state specs provide basic safety features
  – Districts determine extras features for their driving conditions and negotiate feature costs

• Q5: How does a district bid their school buses?
  – Districts may directly purchase buses from low bid vendors for each bus Type/capacity based on current Maine State School Bus Bid result
  – Per 20-A M.R.S. § 5402, districts bid their buses if they don’t use the state Type/capacity low bidder
Q6: What is the Maine State School Bus Bid?
- State Division of Procurement initiates a RFQ inviting vendors to submit quotes for school buses that meet the minimum state specifications.

Q7: Can a district order a bus before the purchase FY?
- Bus orders can be placed when the state bus approval is issued but possession must occur the year the bus is approved to purchase.
- The bus order should identify the FY the district may take possession of the new bus.
• Q8: Is it OK to change the payment term on my bus approval?
  – Yes and subsidy is reduced if payment years are reduced, e.g., 5 year term to 1 year cash
• Q9: Is it OK to buy a different bus type or capacity than the bus that was approved?
  – Yes and subsidy is reduced if type or capacity are less than the approved type or capacity
• Q10: How much subsidy will the district receive?
  – Transportation provides maximum bus approval amount; finance provides final subsidy calculation
Q11: Is it OK to retire a different bus than the bus (VIN) that was submitted and approved on the original bus request (EFT-17)?

- No. Bus approvals are based on the original bus request (EFT-17) retiring bus age and mileage.
- However, the district may cancel the original request and approval then submit a new request (EFT-17) using a different bus (VIN).
• Q12: When does a district take possession of a new approved school bus?
  – During the fiscal year the bus is approved to purchase

• Q13: When does a district make the first payment on an approved school bus?
  – During the fiscal year the bus is approved to purchase
Frequently Asked Questions (cont.)

• Q14: When is a district required to report that they have purchased and taken possession of a new school bus?
  – After taking possession of the new bus, during the fiscal year the bus is approved to purchase, and no later than June 30 of the approved purchase fiscal year
  – Late EFT-20 School Bus Purchase Reports delay district subsidy per 20-A M.R.S. § 6801-A(2)
• Q15


 not univocal, as critical studies of waterfront regeneration have shown.

Moreover, an unequal distribution of power between groups challenges the task of defining group boundaries. There is an unstated assumption, in many of the studies conducted on the port-city interface, that the authority and ability of the various stakeholders to promote plans are not uniform. The Port Authorities are often seen as strong, while the local government is usually considered much weaker in its ability to define and implement its spatial goals. Yet, there are examples of institutional arrangements that can compensate for uneven political capital, such as stakeholders’ representation in management boards, designated departments for port-city cooperation and foothold in the planning processes or a mutual ability to influence it.

These could also support two more of Ostrom’s principles: to provide low-cost means for dispute resolution among participants or between participants and the regulator, and to ensure that those affected by the rules can participate in modifying them. To implement the latter principle, not only representatives of city governments and ports, but also the local population must be allowed to participate. Implementation of effective mechanisms for public participation, albeit their imperfections, would also address an additional principle, which refers to a system which would monitor the behavior of members. The monitoring would be carried out by participating members or by an external regulator.

The fifth principle for robust management suggests matching the rules governing the use of common goods to local needs and conditions. This principle draws attention to the question of scale of governance and relates to the levels of decentralization of decision-making in each country. While most spatial decisions related to large
infrastructure are taken at a national level (see Marshall, 2013). Ostrom’s model offers a local resolution approach. It requires the scaling-down of decision-making authority and planning to the city, or at least to the regional level.

Adjusting the level of governance to local conditions also supports the six principle, which calls to build responsibility for governing the common resource (appropriation, provision, monitoring, enforcement, conflict-resolution and governance activities) in nested tiers from the lowest level up to the entire interconnected system. “Gray zones”, or “border zones”, such as between the core area of port activity and the city, challenge current institutional-regulatory frameworks of planning which struggle to address conflicts and that will always favor, maybe unrealistically, conflict-free, empty zones. They also reflect the inherent tension between different levels of planning jurisdiction and their focus of attention. Such mismatch was observed and conceptualized as the lack of fit between institutions and socio-ecological systems (Folke et al., 2007). In such cases, horizontal forms of interaction prevail and each decision-making institution has its own perception of how such spaces should be occupied and managed. Usually, the result is that national strategic or economic interests override local planning goals.

Ostrom’s remaining recommendations include the use of graduated sanctions for rule violators and the safeguarding, by external government authorities, of rule-making rights for participants. In order to design such mechanisms, there will be a need to define what it means to violate the rules of using the coastal commons. Violations may include unauthorized use of the land, non-compliance with environmental standards, or even a lack of cooperation from stakeholders.

The tensions between different levels of planning, between the practical and the symbolic, between ownership and use, and the interests of the various stakeholders are not an exclusive experience of port cities. All cities are characterized by a wide range of internal institutions whose conflicting objectives, values, and activities play a role in urban development (Wilson, 1987). Urban sociologists have also examined the phenomenon of physical or perceptually constructed boundaries within cities. The importance of this topic lies in the observation that the organization of and control over space affected by competing interests and governance, has traditionally produced social inequalities and exclusion, giving rise to questions of control and sovereignty (Agnew, 2013). Yet, not all efforts are in vain; several urban regeneration projects, for example, are considered new spaces of “collaborative commons” (Clemente et al., 2015, p. 113).

On a much larger scale, the ICZM protocol, in its current form, can serve only as a model. As the highest level framework intended to safeguard the coastal commons, it presents many achievements. However, the institutional and administrative fragmentation that characterizes the management of coastal areas in many countries (Portman et al., 2012) poses a significant challenge to its implementation. Port cities, with their many tensions and limitations to cooperation, provide a practical example of this fragmentation. Currently, the most widespread administrative model for ports is the landlord port model, advanced by the World Bank, in which governments establish Port Authorities to manage port activities. Yet that model is based on the paradigm that ports exist as separate, detached entities from cities. The picture emerging suggests that there is a need for a “landlord” in this spatial interface of ports and cities. In an interview with a municipality representative in Volos (Greece) he compellingly noted
that there is a common feeling that the port is “a city within a city”. There may be, however, various institutional-regulatory arrangements that can help to blur such boundaries, and accelerate the inching-back of the (urban) coastal commons.

**Concluding remarks**

It is not easy to think about port territory along the shoreline and inland as the commons, because these are massive, inaccessible and strategically important infrastructure at national level. But in a world where “natural” common pool resources are becoming increasingly rare and where a significant portion of the coast is built-up, it is necessary to expand the notion of urban commons also to the “gray areas”, post-industrial zones which hold the potential to become mixed-use, public spaces.

This study has demonstrated how land-based arrangements, primarily the four which we outlined in the results section, can be critical in understanding the sources of planning-related conflicts and potential solutions. Notably, the classification of port land as public domain or public land in the law of each country studied here does not bring with it any guarantee of “open access”, a “right of access” or the ability of representatives of the public to make a significant impact on the spatial design of the area. Similarity, waterfront regeneration projects sometimes exhibit a port-city resolution to some extent, creating new urban commons, while a critical look on this space may question its quality or overall contribution to different publics.

