Job Access and Reverse Commute Program

SUMMARY: The Department of Transportation is seeking public advice in

implementing the Jobs Access and Reverse Commute Program authorized in

Section 3037 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century

(TEA-21). This notice also includes questions regarding the

implementation of the Job Access/Reverse Commute Program. Responses to

the questions posed are invited.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by September 18, 1998.

ADDRESS: Comments should be sent to the Department of Transportation,

Docket # FTA-98-4343, Central Docket Office, PL-401, 400 Seventh

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas Birnie, Program Manager, (202)

366-9157.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Program Preparation

The U.S. Department of Transportion (DOT) intends to complete a

program solicitation and guidelines by October 1, when FY 1999 funding

becomes available. Funding availability in early FY 1999 will ensure

that assistance provided pursuant to Section 3037 of TEA-21 may be

applied in a timely fashion to support regional programs creating Job

Access and Reverse Commute services. Limited funding, particularly in

the initial years of the program, may affect funding availability for

some applications.

Although implementing guidelines for the Job Access & Reverse

Commute program are being developed, prospective applicants should

review the legislative criteria as a guide to the preparation of

programs for funding. Please note that the Job Access & Reverse Commute

funding is predicated on the development of local partnerships. A

collaborative transportation/human services planning process must be

established to develop Job Access programs. This process should involve

agencies implementing welfare and work force development programs, non-

profit community based and faith-based organizations, stakeholder

representatives, employers and a variety of existing transportation

providers and agencies. In larger urban areas, Metropolitan Planning

Organizations (MPO) will select applicants and in smaller urbanized and

rural areas, states will select applicants. The programs that are

developed are to be regional in nature, although portions of the

program can be targeted to specific areas within the region. An area

may have one designated recipient for funds, but these funds may be

passed to any number of subrecipients. An operating partnership

involving consultation and use of existing public, private and non-

profit transportation providers, including the area transit agency, is

expected. Using the existing transportation infrastructure reduces

start-up costs and enhances service sustainability. Finally, a

financial partnership is encouraged among the stakeholders. The Job

Access and Reverse Commute program requires a 50/50 match. This program

is considered catalytic funding upon which to assemble additional human

service, transportation and private resources to meet job access

transportation needs.

Funding from other Federal programs may be used as match dollars.

These include Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and

Community Services Block grants through the U.S. Department of Health

and Human Services (HHS) and Welfare to Work (WtW) grants through the

U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) as well as the U.S. Department of

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant

and HOPE VI Grants. TANF and WtW grants, when used as match, may be

used only for new and expanded transportation services and cannot be

used for construction or to subsidized current transportation operating

expenses. Such funds also must supplement rather than supplant other

State expenditures on transportation. Other transportation funds

allocated to transportation agencies by DOT may also be used to address

these transportation needs.

Public Consultation

DOT in conjunction with its other Federal partners desires to

develop a Job Access & Reverse Commute program that is responsive to

the needs of the stakeholders who are implementing welfare reform and

transportation activities. We are seeking your advice on the questions

listed below and other issues related to the implementation of the

program. Although we will not be able to respond directly to individual

comments, we will address collectively the comments received when we

issue the national program solicitation and guidelines. For the

convenience of those individuals and organizations with computer access

to the internet, you may submit your written comments to FTA home page

web site, which may be reached at--http://www.fta.dot.gov/wtw/japc.

Additionally, any public interest organization seeking to elaborate

upon its views with Departmental officials may request a meeting.

Please contact Ms. Corine Hegland, U.S. Department of Transportation at

(202) 366-8850.

Program Purpose

The Jobs Access and Reverse Commute Program provides competitive

grants to local governments and non-profit organizations to develop

transportation services to connect welfare recipients and low-income

persons from their residence to employment and support services.

Program Features

Section 3037 of TEA-21 authorizes a Job Access and Reverse Commute

program. Job Access projects provides transportation services to

connect welfare recipients and low-income persons to jobs and

activities related to employment. Reverse Commute projects provides the

public transportation services to the general public that provide

connections to suburban employment centers from urban centers, rural

areas and other suburban locations.

Criteria for selection include indication of the need for

additional services as identified in the transportation plan and

explanation of the extent to which services will address these needs.

Funding Features

Split funded from both the Mass Transit Account and

General Funds.

Guaranteed funding (Mass Transit Account & general

revenues) increases from $50 million in 1999 to $150 million in 2003.

Not more than $10 million per year may be used for reverse

commute activities.

Provides 50% Federal share.

Other Federal transportation-eligible funds could be used

to meet the local match, including TANF and WtW funding for Access to

Jobs projects.

[[Page 45927]]

Job Access and Reverse Commute Grants

[In millions]

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Year

-----------------------------------------------------

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total Authorization....................................... 0 $150 $150 $150 $150 $150

Guaranteed................................................ 0 50 75 100 125 150

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grant Award Factors

The percentage of population that is welfare recipients.

The need for additional services and the extent to which

the proposed services will address those needs.

