To
provide competitive grants to local governments, nonprofit organizations,
and designated recipients of Federal transit funding to develop
transportation services to connect welfare recipients and low-income
persons to employment and support services. Job Access grants will
be for capital projects, to finance operating costs of equipment,
facilities and associated support costs related to providing access
to jobs. The Reverse Commute grants will assist in funding the costs
associated with adding reverse commute bus, train, carpool or service
from urban areas, urbanized areas, and areas other than urbanized
areas to suburban work places.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
The
funds are to be used for delivery of services. The funds are not
to be used for planning.
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant
Eligibility: State and local government agencies,
nonprofit agencies, and transit providers.
Beneficiary
Eligibility: State and local government agencies,
nonprofit agencies, and transit providers.
Credentials/Documentation:
The applications submitted must contain a description of the applicant
organizational capacity to perform the project, documentation
of matching funds, a regional job access and reverse commute plan,
transit operator concurrence, and State concurrence to amend the
State Transportation Improvement Program (for areas with populations
below 50,000).
Pre-application
Coordination: Applicants must coordinate with:
the State or local agencies that administer the State program funded
under part A of Title IV of the Social Security Act, public housing
agencies, the community to be served, and other stakeholders. The
program is covered under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of
Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official
designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for
more information on the process the State requires to be followed
in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program
for review.
Application
Procedure: Applicants must submit an original
and two copies of their application to the appropriate FTA Regional
Office. Additionally, applicants must submit an electronic copy
via E-mail to the FTA at: JobAccess@fta.dot.gov or on a 3.5 formatted
disk. This program is subject to the provisions of 49 CFR Parts
18 and 19.
Award
Procedure: The Administrator of FTA makes
the final project approval decision. FTA is responsible for notifying
the recipients of selections. Release of funding is dependent
upon Department of Labor certification.
Deadlines:
Proposals must have been submitted by May 15, 2000. Grant selections
were made by September 2000. New Congressional appropriations
will provide annual deadlines.
Range
of Approval/Disapproval Time: New program;
to be determined.
Appeals:
Not applicable.
Renewals:
Not applicable.
ASSISTANCE
CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula
and Matching Requirements: A 50 percent non-DOT
match is required. Other Federal funds may be use for this match.
Length
and Time Phasing of Assistance: Generally
1 year.
POST
ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
As requested by FTA. Electronic reporting is encouraged.
Audits:
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133, "Audits
of State and Local Governments and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal
entities (including universities) that expend $300,000 or more
in a year in Federal awards shall have a single or program specific
audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend
less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal
audit requirements for that year with certain exceptions as stated
in OMB Circular No. A-133.
Records:
Recipient is required to retain intact, for 3 years following
submission of the final expenditure report, pending resolution
of audit findings, all grant products, financial records, and
supporting documents.
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION:
Account
Identification: 69-1125-0-1-401.
Obligations:
(Grants) FY 01 $85,010,000; FY 02 est $125,000,000; and FY 03
est $150,000,000.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance:
$23,550 to $1,500,000. Average: $356,000.
Job Access and reverse Commute services in 44 States and the District
of Columbia have been funded through more than 300 grants and grant
amendments, as of March 2002.
REGULATIONS,
GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
See FTA website, www.fta.dot.gov. Hard copies are available upon
request.
INFORMATION
CONTACTS:
Regional
or Local Office: See Catalog Appendix for listing
of Federal Transit Administration regional offices.
Headquarters
Office: Office of Research, Demonstration
and Innovation, Office of Research Management (TRI-30), Federal
Transit Administration, Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh
Street, SW., Room 4401, Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: (202)
366-4052. Doug Birnie, Office of Research, Demonstration and Innovation.
Telephone: (202) 366-1666.
Web
Site Address: http://www.fta.dot.gov
EXAMPLES
OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
Projects funded include transportation vouchers, fixed route extensions,
emergency childcare transportation, guaranteed ride home programs,
and additional bus lines.
CRITERIA
FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
Section 3037(f) of the Federal Transit Act of 1998 state factors
that must be considered in awarding grants under this program. Proposals
must also meet legal and administrative requirements, available
on the FTA web site at http://www.fta.dot.gov.