The common experiences found in the contrasting coastal cities cited in this study lead to a suggestion that – through combined strategies involving lessons from Ostrom’s design principles for managing resilient commons – ports and the cities that host them can find a new harmony and synergy which will strengthen local economies and quality of life. Since most previous studies of the port-city interface have focused on mapping and analyzing cases of conflict, it is time to take the examination one step further by focusing on mechanisms for greater spatial cooperation.

**Note**

1. For a comprehensive, updated review in English of port governance in Greece, see Pallis and George (2017).

**Acknowledgments**

This article was written as part of the research project on the regulatory-institutional implementation gaps in the ICZM Protocol, entitled “Mare Nostrum”, which was funded by ENPI CBC MSB Grant Agreement I-A/1.3/093 during the years 2012-2016. The time, data, knowledge and experience provided by the interviewees in the participating countries are greatly appreciated. Personal details are omitted to respect confidentiality. The author is grateful to Rachelle Alterman, the leading researcher for her significant contribution to this study as well as to the Mare-Nostrum project team. The paper benefited from suggestions made by Shaul Horev, Sarai B. Aharoni, and Dorit Garfunkel. Finally, the author expresses her gratitude to Alon Tal for his valuable feedback on an earlier draft of the manuscript, as well as for two thorough, constructive anonymous reviews. Any errors reside solely with the author.
Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Funding

This work was supported by the ENPI CBC MSB; [I-A/1.3/093].

ORCID

Na’ama Teschner http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4309-1056

References

Habermas, Jurgen. 1962. *The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere*. Cambridge. (1989 translation to English)<|endoftext|>DECARBONIZATION OF HEAVY-DUTY TRANSPORT IN NORTH AMERICA:
MAKING CLIMATE JUSTICE CENTRAL TO THE PROCESS

MULTI-STATE MEDIUM- AND HEAVY-DUTY ZERO-EMISSION VEHICLE ACTION PLAN CONSULTATION

By the David Suzuki Foundation and Équiterre
Spring 2022
The David Suzuki Foundation (DavidSuzuki.org | @DavidSuzukiFdn) is a leading Canadian environmental non-profit organization, founded in 1990. We operate in English and French, with offices in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. We collaborate with all people in Canada, including Indigenous leadership and communities, governments, businesses and individuals to create a sustainable Canada through scientific research, traditional ecological knowledge, communications and public engagement, and innovative policy and legal solutions. Our mission is to protect nature’s diversity and the well-being of all life, now and for the future. We envision a day where we all act on the understanding that we are one with nature.

Équiterre seeks to make the necessary collective transitions towards an equitable and environmentally sound future more tangible, accessible and inspiring. Deeply concerned about climate change, Équiterre has developed significant expertise in public policy aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over the years. Through demonstration, education, awareness-raising, research, coaching and mobilization projects, Équiterre rallies


-win for everyone
- Even while offering this project, UP attempted to meet privately with downtown affected businesses intending to "buy them off" and this "divide and conquer" tactic was dropped when it became obvious that it wasn’t working
- The UP had attempted to use scare tactics on their own employees telling them that their retirement funds would be jeopardized if the UP was forced to fund such an effort
- Even after proposing the depressed trainway as their alternative, the UP continues to push for overpasses through downtown privately in meeting at the State Capitol with legislators

Charles McNeely said that this is not a partnership or a "win-win". This is gamesmanship at its highest level, and what concerns me and this community is that it appears the deck is stacked here; that an outcome favorable to the Railroad is already being fashioned; the deal is done and we, the City of Reno, are parties to a charade.

Charles McNeely said that he has alerted Reno’s delegation in Washington, D.C., the Governor as well as the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), which has regulatory oversight of the STB’s environmental decisions, to review the STB’s procedures in this study as well as why an EIS was going to be prepared for the Conrail Merger.
Introduction / Review Agenda

Kay Wilson introduced the participants and asked the members of the Task Force and general public to introduce themselves. The Surface Transportation Board (STB) was not present at this Task Force meeting.

Charles McNeeley thanked the members of the Task Force to have an opportunity to speak and applauded the members for their participation thus far but questioned the objectivity and fairness of the environmental process associated with the Environmental Mitigation Study (EMS). He continued to state that he thought the STB and its consultants would take a real look at the impacts of the merger and its the city’s position to support the merger but object to the unwillingness of the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) to address the impacts of the Merger.

He said the process was rampant with bias towards the railroad and that the STB has preconceived opinions of what should be done before the EMS was ever completed. He sited an example of unfair treatment as the STB’s decision to prepare an EIS for the Conrail
Surface Transportation Board
Task Force Meeting
Summary of Meeting Notes

Session: Task Force #7

Date: July 9, 1997

Location: City of Reno
290 South Center Street
Room 211
1:00 - 3:50 pm

Subject: Union Pacific/Southern Pacific Railroad Merger

Environmental Mitigation Study - Task Force Meeting

Attendees: STB Representatives
Dave Mansen - De Leuw, Cather & Company
Kay Wilson - Public Affairs Management
Nasser Ashrafi - De Leuw, Cather & Company

Task Force Members
Merri Belaustegui - City of Reno, City Manager’s Office
Steve Varela - City of Reno, City Engineer
Mark Demuth - City of Reno, Environmental Team
Larry Farr - City of Reno, Emergency Services
Tom Robinson - City of Reno, Emergency Services (alternate)
Steve Bradhurst - Reno Citizens, General Interest
Richard Vitali - Reno Citizens, Riverbanks Homeowners (absent)
Paula Berkley - Native American Representative (absent)
Bill Osgood - Business Community Representative
Bob Burns - NFRA (absent)
Bob Webb - Washoe County (absent)
Jack Lorbeer - Regional Transportation Commission (alternate)
Tim Crowley - State of Nevada Representative
Craig Wesner - Nevada Public Service Commission (alternate)
Robert Sellman - City of Sparks (alternate)
Michael Hemmer - Union Pacific Railroad
Ron Scolaro - Amtrak Representative (absent)
Ken Lynn - State Economic Interest (absent)
Scott Hutcherson - Warehousing & Distribution (alternate)

Task Force Alternates
Colleen Henderson - City of Reno, Environmental Team
Michael Halley - City of Reno, City Manager’s Office
Tom Gribbin - City of Reno, Engineering Team
Nancy Burkhart read into the record a letter from Scott Beeman, Circus Circus indicating he agreed that failure to provide advance review of data prohibited a meaningful task force meeting.

Seeing no further comments, the Task Force meeting was adjourned by Kay Wilson.
was looking at future conditions both with and without the merger, holding the year 2000 as a traffic constant. Mark stated that year 2000 is not baseline.

Dave Mansen said they would not be attributing increase in traffic from 1995 to 2000 to the UP. Demuth responded that there would be a wider number if 1995 baseline data was used.