Coordination with and use of existing transportation

providers.

Coordination with state welfare agencies implementing the

TANF program.

Use of innovative approaches.

The presence of a regional plan and long term financing

strategies.

Consultation with the community to be served.

The need for additional services identified in the

regional transportation plan for reverse commute.

Eligible Costs

Operating and capital expenses for Job Access

transportation service.

Funds promotion of employer-provided transportation, use

of transit for non-traditional and transit voucher programs.

Eligible Applicants

Local governments, non-profit organizations, and

designated recipients [defined under 49 U.S.C. Section 5307(a)(2)].

MPOs would designate applicants in urbanized areas above

200,000 population; states (state's chief executive officer) would

designate applicants in urbanized areas of 200,000 population or lower

and rural areas.

Job Access and Reverse Commute Program Implementation Questions

Funding Distribution & Program Focus

1. In FY 1999, funding for the Job Access/Reverse Commute Program

may be limited to $50 million. In light of funding constraints, what

grant award strategy should be pursued? Should there be maximum or

minimum grant sizes? Should grants vary by the size of the region,

e.g., major areas with populations over one million, areas between

200,000 and one million, areas between 50,000 and 200,000, non-

urbanized rural areas?

2. Should grants to support local Job Access programs be made on an

annual basis or on a multi-year basis covering several years worth of

local activity? Annual multi-year financial grant commitments must be

made subject to the availability of congressional appropriations.

3. Should Job Access and Reverse Commute funding be considered as

one program where applicants can elect to reserve a percentage of their

funds for reverse commute services--not tied to welfare recipients or

low income person? Or, should the two components be treated as separate

programs operating independently?

4. What steps should FTA take to encourage a broad range of groups,

not limited to its normal mass transit partners, to participate in this

program?

Eligibility Criteria

1. The legislation requires that all grants be subject to the terms

and conditions of FTA's Formula (Section 5307) Program such as the

Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, labor protections and

others. In light of these requirements, what obstacles does this

present for non-traditional grant recipients? What actions, e.g.,

receiving funding as grantee subrecipients, are possible to ensure the

participation of non-traditional recipients in the program?

2. The legislation allows FTA to fund capital and operating costs

and clearly is directed to the development of new and expanded Job

Access and Reverse Commute services. In addition, one of the factors

for consideration in grant award criteria is the need for additional

services.

What activities and services should be included as eligible? Should

any activities or services be specifically excluded?

Welfare block grants (TANF & WtW) and other DOT funds can be used

to purchase transit passes for welfare recipients and low income

persons on existing transit routes and services. Should Job Access and

Reverse Commute also be available to fund transit passes?

3. What criteria should be used for screening candidates? The

legislation spells out eight (8) factors that must be considered in

awarding grants (see program description). Do these factors need

additional definition? How should they be weighted in the rating

process? Are there other criteria that should be addressed? Certain

populations suffer disproportionate unemployment rates. How should

these ``hard-to-serve'' populations be treated in the Job Access and

Reverse Commute Program?

Planning and Evaluation

1. The Job Access and Reverse Commute Program provides funding for

initiating programs whose long-term viability will depend upon

coordinating services and programming traditional sources of funding.

This will necessitate coordinating and integrating the Job Access and

Reverse Commute Program with existing DOT, DHHS, DOL and HUD funding

programs. What issues arise in achieving the blending of resources from

several Federal programs? What incentives and assurances could be

provided to facilitate this?

2. The legislation requires that MPOs select applicants within

urbanized areas with populations over 200,000 and that states select

applicants for urbanized areas with populations at or below 200,000, as

well as rural areas. How should this selection process by MPOs and

states take place and what documentation of participation should be

required to ensure that all stakeholders are involved in project

selection and development? In particular, how should low income

community representatives be involved in developing plans? Should sign-

offs be required?

3. The legislation has a number of planning requirements for the

Job Access/Reverse Commute Program. For example, applicants must

document a regional transportation plan and any project must be

developed by a coordinated Transportation/Human Services planning

process.

Should applicants address each requirement separately or together?

What evidence of a collaborative decisionmaking process at the local

level among transportation, employment and other human service

organizations would satisfy these requirements?

[[Page 45928]]

4. The legislation has a number of coordination requirements.

Applicants must coordinate with the state agency that administers the

state welfare program. Applicants also must coordinate with affected

transit grant recipients and receive approval of such grant recipients.

What guidance should be given? How should this be documented?

5. The General Accounting Office must evaluate the effectiveness of

this program every six months, while DOT must prepare an evaluation

report within two years. What specific performance measures should DOT

use in assessing the effectiveness of this program? How could such data

be obtained and reported?

[Examples might include the number of additional jobs that became

accessible with reasonable commute times, the number of new riders or

new services, or some combination of the two, and area coverage by time

period]

6. What other comments or suggestions can you provide to ensure a

successful Job Access/Reverse Commute Program?

Issued: August 25, 1998.

Gordon J. Linton,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 98-23146 Filed 8-25-98; 12:22 pm]

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