A Review of Human Services Transportation Plans and Grant Programs

This digest presents the results of National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Project 20-65, Task 26, "An Analysis and Evaluation of States' Implementation of the FTA 5310, 5316, and 5317 Programs." This project focused on two key related, but separate, objectives: (1) Determine the level of effort and costs associated with the development of coordinated public transit-human services transportation plans; and (2) Determine the perceived success of the Coordination Plans and the perceived success states and other grantees are having in awarding Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5316 Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) and Section 5317 New Freedom (NF) funds and meeting the Coordination Plan objectives. This digest is organized in five chapters. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the research effort. Chapter 2 reviews the approach and findings of the Internet survey of state departments of transportation. Chapter 3 summarizes the selection of states for further interview and the results of the telephone surveys. Chapter 4 highlights the JARC and NF appropriations and obligations by state and urbanized areas. Chapter 5 presents a comparison of the level of effort and success associated with the development of the Coordination Plans as well as opportunities for improving the success and effectiveness of the plans and grant programs.