Mark Demuth asked DCCo to explain how a day/night mix of trains was determined when UP has indicated that it is impossible to formally schedule trains. GUI indicated that it was based on the train traffic during the monitoring week, and was a 53/47 split. Mark indicated that there was no purpose in going on with any further questions DCCo will not respond to my questions pertaining to baseline conditions and appropriate methodologies.

Craig Wesner asked if a bicycle was considered a vehicle. GUI said yes.

Harold McNulty indicated that the ICC used to break down accident data by who hit who, although the STB no longer maintains these statistics.

Member of the Public Has actual Reno accident data been entered into the record? Dave indicated yes.

Harold McNulty asked Mark Demuth to write a letter to the STB outlining what methodology he thinks should be used in the analysis of traffic delay and train/vehicle accident analysis. Mark indicated that a letter would be forthcoming.

Seeing no further comments on item 4, Kay Wilson moved on to item 5.

**General Discussion/Public Comment**

Public - What does upgraded gate systems mean. Dave indicated that it refers to advanced circuitry.

Bob Webb asked that hazardous materials shipping be addressed in the mitigation study. Dave indicated that it would be.

Bill Osgood asked when and where the upcoming directional horn test would be conducted. Most people thought it was on the 17th.

Mark Demuth provided the STB with a written submittal containing complete information on population growth for the City of Reno and Washoe County, and indicated that a 1.8% annual growth is not excessive.

Public - what is the current number of trains passing through the City of Reno now. Dave indicated that the current number is an average of 10/day. It was an average of 20 per day during the emergency detour.
Kay Wilson said we can clarify what our thinking is but we can’t say what is reasonable at this point.

Harold McNulty said "Regardless of all the science we put into this, it [the mitigation plan] comes down to judgment”.

Bruce MacKay said underpasses may mitigate Ralston and Keystone but does nothing for noise and safety on Center, Sierra, Virginia Streets. SEA needs to balance the whole area and can’t just cherry pick a quick fix.

Nancy Burkhart asked for the STB/DCCo to define what feasible, responsible and reasonable mitigation means. It must be different than our interpretation. We need to know what feasible means before we can go any further. Dave indicated that the final decision on what type of mitigation is feasible rests with the STB. Dave also stated that maybe we can take a look at past STB actions to get a feel for what feasible is, and report back to the Task Force. Harold McNulty noted that SEA’s recommendations to the STB may or may not be implemented by the board. It is entirely up to their discretion. Harold also stated that reasonable means that all of the fact have been balanced to come to a workable solution.

Rich Vitali asked how the mitigation study would be structured. Dave indicated that all options will be laid out and evaluated. Rich said that he is offended that McNulty feels that all of the Task Force comments are criticisms and that these are critical issues to the downtown.

Seeing no further comments on Item 3, Kay Wilson move on to Item 4.

**Train/Vehicle Accident Data**

Gui Sheerin provided another handout to the Task Force members and began his presentation on train /vehicle accident data.

Mark Demuth asked Gui to define what an accident is. Gui stated that an accident is a train/vehicle collision, and does not include pedestrians or suicide attempts, nor does it account for injury or death.

Gui Sheerin continued his presentation and discussed accident rates for the same conditions and scenarios as outlined in the traffic delay presentation. Pre merger accidents were documented at 1.26 per year, with post merger accidents projected to be 1.7 accidents per year. Only the depressed trainway mitigation option reduced train/vehicle accidents to less than pre merger levels.

Mark Demuth asked how baseline traffic numbers could be 1995 traffic volumes and train numbers based on post merger conditions. This would result in a smaller number of accidents that would be expected to occur based on a wider spread of data. Dave indicated that DCCo
Surface Transportation Board
Task Force Meeting
Summary of Meeting Notes

vs. outlying grade separations. Dave indicated that every solution has its own set of problems.

Harold McNulty indicated that most of the input to date from the Task Force has been criticism, and not focused on constructive ideas, which is the purpose of the Task Force. Merri followed up by saying that we would like to see an evaluation of the depressed trainway, a constructive idea.

Mark Demuth stated that he can’t believe that Sutro is included as a possible mitigation option, and that intersection had never been previously discussed.

Dave Mansen said feasible vs. advisable is a consideration.

Frank Napier斯基 indicated that he is on the opposite side of the coin as Mark and that the traffic delay analysis should be based on historical train traffic numbers (3


 populate sectors with a high demand for manual or unskilled workers and with low entry barriers, such as cleaning or catering (Engelen 2001; Rath 2002). This indicates that there is a growing, and ethnically specific, divide between the highly educated, well-paid knowledge workers in Western societies and the workers that are concentrated in the lower tiers of the labour market or even more seriously marginalized. These developments are also gender specific, as the changing opportunity structure produces different outcomes for men and for women.

These crucial trends also have their own spatial dimension. It is argued that capital today is more mobile, and that cities are even more central to the emerging economy, than they were in the Industrial Age (Castells 1996; Webster 2001). Gateway cities like Miami, New York, Vancouver, Sydney or Amsterdam have become nodes in national and international networks, bridging migrant communities and linking businesses and consumers from all over the world. High-skilled professionals, low-skilled job seekers, students and holiday travellers alike are gravitating there. They are part and parcel of the rapid transformation of these cities from sites of industrial production into spaces of information circulation and consumption. Kwak and Hiebert (this volume) show how these multifarious categories of migration are intricately linked together: the rise of the international education industry initially involves the (officially temporary) migration of students, but it also generates new forms of international mobility, including visits by family members and friends to the international students and the arrival of business people who cater to the needs of these categories.
City authorities show interest in these developments, if only because they believe that the students of today are the international job seekers or business investors of tomorrow.

These converging processes affect the urban social fabric in profound ways. They alter the opportunity structures, shape and reshape forms of inclusion and exclusion, and add new dimensions to the already existing economic, social and cultural diversity. Sociologists and geographers like Castells, Fainstein and Sassen have captured this socioeconomic and spatial bifurcation, arguing that the dual city is at once globally connected and locally disconnected (Castells 1989; Fainstein et al. 1992; Mollenkopf and Castells 1991; Sassen 1991). This social division inhibits urban socioeconomic development and undermines the quality of urban life. Clearly, those who fail educationally and are excluded from the knowledge economy, yet remain stuck in city areas in close proximity to the rich and affluent, become a matter of serious political and social concern. In these circumstances, the rise of urban tourism, and the new opportunities it creates in the service industries, is more than welcome.

Commodification of culture and revaluation of urban space

Here we enter the realm of studies on the emerging knowledge economy and the role of cities as places of information circulation, creativity and consumption. The growth of the urban tourism industry is intricately tied up with the rapid transformation of the manufacturing economy to an information economy and beyond. Deindustrialization resulted in a need for localities to differentiate themselves, in order to attract a share of the spatially mobile capital. In large cities in particular, authorities ranging from local governments to marketing consortia now strive to present their localities as attractive places for potential investors, employers, inhabitants and tourists (Kearns and Philo 1993).

