Section 5310 Transit Funding
Overview
The Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program (49 USC Section 5310) "Section 5310" Program provides grants to assist non-profit organizations, private operators, and public agencies providing coordinated transportation services that are planned, designed, and carried out to meet the needs of elderly persons and persons with disabilities. This funding originates with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and is administered by GoRaleigh and CAMPO.
The FTA Section 5310 funding program provides capital and operating grants to private non-profit corporations and public agencies coordinated transportation services that meet the needs of elderly persons and persons with disabilities. The City of Raleigh is a recipient of these funds and is responsible for its oversight and administration to local, eligible subrecipients. Along with this responsibility, Raleigh and CAMPO are required to frequently update the PMP and ensure its consistent with the Wake County and Raleigh Urbanized Area Locally Coordinated Public Transit- Human Services Transportation Plan, which provides guidance on meeting local transportation needs for the disabled and elderly populations.
Program Administration
The Program Management Plan (PMP) is a federally required document that outlines how FTA Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities funding is administered within the Raleigh-Cary Urbanized Area.
Current Grant Awards - FFY 2019 and 2020
- Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2019 and 2020 Grant Awards
Approved by the Executive Board in May of 2019.
Section 5310 Program and Eligibility Requirements
Section 5310 funds are available for capital and operating expenses to support the provision of transportation services to meet the specific needs of elderly persons and persons with disabilities. Requirements are detailed in the 5310 Program Management Plan. All projects must either be situated in the Raleigh-Cary Urbanized Area or may originate in a rural area but must have the final destination situated in an urbanized area within the region to qualify for Section 5310 Urbanized Area funds.
At least 55 percent of any rural, small urbanized area, or large urbanized area’s annual apportionment must be utilized for public transportation capital projects that are planned, designed, and carried out to meet the specific needs of elderly persons and persons with disabilities.
In addition to the above required capital projects, up to 45 percent of an area’s apportionment may be utilized for additional public transportation projects that:
- Exceed the ADA minimum requirements,
- Improve access to fixed-route service and decrease reliance by persons with disabilities on ADA-complementary paratransit service, or
- Provide alternatives to public transportation that assist elderly persons and persons with disabilities with transportation.
Such projects must be targeted toward meeting the transportation needs of elderly persons and persons with disabilities, although they may be used by the general public. The FTA encourages projects that are open to the public as a means of avoiding unnecessary segregation of services.
FY 2022-23 Recommended Program of Projects
Each year, the Raleigh-Cary UZA is apportioned formula grant funding by the FTA for the Section 5310 program. 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.
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 FYs 2022-23.
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 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.