Action
Notice of availability of funds; solicitation for grant applications.
Summary
the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the first round of competitive grants under the Job Access and Reverse Commute grant program, authorized under Section 3037 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). The Job Access and Reverse Commute grant program is intended to establish a regional approach to job access challenges through the establishment of a Regional Job Access and Reverse Commute Transportation Plan. Projects derived from this plan support the implementation of a variety of transportation services that may be needed to connect welfare recipients to jobs and related employment activities. All projects funded under the Job Access and Reverse Commute grant program must be derived from this regional plan. The Job Access and Reverse Commute Program has two major goals: to provide transportation services in urban, suburban and rural areas to assist welfare recipients and low income individuals access employment opportunities, and to increase collaboration among the transportation providers, human service agencies, employers, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), states, and affected communities and individuals. While the projects must be planned in coordination with traditional transit authorities and transportation planning organizations, other interested organizations could take the lead in establishing the collaborative planning process or project application. The Job Access and Reverse Commute grant program will support projects that are implemented by a wide range of transportation providers. One key element is making the most efficient use of existing public, nonprofit and private transportation service providers. A Job Access project is designed to transport welfare recipients and low-income individuals in urban, suburban, or rural areas to and from jobs and activities related to their employment. Job Access projects implement new transportation services or extend existing services to fill the gaps that exist in many areas between where welfare recipients and low-income persons live and employment opportunities. A Reverse Commute Project is designed to transport the general public from urban, suburban, and rural areas to suburban employment opportunities. Job Access and Reverse Commute grants funded under this program may not be used for planning or coordinating activities and cannot supplant existing sources of funding. Funding for Job Access grants is authorized at $150 million annually. $50 million of this amount is guaranteed in fiscal year (FY) 1999. The guaranteed portion rises by $25 million a year, reaching the full authorized $150 million in FY 2003. Funding above the guaranteed level depends on congressional appropriations. No more than $10 million annually can be used for grants designated as Reverse Commute projects. In FY 1999, $75 million is available for the Job Access and Reverse Commute grant program. A 50 percent non-DOT match is required. Other Federal funds that are eligible to be expended for transportation can be used as part of the match. Applicants should submit projects that can be implemented quickly. The increasing funding levels provide ample opportunity for areas to submit future applications as Regional Job Access and Reverse Commute Transportation Plans are further developed. This announcement describes the conditions under which applications will be received for the Job Access and Reverse Commute competitive grants program and how FTA will determine which applications it will fund. It includes all of the information needed to apply for Job Access and Reverse Commute competitive grants. This announcement is available on the Internet on the U.S. Department of Transportation's FTA website at http://www.fta.dot.gov/ wtw/. The website will also have commonly asked questions and answers. FTA will announce final selections on the website and in the Federal Register.