Urban tourism is more than just a collection of tourist facilities. It is the consumption of signs, symbols and spectacle, the experiencing of aesthetically spaces of entertainment and pleasure (Featherstone 1991; Kearns and Philo 1993; Lash and Urry 1994; Selby 2004). The manipulation of place images and the projection of a high quality of life reflect a revaluation of urban space at the local level in response to global processes. The deliberate creation of an attractive place product and place image, together with the material processes that produce the urban landscape, spawns a diversity of spatial narratives (Duncan and Duncan 1988; Zukin 1991, 1995). The existence of spatial narratives and their contested nature are central to debates on the utilization of tourism, place marketing and heritage in socioeconomic development.

By pursuing urban imaging strategies, cities seek to attract mobile capital, tourists and immigrants (so long as these fit into the prescribed urban policy goals). As Roche (1994, 2000) has noted, the principal aims
of imaging strategies, or re-imaging in the case of older urban centres, are to:

- attract visitor expenditure
- generate employment in tourism and other industries
- foster positive images for potential investors in the region, often by ‘re-imaging’ previous negative perceptions
- provide an urban environment that will attract and retain the interest of professionals and white-collar workers, particularly in ‘clean’ service industries such as tourism and communications.

These strategies, in short, are employed to attract mobile capital and people.

Urban imaging processes are typically characterized by some or all of the following activities:

- creation of a critical mass of visitor attractions and facilities, including new buildings and prestige centres (casinos, event and convention centres, stadiums, refurbished waterfronts);
- the hosting of hallmark events;
- development of urban tourism strategies, policies and campaigns, often associated with new or renewed organization and development of city marketing;
- development of leisure and cultural services and projects to support the marketing and tourism effort (e.g. the creation or renewal of museums and art galleries and the hosting of art festivals, often as part of a comprehensive cultural tourism strategy for a region or city);
- deliberate commodification and rebranding of urban space to identify ‘new’ places for leisure consumption (e.g. the promotion of nightlife, restaurant or ethnic districts).

Whilst urban imaging processes help to explain why some areas or activities have become so popular, we also need to explore how these patterns of consumption are shaped. Why have deprived neighbourhoods in cities like Amsterdam, Berlin, Birmingham, Brussels and Lisbon turned into magnets attracting numerous day-trippers who want to become absorbed into an exotic world (cf. Collins and Castillo 1998)? Why has the mainstream diet in countries like the Netherlands, Germany and England, which centred around bland meat, potatoes and standard vegetables, expanded to embrace tacos, Bombay duck, chicken tikka masala, döner kebab, rijsttafel and babi pangang (Halter 2000; Miller et al. 1998; Narayan 1995; Ram et al. 2000; Tsu 1999)? What cultural processes support the growing popularity of ‘ethnically’ diverse attractions by persuading people to appreciate new and different tastes?
These processes, to be sure, do not just arise from the manipulations of local government officials. Zukin (1991; and see also Valle and Torres 2000) has argued that a critical infrastructure of individuals must exist who are all connected in some way with cultural production and appreciation and who are capable of influencing public taste. This critical infrastructure contains a broad spectrum of knowledge workers that design cultural production and consumption; they include connoisseurs, cultural mediators and marketing bureaus as well as business associations, tourist boards and parts of national and local government. Whatever the intentions behind it, the critical infrastructure influences the popularity of particular cultural products. It identifies which products are ‘relevant’ and makes statements concerning their real or alleged authenticity and the significance of consuming them. It thereby helps to shape the multicultural urban landscape. The messages from this critical infrastructure are not simply ‘free-floating’, but are conveyed through the internet or more conventional means of communication, through the behaviour of trendsetters or other people from the cultural vanguard, through the programmes of specific educational institutes, or through the ready availability of easy-to-consume products and services. As Zukin (1991) points out, shifting preferences have an impact on the nature of production; they ultimately bestow opportunities on some groups and their areas of the city, while simultaneously making other groups and areas largely invisible to ‘the people who matter’. How this critical infrastructure functions, and how immigrant producers of tourist attractions, as well as their consumers, fit into this process, are a matter for further research. The chapters in this volume by Fainstein and Powers and by Marques and Lima da Costa provide good evidence of the operation of such infrastructures.

Zoned ethnicity

Identifiable ethnic areas within cities are now often used as an attraction for short- and long-term visitors, thus contributing to the identities of the cities themselves, of those who live in the areas and of those who visit. As observed above, few researchers have studied ethnic enclaves, or the ‘zoned ethnicity’ of some parts of cities, in terms of their tourist dimensions, even though many of them are already notable urban attractions (Abrahamson 1995; Timothy 2002).

Let’s return to the case of San Francisco’s Chinatown. The original Chinatown was widely considered a slum, and had a bad reputation in white American society as the dumping ground for an undesirable immigrant group. However, as Timothy (2002; cf. Anderson 1995; Lin 1998; Wong 1995) has observed, this very image paradoxically encouraged tourism development. To non-Chinese people in the early twentieth century, Chinatown was a quaint, mysterious part of town, a ‘foreign colony’ in their midst. Advertisements promised that white tourists visiting
the district would experience the ‘sounds, the sights, and the smells of Canton’. They could imagine themselves in ‘some hoary Mongolian city in the distant land of Cathay’, and could ‘wander in the midst of the Orient’ without leaving America, seeing throngs of people


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Although some see meals as just something you do between waterslide runs, part of your one world experience at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions will be world-class dining. Every location features restaurants to satisfy every taste, from steakhouses to ice cream shops. You’ll never have to eat in the same spot twice, but you just might want to.
ADVENTURERS CLUB

There’s no shortage of fun, engaging activities for the kids at Kalahari Adventurers Club. They can go on hikes, do finger painting, crafts, games and scavenger hunts, and we even have a family of characters! Go on your own adventure with Kenya and his girlfriend, Kya, as they splash the days away with their pals Lou and Benny.

Kenya is an elephant from the Serengeti. He loves to play and splash around with his friends and his girlfriend, Kya.

Kya is the elephant with the brightest smile. In fact, her name is Swahili for “the light of a diamond.” She’s been a part of the Kalahari family since meeting Kenya, Luganda and Benin 12 years ago.

Lou is a lion who loves nothing more than hanging out and having fun with his best friends.

Benny is a monkey who loves to joke around and make his friends smile. If you see Benny at Kalahari, give him a high-five, a hug or a joke, and he will be your friend forever.
Another important part of your adventure is making time to relax. When you want to slow down and indulge in “you” time, our first-class spa offers services to relax and rejuvenate the mind, body and spirit. The exotic ambiance allows you to slip into a relaxing experience that feels a world away. Our spa offers body treatments, luxurious massages, skin care, nail care and a salon.
Forgot your swimsuit? No problem — we have premium designer swimwear available, as well as towels, T-shirts and any other amenity you might need during your stay. We also have authentic art, trinkets and clothing from Africa. Bring something home to remember your adventure forever.
Our dream is still growing, and we're now bringing the thrills of Africa to you in 4 different locations. Step into an experience that feels A World Away™, now in Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.<|endoftext|>Bittersweet ‘birthday staycay’ but he’s proud of S’pore’s response

Audrey Tan

Biologist Marcus Chua turned 36 on Tuesday, but the birthday was a bittersweet one despite his swanky surroundings in a hotel with views of Singapore’s famous city skyline.

