Section 5310 Transit Funding

 5310 Program 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's 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 it is consistent with the Wake County and Raleigh Urbanized Area Locally Coordinated Public Transit- Human Services Transportation Plan (LCPT-HSTP), which provides guidance on meeting local transportation needs for the disabled and elderly populations.

FFY 2026-27 Program Call for Projects (October 1, 2025 - September 30, 2027)

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 transportation services to meet the specific needs of elderly persons and persons with disabilities. The City of Raleigh (GoRaleigh) is the federally recognized designated recipient of Section 5310 funding for the Raleigh UZA and manages the program through an adopted Section 5310 Program Management Plan (PMP) that lays out the policies and procedures for project selection, funding distribution and administration of projects supported by the funding.

The City of Raleigh (GoRaleigh) is currently accepting applications from eligible funding recipients for the Section 5310 program from February 17th through March 14^th, 2025. An application workshop will be held by GoRaleigh in mid-February to assist potential applicants with the application process and an understanding of project eligibility. A webinar (recorded Power Point presentation) designed to do the same will be made available at the beginning of the application solicitation window.

Per the Raleigh UZA’s adopted Section 5310 PMP, a project selection sub-committee appointed by the CAMPO Selection Committee comprised of members with various interests from throughout the Raleigh UZA will be convened in mid-March to review applications and make a recommendation on which projects should be awarded funding based on selection criteria outlined in the PMP. CAMPO staff is currently soliciting members for the Section 5310 project selection sub-committee. It is anticipated that a recommendation on a Section 5310 program of projects will be presented to be considered by the CAMPO TCC and Executive Board at their May 2025 meetings.

FFY 2024-25 Program of Projects

The Recommended Section 5310 Program of Projects for 2024-2025 was approved by the CAMPO Executive Board in June of 2023. 

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. 

Previous Grant Awards - FFY 2022 and 2023

• Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2022 and 2023 Grant Awards
  Approved by the Executive Board in May of 2021.

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 July 2023 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.