Title
FYs 2022 and 2023 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities (Section 5310) Program Project Selection
Crystal Odum, MPO Staff
Body
Each year, the Raleigh Urbanized Area (UZA) is apportioned formula grant funding by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for the Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities program. Section 5310 funds are available for capital and operating expenses that support the provision of enhanced transportation services to meet the specific needs of elderly persons and persons with disabilities outlined in the region’s coordinated public transit and human services transportation plan. The City of Raleigh/GoRaleigh, the federally recognized designated recipient of Section 5310 funding for the Raleigh UZA, and CAMPO developed and adopted a program management plan in June 2015 that lays out the policies and procedures for project selection, funding distribution and administration of projects supported by the funding.
In accordance with the 2020 updated program management plan that was adopted by the RTA and endorsed by the CAMPO Executive Board on September 16, 2020, GoRaleigh administered a call for eligible projects February 26 to March 26, 2021 soliciting applications for FYs 2022 and 2023 projects that would make use of the Raleigh UZA’s Section 5310 funding. To assist potential applicants with the application process, understanding project eligibility and program expectations, a virtual application workshop was held March 9, 2021 and a recorded Power Point presentation/webinar was made available on GoRaleigh’s website beginning March 12, 2021. A total of $1,211,002 is available to be awarded for eligible projects for the FYs 2022 and 2023.
In response to the call for projects, a total of seven (7) applications were received from various agencies. A project selection committee comprised of representatives from CAMPO, DCHC MPO, NC DOT Intermodal Mobility Division (IMD), the Town of Morrisville and the City of Creedmoor met on April 9th and April 16th, 2021, to review the applications and make a recommendation on which projects should be awarded funding based on selection criteria outlined in the adopted program management plan. Six (6) of the seven (7) applications were determined to be eligible for the available funding and are recommended for funding. One applicant was deemed ineligible and eliminated from funding consideration for a variety of reasons, including that the proposed project (a grocery delivery service) does not actually provide transportation services and that the submitted match letter was invalid.
The project selection committee’s recommended program of projects is provided as Attachment A for this item. The committee recommended to fully fund the requests received by five (5) non-profit agencies and one (1) transit agency that propose to provide mobility management and essential trips for elderly persons and persons with disabilities (i.e. Arc of the Triangle, Community and Senior Services of Johnston County, Pearl Transit Corp.) and to support funding for travel training, a volunteer driver’s program, and vehicle requests for the Alliance of Disability Advocates, Center for Volunteer Caregiving, Community and Senior Services of Johnston County, and GoTriangle. The total aggregate request for Section 5310 funding among the seven (7) applications was $1,103,470.50. The remaining available balance of $107,532 will rollover to the next call for projects.
A thirty (30) day public comment period was held April 26, 2021to May 27, 2021 advising of the 5310 Section Recommended Program of Projects for FY 2022- 2023. No comments were received. A Public Hearing was held at the May 19, 2021 CAMPO Executive Board meeting.
Requested Action: Action Approve the recommended 5310 program of projects in Attachment A.