It might all look five-star, but the reality for many people like Mr Chua, who are now complying with the 14-day stay-home notice (SHN), is far from fancy. Room service, for example, does not come on a silver platter but is hung on his door in a disposable plastic box.

Mr Chua’s “birthday staycay” began when he returned from the United States on Thursday night, all ready to serve the stay-home period in a hotel instead of in his own home.

“Even though it was a pity that I could not see my family after arriving in Singapore, it’s actually my preferred option to stay elsewhere so there is less chance of me transmitting the virus to others if I had been infected,” said Mr Chua, a PhD student at George Mason University in the Washington DC suburbs.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on Tuesday that all Singaporeans returning from Britain and the US from 11.59pm the following day would have to serve the SHN in dedicated facilities instead of their own homes.

This was because those arriving from the two countries account for the largest share of imported cases by far. Returnees will have their own room and bathroom and all meals provided so that they avoid physical contact with other individuals, MOH said.

Mr Chua said on Twitter: “It’s a brilliant move to support the hospitality industry and keep the pandemic at bay.”

He added that travellers were given special laundry bags to prevent contamination and were notified that spot checks would be done via calls or text messages.

Those who flout the rules may be liable for penalties such as being required to bear the full cost of the hotel stay, according to a circular from the Singapore Tourism Board that was given to returning passengers.

Mr Chua, a mammal scientist at the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, said he had initially considered staying put in the US to finish the semester, but the escalating crisis there and repeated reminders from NUS and the Singapore Embassy to come home prompted him to change his mind.

He booked a flight to return to Singapore this Wednesday, but this had to be brought forward after Etihad Airways cancelled the flight.

Some of his colleagues at NUS had collated data on previous flights between Washington DC and San Francisco – where the next homebound Singapore Airlines flight would depart from – and analysed them to find a route that had the least likelihood of being cancelled.

Thankfully, his Alaska Airlines flight departed on time and Mr Chua found himself in San Francisco with about a day to spare.

He said: “There was a huge sense of comfort when I boarded the Singapore Airlines flight. Not only did it remind me of home, it was also comforting to see cabin crew taking precautions by donning surgical masks.”

Passengers were also seated at least a seat apart from one another.

When they arrived at Changi Airport, passengers were served SHNs by Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officers and taken by bus to the hotel in groups of 15 in 40-seater coaches. “Perfect for maintaining social distancing,” Mr Chua quipped, adding: “I couldn’t be more impressed and proud of Singapore’s response to Covid-19.”

While looking forward to going for a swim and catching up with family and friends after serving his SHN, Mr Chua said he has no lack of things to do. He plans to catch up on his lectures, which are being broadcast online, complete his assignments and write research proposals.

“When all that is done, there’s video streaming and two books to read,” he said. “And I have my binoculars, so there’s also bird-watching. I heard jungle fowls and kingfishers this morning.”

audreyt@sph.com.sg

Room service for those serving the stay-home notice in a hotel is hung on the door in a disposable plastic box. PHOTO: MARCUS CHUA/FACEBOOK

KEEP OTHERS SAFE

Even though it was a pity that I could not see my family after arriving in Singapore, it’s actually my preferred option to stay elsewhere so there is less chance of me transmitting the virus to others if I had been infected.

BIOLOGIST MARCUS CHUA, who returned from the United States on Thursday night, all ready to serve the stay-home notice in a hotel instead of in his own home.<|endoftext|>WHALE & DOLPHIN WATCHING TRIP REPORT

MALDIVES EXPLORER
CENTRAL ATOLLS CRUISE
9 to 20 November 2015

By tour leader Dr Chas Anderson
WildWings / WildOceans
Tel: 0117-9658-333
Email: tours@wildwings.co.uk
Web: www.wildwings.co.uk
November is supposed to be one of the calmest months in the Maldives, but the brewing El Nino brought wind and rain for much of our trip. Despite this, we enjoyed a very productive 12-day wildlife cruise, which took us all the way south to Thaa Atoll, well beyond the normal tourist areas. We had plenty of time to visit a number of beautiful and little-visited islands, both inhabited and uninhabited. Cetacean sightings were good, with a respectable nine different species being recorded. These included a run of Pilot Whales at the start, and a rush of Cuvier’s Beaked Whales and Dwarf Sperm Whales on the very last day when the wind finally died and the sea became flat calm. The snorkelling was fantastic throughout. The corals were magnificent, particularly in Thaa Atoll. The reef fishes were overwhelming in their abundance, diversity and brilliant colouration. But fishy highlights were undoubtedly swimming with Manta Rays and a Whale Shark. Hawksbill Turtles were seen regularly, but there were also sightings of a Green Turtle and a rare, giant Leatherback Turtle.

Day 1, Monday 9 Nov 2015

We all met at the airport, and were soon on the dhoni heading for the safari boat anchorage and Hope Cruiser. Following welcomes and a briefing, there was time to unpack in the cabins, and come back on deck for a look around before lunch.

Immediately after the tasty meal prepared by our Sri Lankan chef, we were off. As we left the anchorages Spinner Dolphins appeared (well spotted Doug), with one giving an energetic display of spinning.

Out in the ocean, conditions were good, so we felt sure that something would be seen. And sure enough, Pilot Whales were soon spotted (well done Rod and Mike). They gave us the slip to start with, but eventually surfaced. We slowly manoeuvred into a position just upwind, cut the engine, and drifted quietly down amongst them. Soon we had Pilot Whales surfacing alongside and in front of us, close enough


**
Learn about the fascinating stories in stone that can be seen from the Manzanita Lake area. Examine the rocks that have shaped this volcanic landscape. *Outside Loomis Museum.*

**Summit Lake Evening Program**
July at 7:30 p.m., August at 7:00 p.m.
Join a park ranger for a lively program about the natural or cultural history of the park. *Summit Lake Amphitheater.*

**Volcanoes!**
Did you know that every mountain in the park is a volcano or part of one? Learn about the geology and volcanic history of the park. *Outside Loomis Museum.*

**Wildlife Connections**
Learn about the park’s wildlife and hear stories about their amazing lifestyles. *Outside Loomis Museum.*

Programs are 45 minutes long unless otherwise noted
Hiking Trails

**EASY TRAILS**

**Devastated Area**
**Start:** Devastated Area parking area, 10 miles south of Loomis Museum.
**Length:** 0.5 miles (0.8 km) loop trail
**Elevation Gain:** None
**Time:** 30 minutes
Easy walk along a paved trail. Interpretive exhibits with audio description highlight the eruption of Lassen Peak with great views along the entire trail. Accessible to wheelchairs.

**Manzanita Lake**
**Start:** Pick up the trail from the Loomis Museum or Manzanita campground.
**Length:** 1.8 miles (2.9 km) loop
**Elevation Gain:** None
**Time:** 1 hour
Easy walk around the lake. Keep your eyes and ears alert; birds, trout, wildflowers, and wildlife can frequent the lake shore. Trail can be rocky at times. Enjoy catch and release fishing with excellent mountain views.

**HYDROTHERMAL AREA DANGER**
For your safety, stay on established trails and boardwalks. Ground in hydrothermal areas can look solid but may actually be a thin crust hiding pools of acidic boiling water. Traveling off-trail in these areas may result in severe injury.

*Stay on established trails to avoid injury*
*“It feels like I put my leg in a flame”*
- Visitor injured at Devils Kitchen

**MODERATE TRAILS**

**Bumpass Hell**
**Start:** Bumpass Hell parking area, 6 miles from southwest entrance
**Length:** 3 miles (4.8 km) round trip
**Elevation Gain:** 300 feet (91 meters)
**Time:** 2 hours
Moderate hike over rocky terrain with grand vistas. The trail drops into an active hydrothermal basin where you can view mudpots and fumaroles. For your safety, please stay on the boardwalk.

**Kings Creek Falls**
**Start:** 17 miles south of Loomis Museum and 13 miles from southwest entrance
**Length:** 3 miles (4.8 km) round trip
**Elevation Gain:** 700 feet (213 meters)
**Time:** 2 hours
Moderate hike over rugged terrain and small rock formations. Trail forks at end of meadow. Waterfalls and wildflowers are spectacular in late spring. The trail to the bottom of the cascade is closed for trail repair.

**LasSen Trail Guide**
150 MILES OF TRAILS
Discover Lassen with this color guide of day and overnight hikes by local author George P. Perkins.

Purchase Your Copy $19.95
Lassen | Chester | Mineral | Amazon.com
MODERATELY STRENUOUS TRAILS

Cinder Cone
Start: Butte Lake picnic area near the boat ramp
Length: 4 miles (6.4 km) round trip
Elevation Gain: 700 feet (213 meters)
Time: 3 hours
Hike begins along Fantastic Lava Beds, opens up with views of the Painted Dunes, and becomes a strenuous, steep climb with a loose cinder base to the summit. Trails circle and descend into the crater on the summit.

Brokeoff Mountain
Start: 1 mile before the southwest entrance
Length: 7 miles (11.25 km) round trip
Elevation Gain: 2,600 feet (792 meters)
Time: 4 to 5 hours
Steep trail and tricky early season stream crossings give way to panoramic views of the entire park, the Sacramento Valley, and Mount Shasta. Wildflowers are abundant in early summer.

STRENUOUS TRAILS

Terrace, Shadow and Cliff Lakes
Start: 10 miles from the southwest entrance between Lassen Peak parking area and Kings Creek
Length: 3.5 miles (5.6 km) round trip
Elevation Gain: 550 feet (168 meters)
Time: 3 hours
Hike alongside three mountain lakes: Terrace, Shadow, and Cliff lakes. The trail is steep between lakes, but mostly flat otherwise. Enjoy a special solitude in this area plus excellent views of the southeastern slopes of Lassen Peak.

Ridge Lakes
Start: Sulphur Works parking area, 1 mile north of the southwest entrance
Length: 2 miles (3.2 km) round trip
Elevation Gain: 1,045 feet (319 meters)
Time: 1-1.5 hours
This steep climb up a forested ridge rewards hikers with two small alpine lakes cradled in a basin between Brokeoff Mountain and Mount Diller. Stops along the way provide glimpses of Sulphur Works hydrothermal area and Sulphur Creek. Although challenging, this hike offers and opportunity to experience Lassen’s alpine terrain in a short hike.

Explore Safely
Safety is Your Responsibility
- Bring water
- Wear sturdy boots
- Bring extra food
- Carry sunscreen
- Pack a map and compass
- Take breaks often
- Check the weather forecast
- Carry extra layers for warmth
- Finish your hike before dark
- Tell someone where you are going and when you will return
Reach the Peak

The Reach the Peak project is a multi-year effort to restore and rehabilitate the Lassen Peak trail. The project will work to maintain the character of the trail while taking steps to improve the visitor experience and accommodate its increasing popularity and use.

In 2010, the largest helicopter flight operation in park history strategically placed 2.4 million pounds of stone along the trail. With materials in place for the project’s second year, Lassen Volcanic National Park trail crew and the California Conservation Corps began laboriously strengthening the backbone of the Lassen Peak trail. Despite hazardous work areas and exposure to severe weather, the Reach the Peak trail crew cut and placed nearly 5,000 cubic feet of stone on 75 rock retaining walls and resting areas. These carefully constructed retaining walls will reduce erosion on Lassen Peak’s numerous switchbacks and provide a solid foundation for the higher, steeper sections of trail.

Enjoy Lassen Peak from Afar

Many hikers have discovered another way to enjoy the splendor of Lassen Peak – from afar. Brokeoff Mountain trail (page 11) is a worthy rival to the Lassen Peak trail, passing through dense forests and lush meadows to spectacular panoramic views. The sweeping vistas include Mt. Shasta, the rim of ancient Brokeoff Volcano (Mt. Tehama) and breathtaking Lassen Peak.

Lassen Peak, Chaos Crag, Mount Harkness, and Prospect Peak are a few of the volcanoes that fill the panoramic view from atop Cinder Cone. The Cinder Cone trail (page 11) travels alongside Butte Lake and the Fantastic Lava Beds, giving way to colorful views of the Painted Dunes at the base of the cone.

The Mount Harkness trail offers an opportunity to climb a shield volcano with sweeping views of most of the park, a dramatic view of Lassen Peak, and views of Lake Almanor and Mount Shasta. A historic fire lookout is staffed during the summer and fall. Be sure to stop in and sign the logbook. Bring plenty of water – there is none available in the Juniper Lake area. This moderately strenuous trail is 3.8 miles (6 km) round trip, gains 1,246 feet (380m) and begins near the Juniper Lake campground.
**Kids in Parks**

**Join the Club!**

**Junior Park Rangers**
Kids between the ages of 7 and 12 are invited to participate in our Junior Park Ranger program. Choose from a variety of activities while learning more about Lassen Volcanic National Park. Kids who complete the Junior Ranger activity booklet can earn a patch and certificate.

**Chipmunk Club**
Our youngest explorers are welcome to participate in the Lassen Volcanic National Park Chipmunk Club. Kids can learn more about wildlife in the park and earn a Chipmunk Club sticker.

**Green Junior Rangers**
Junior Rangers, this is your chance to go green! The Green Junior Ranger program encourages kids to think and act beyond the park, “thinking globally and acting locally.” Kids will learn Green Ranger reduce, reuse, and recycle tips that they can practice every day as part of being green. Kids who complete the Green Junior Ranger activity card earn a patch and certificate.

**Sleeping Under the Stars**
Did you know your school or non-profit group could receive a grant to sleep under the stars at Lassen Volcanic? The Lassen Park Foundation encourages groups to apply for annual camping grants up to $1,000 to help introduce camping and Lassen Volcanic National Park to underserved youth. Selected groups are invited to discover their national park while camping at Crags Campground and participating in hands-on, ranger-led activities.

In order to provide the invaluable experience


and to prepare properly.

How can I plan for shore landings? Special clothing is required for the shore landings (Antarctica, Galapagos); please refer to your predeparture documents for important details.
Are all theatre performances suitable for children? Some theatre performances may be unsuitable for children – please consult your tour manager.
Documentation
Do I need a passport? A valid passport is required for all trips. All passengers should check with the appropriate foreign consulate for entry and validity requirements as well as other laws that may affect your ability to travel. We recommend that your passport has six months validity, and at least three blank pages. Passports and visas are the responsibility of each traveller.
Extending Your Stay
Can I extend my tour to see more of a region? Yes! You may enhance your tour by purchasing either an extension or pre/post hotel stays when offered. Extensions may be “hosted” rather than escorted. When hosted, passengers will be greeted upon arrival by a local tour manager who will be available on-call during the duration of the stay. A minimum number of passengers may be required to operate some extensions. Extensions not purchased at time of deposit are subject to availability and applicable charges at time of request.
Collette also offers pre and post hotel nights before and/or after a tour. Should you purchase additional nights, your tour manager will not be available during this time.
Extras
What is not included in the tour price? The land price does not include international air travel from Australia, airline fees, airport or departure taxes, transfers, visas, customary end-of-trip gratuities for your tour manager, driver, local guides, hotel housekeepers, cruise ship waitstaff, and any incidental charges.
Late Bookings
Do you accept late bookings? Yes, tour sales normally close 7 days prior to departure. Late bookings are on request and must be guaranteed with full payment if within 60 days of departure date.
On-Tour Experience
Where do I meet my tour manager? Our tour manager will make contact with you at your first hotel. The hotel’s address and phone number will be included in your documents.
Can I pre purchase optional excursions/activities? Yes, the majority of optional excursions and activities are available for advance purchase provided that you make your options purchase 15 days or more prior to the tour start date. Collette makes it convenient to reserve presold options by visiting our website for a full listing of activities and excursions or when your reservation is made with our team. In addition, there are benefits to pre-purchasing options including a price guarantee once your tour is paid in full, so once payment is received in full, your preselected options are guaranteed by Collette. Although you can still purchase options while on tour, reserving them ahead of time ensures you a spot in the event that the activity sells out. Collette will provide a refund if you cancel a presold option prior to tour departure. Any presold options cancelled while on tour are nonrefundable.
Revisions / Changes

Would my tour date ever be changed? While it is unlikely, Collette does reserve the right to cancel any tour prior to departure. Should this happen, Collette will make every effort to put you on another departure date. If an alternate cannot be found, a full refund will be made. Air booked through Collette will be protected. We cannot be held responsible for penalties incurred if you secured your own air.

Can I make changes to my reservation? Should you decide to change your reservation after initial booking, a handling fee of $25 per transaction will be charged. A change of tour date or tour itinerary within the guidelines of the cancellation policy will be treated as a cancellation and regular cancellation fees may apply.

Revisions to air tickets are subject to the rules and regulations of the airline. See our Cancellation Policy for more details.

Tour Pacing

How can I be best prepared for the pacing and physical requirements on a Collette tour? Tour pacing varies by itinerary, and each destination’s activities are unique. Pacing is subject to personal interpretation. For overnight pacing of a tour, please refer to the “Accommodation” section on each tour page and on the tour map. The day-by-day descriptions will provide additional detail about the number of activities included in each day.

The Tour Activity Level Ranking is featured on each tour itinerary in a circle. The definition of each activity level is listed here. If you have additional questions regarding a specific tour, please inquire at time of reservation.

Level 1: At a very leisurely pace, this tour involves minimal physical activity, such as climbing some stairs, boarding a motorcoach, and walking from the hotel reception area to hotel rooms and dining areas.

Level 2: This tour requires average physical activity. You should be in good health, able to climb stairs and walk reasonable distances, possibly over uneven ground and cobblestoned streets.

Level 3: This tour includes moderate physical activity. The itinerary blends some longer days with shorter days and more leisure time. Walking tours, as well as walking slightly longer distances, up stairs or on uneven walking surfaces should be expected.

Level 4: To truly experience the tour and destination, you need to be able to participate in physical activities such as longer walking tours, walking over uneven terrain, climbing stairs and periods of standing. Some of the touring days may be longer, with select included activities occurring later in the evening.

Level 5: This tour is very active, requiring participants to be physically fit to fully enjoy all the experiences. This itinerary has more strenuous activities which may include such things as: extensive walking tours, transfers over uneven and dusty terrain, high altitudes, early morning departures, late night activities, or extreme temperatures. All conditions do not apply to all days, so please read the itinerary carefully and speak to one of our customer care agents to determine if this tour is right for you. We recommend this programme to individuals who are physically fit. Unfortunately, this tour is not appropriate for individuals who use either walkers or wheelchairs.

Transfers

Are airport and hotel transfers available? Roundtrip airport-to-hotel transfers are provided for all passengers who purchase airfare through Collette. These transfers do not apply to pre- and post-night stays. Passengers who do not purchase airfare through Collette can purchase transfers (for the first and last day of the tour) at an additional cost from $120 per person, roundtrip. Some restrictions may apply. All transfers leave at prescheduled times.

Are airport transfers available for pre/post hotel stays? All passengers who purchase pre and post hotel nights through Collette may also purchase transfers to/from the airport and the pre or post hotel. Please inquire at time of booking.

What is the private chauffeur service? It’s your ticket to and from the airport. This personalised service is included within a 40km radius from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Darwin, Cairns and Hobart airport gateways. * Service is available between 41-70 kms for a small fee. Not valid on group travel. * One transfer per room booking. Additional stops are not permitted on route.

Visit gocollette.com/chauffeur for a video and more details on this amazing service!

Travel Loyalty

What is the Collette Passport Club? Formerly Travel Loyalty by Collette, the Collette Passport Club recognises past guests and allows you to automatically receive a $150 travel credit for each trip you take.† It’s our way of saying thank you for making us your #1 choice in guided travel.

† Full credit is valid for your next tour when you travel within 12 months of the original trip. $100 of the credit remains valid for travel within 13-24 months, and the entire credit expires 24 months after the original trip.
Adding Flights to your Collette Tour

Enjoy the benefits of air-inclusive bookings. Allow us to be your liaison with the airlines and to handle all the details.

Flex Economy Airfare
Instant Purchase Economy Class²
Premium Economy, Business & First Class³

Free roundtrip airport to hotel transfers included¹
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Dedicated Concierge Service
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Lounge Passes⁴
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Express Check-In⁴
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Eligible for Collette’s Travel Protection Plan
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Benefit from our flexible change and refund policies
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Deposit now, pay the balance later⁵
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Eliminates future surcharges by locking in price
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All the perks of upgraded air (more space, comfort and service)
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¹) These are available on the first and last day of the actual tour dates and when you are travelling on select flights (not applicable to pre & post nights). Land only clients may purchase transfers on the first and last day of the actual tour dates for an additional cost (some restrictions may apply). Clients who purchase pre/post hotel nights may purchase transfers to/from the pre/post hotel. ²)


34 📞 (432) 426-3337

GPS
Latitude 30.599926 | Longitude -103.925934

Find the coolest place in a hot state when you camp in mountains one mile high at this CCC-built park. The park is in the Davis Mountains, the most extensive mountain range fully contained in Texas. Motor into a full hookup site (with cable TV), backpack to a high overlook, make camp under the trees, check out the two beautiful wildlife viewing areas, or stop by Indian Lodge, located in the park. While you’re here, visit Fort Davis National Historic Site or attend a star party at the McDonald Observatory.
Fed by clear springs flowing from seeps and streams, the Devils River is one of the most pristine rivers in Texas. The state natural area is large, remote and has been named an International Dark Sky Sanctuary. Visit for day hiking, mountain biking, camping and paddling. All camping and facility stays are by reservation only. Make reservations at least one day in advance.

A permit is required for all paddling trips on the Devils River which access TPWD-managed lands. For more information, visit the park’s webpage.

Bring a picnic when you visit this 1848 adobe fortress and trading post, which sits on a bluff overlooking a valley that leads to the Rio Grande. Ben Leaton traded with Apaches, Comanches and Mexicans here. Today the site is an active museum offering programs, reenactments, tours and colorful events. Enjoy the holidays with the annual reenacted posadas in December.

This is the western gateway to Big Bend Ranch State Park. Obtain permits here, as well as information on hiking, biking, river and equestrian opportunities. 🎈
Franklin Mountains State Park

Headquarters: 1331 McKelligon Canyon Rd., El Paso 79930  📞 (915) 566-6441

Tom Mays Unit: 3.5 miles east of I-10 on Transmountain Rd.

At the westernmost tip of Texas, where mountains meet sky and cities hug the Rio Grande, lies the largest state park in an urban setting. Franklin Mountains State Park encompasses 26,627 acres in the city of El Paso. Hike rugged terrain in 40 square miles of Chihuahuan Desert wilderness, scrub vegetation and open space. Over 100 miles of multiuse trails are popular with hikers and mountain bikers. Camp and picnic, too. Ground fires must be in designated fire rings. You can build charcoal fires in grills at picnic sites.

Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site

6900 Hueco Tanks Rd. No. 1, El Paso 79938  📞 (915) 857-1135

Natural rock basins in granite outcroppings give Hueco Tanks its name. These basins capture rainwater, a precious resource in the Chihuahuan Desert. For millennia, people have come for water, as well as for the diverse plants and animals here. These people left behind curious and beautiful paintings. Today this ancient site preserves over 2,000 pictographs.

We limit visitors to protect the site. We recommend reservations for day use, camping and tours. Pictograph, hiking and bouldering tours in the guided area are available by advance request Wednesday through Sunday.
Indian Lodge State Park
16453 Park Rd. 3, Fort Davis 79734 📞 (432) 426-3254
GPS Latitude 30.592877 | Longitude -103.943596

Indian Lodge is nestled in the Davis Mountains, within Davis Mountains State Park. This southwestern, pueblo-style adobe lodge will charm you. Its original handcrafted interiors and furnishings date from its 1930s construction by the CCC. Guest rooms have cable TV, telephones and private baths. The lodge also has a full-service restaurant, group meeting room, swimming pool, and access to trails from the parking lot. This is truly a unique destination.

Monahans Sandhills State Park
Park Rd. 41, Monahans 79756 📞 (432) 943-2092
GPS Latitude 31.618795 | Longitude -102.812112

Fun-loving travelers surf sand dunes that rise as high as 50 feet in this geologic wonderland. These sand dunes are a small part of a larger 200-square-mile dune field stretching into New Mexico. Rent sand disks at headquarters. The Dunagan Visitor Center features hands-on exhibits on dune dynamics and desert wildlife. Picnicking and camping are also popular. The park has an 800-acre equestrian area and three equestrian campsites, as well. The park is at exit 86 off I-20 west of Odessa, just east of Monahans.
Seminole Canyon
State Park & Historic Site
Hwy. 90 W., Park Rd. 67, Comstock 78837  (432) 292-4464
GPS  Latitude 29.7001  Longitude -101.313058

Ancient pictographs, rugged limestone terrain and spectacular canyons lure visitors to this park. People of antiquity once lived in natural rock shelters carved into canyon walls. They painted distinctive ancient symbols that tell us of their passing. The park's rock art is more than 4,000 years old. Learn more at the park's museum.

Hike the rugged landscape or camp in a tent or RV. Take a guided rock art tour Wednesdays through Sundays at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. (times vary in summer). Contact the park for more information.

Two Ways to Show Your Love for Texas State Parks
For only $30/year, outfit your vehicle, motorcycle, trailer or RV with a Texas Conservation License Plate. Best of all, $22 of the $30 directly benefits Texas State Parks.

ConservationPlate.org/StateParks
Your mom never went glamping.
So just pack up the family, fill the cooler full of Rambler,
and get out there and go make some memories.

#RaiseARambler
Special thanks to Toyota, whose generous support made this guide possible.
Brazos Bend State Park
21901 FM 762, Needville 77461  📞 (979) 553-5101

GPS  Latitude 29.380798 | Longitude -95.594658

Brazos Bend has almost 5,000 acres of lakes, prairies and forests. Live oak trees draped in Spanish moss shade the park's picnic areas. Explore more than 30 miles of multiuse trails, where you'll see alligators, white-tailed deer and over 300 bird species. Choose from six small lakes and a winding, tree-lined creek for fishing. Touch a hatchling alligator at the park's nature center, which is open daily. Nature programs offered every weekend and most holidays.

George Observatory leads star parties on Saturday nights. Call (281) 242-3055 for information.

Galveston Island State Park
14901 FM 3005, Galveston 77554  📞 (409) 737-1222

GPS  Latitude 29.198755 | Longitude -94.956212

Galveston Island State Park is an excellent example of Texas Gulf ecology, with 2,000 acres that spans from the beach to the bay. Access is open to the bayside of the park, where coastal prairie, freshwater ponds, and salt marsh yield ample hiking, fishing, kayaking, and wildlife viewing opportunities. Historic houses, tent and multiuse campsites with restrooms and showers nearby are available on this side of the park.

The beachside area is closed as it undergoes renovations. Please check website for closure updates.
Goose Island State Park
202 S. Palmetto St., Rockport 78382 ☏ (361) 729-2858

Brown pelicans, rare whooping cranes and fishing in the bountiful waters of Aransas, Copano and St. Charles bays draw visitors here. The CCC built Goose Island, Texas’ first coastal state park. It sits on the southern tip of the Lamar Peninsula. Dramatic wind-sculpted trees dominate the park. The “Big Tree,” a massive coastal live oak estimated to be centuries old, is one of the natural wonders of Texas.

Contact the park for updates on Hurricane Harvey impacts and recovery.

Lake Corpus Christi State Park
23194 Park Rd. 25, Mathis 78368 ☏ (361) 547-2635

Swimming, boating, waterskiing and sailboarding fill summer hours on this large placid lake. Angling for black bass, striped bass, crappie and catfish are year-round pleasures. The CCC built an impressive caliche crete open-air refectory here. It has arched