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Coordinated Human Services

Pennsylvania FY2015 New Freedom Funding Round

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) is now accepting applications from eligible Pennsylvania agencies and organizations for the Fiscal Year 2015 New Freedom (Section 5317) Grant Program. The New Freedom program seeks to reduce barriers to transportation services and expand the transportation mobility options available to persons with disabilities beyond the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. For capital projects, there is an 80/20 split between federal and matching dollars. For operating projects, there is a 50/50 split between federal and matching dollars. This program applies to existing and proposed services within Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.

DVRPC will host a public meeting to answer questions about the Pennsylvania application process on March 21, from 1-3 p.m. in DVRPC's main conference room:

The ACP Building - 8th Floor
190 N. Independence Mall West
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Applications must be submitted by 5 p.m., April 15, 2013.

Contact Betsy Mastaglio with questions, by phone at (215) 238-2812 or email at bmastaglio@dvrpc.org.

New Jersey FFY 2012 (Round 14) JARC and FFY 2012 New Freedom Funding Round

Program Update (effective February 7, 2013)

The New Jersey FFY 2012 JARC and FFY 2012 New Freedom Funding Round Application deadline has been extended. The new Application Deadline is Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 5 p.m.

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) is now accepting applications from eligible agencies and organizations for the Federal Fiscal Year 2012 Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC, Round 14) and New Freedom Grant Programs. JARC helps fund transportation services and supporting activities that facilitate access to jobs for lower income persons as well as reverse commute trips for the general public. The New Freedom program seeks to reduce barriers to transportation services and expand the transportation mobility options available to people with disabilities beyond the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. Both programs apply to existing and proposed services within Mercer, Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester Counties.

DVRPC will host a public meeting to answer questions about the New Jersey application process on January 29, 2013, from 10:00 a.m to noon in DVRPC's offices:

The ACP Building - 8th Floor
190 N. Independence Mall West
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Applicants may also wish to visit the New Jersey Community Transportation Training Program (NJCTTP) United We Ride website at www.njcttp.org/united. This site contains a list of current projects, coordinated plans, and state management plans, which were most recently revised in May 2012.

Applications must be submitted by 5 p.m., February 20, 2013.

Contact Betsy Mastaglio with questions (215-238-2812; bmastaglio@dvrpc.org).


Pennsylvania Fiscal Year 2014 Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) Grant Program

Program Update (effective December 10, 2012)

In anticipation of the changes that the recent Federal transportation reauthorization will incur on the CHSTP Program, and in response to currently-limited available funds, PennDOT has provided guidance on new requirements for funding eligibility under the FY 2014 JARC selection process.

Specifically, FY2014 JARC applicants requesting PennDOT funding should note the following:

  • For continuing projects, no more than 5 percent of the recipient's total fiscal year apportionment may be used to fund program administration costs. For new service proposals or major reconfigurations of continuing services, administrative costs may be as high as 10 percent for up to two years and 5 percent thereafter; and
  • Applicants must demonstrate a minimum of 5.6% non-USDOT, non-state, local matching funds (in-kind services are not permissible).

In order to allow sufficient time for Applicants to respond to these changes, we have extended the Application Deadline to 5 p.m., January 8, 2013.

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) is accepting applications from eligible agencies and organizations for the Fiscal Year 2014 Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) Grant Program. JARC helps fund transportation services and supporting activities that facilitate access to jobs for lower income persons as well as reverse commute trips for the general public. This program applies to existing and proposed services within Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.

DVRPC will host a public meeting to answer questions about the application process on December 12, 2012, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in DVRPC's offices:

The ACP Building - 8th Floor
190 N. Independence Mall West
Philadelphia, PA 19106

DVRPC, as the metropolitan planning organization (MPO), solicits project proposals, facilitates the selection process, and evaluates the consistency of proposed projects with the adopted Coordinated Human Services Transportation Plan. Approved projects are added to the regional Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). For applications, eligible agencies and organizations, eligible projects, and additional information, please see www.dvrpc.org/CoordinatedHumanServices. Contact Betsy Mastaglio with questions (215-238-2812; bmastaglio@dvrpc.org).

Coordinated Human Service Transportation Planning

In February 2004, Executive Order on Human Service Transportation #13330 directed eleven Federal departments and agencies to work together to ensure that transportation services are seamless, comprehensive and accessible; and established the Federal Interagency Transportation Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM), tasked to simplify access to transportation for people with disabilities, people with lower incomes, and older adults. The CCAM launched United We Ride (UWR), a national initiative to implement the Executive Order and the Action Plan established by the CCAM.

The Federal Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility defined the coordination of specialized transportation services as "a process through which representatives of different agencies and client groups work together to achieve any one or all of the following goals: more cost effective service delivery; increased capacity to service unmet needs; improved quality of service; and service which are more easily understood and accessed by riders."

DVRPC is responsible for facilitating the Coordinated Human Service Transportation Planning process (CHSTP) for the Delaware Valley. Within the new CHSTP, three programs must be coordinated through the regional plan:

The 2010 Coordinated Human Services Transportation Plan Summary (publication # 10009) includes summaries of existing regional services and non-traditional services, and outlines regional goals and strategies for providing additional services to low income, elderly, and disabled residents in the Delaware Valley, as required by FTA. This document is based on the 2007 Coordinated Human Service Transportation Plan (publication # 07008), which also included additional inventories and detailed appendixes, some of which are no longer current.

FY 2013 Human Services Transportation Program Funding

To help provide access to jobs for low-income or disabled workers, and reverse commuters, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) approved over $6.2 million in funding for the Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) and over $1.6 million for the New Freedom Initiative (NFI) programs in southeastern Pennsylvania.

The JARC program helps fund transportation services and supportive activities that facilitate access to jobs for welfare recipients, lower income persons, and reverse commuters. It supplements the region's public transportation system, such as expanding early morning and evening services and providing shuttles connecting transit stations to employment sites. The Fiscal Year (FY)13 JARC program, which is allocated by a federal formula, provides $2,151,704 of FTA funds. PennDOT also provides $3,700,000 in matching funds. Additionally, FY12 leftover funds in the amount of $371,785 are also added for a total southeastern Pennsylvania JARC program of $6,223,489. These resources will fund the 28 recommended Pennsylvania JARC projects shown in the linked table [0.1 MB pdf] through Fiscal Year 2013.

The New Freedom Initiative program funds additional tools for disabled individuals seeking integration in the workforce and society. Typically, this is infrastructure beyond ADA requirements or travel training. The FY13 New Freedom program, which is allocated by federal formula, provides $1,322,290 of FTA funds. PennDOT is providing matching funds of $319,323 for a total southeastern Pennsylvania NFI program of $1,641,613. These resources will fund five recommended projects shown in the linked table [0.1 MB pdf].

CHSTP Plan Updates

DVRPC produced a comprehensive CHSTP plan in 2007 (see link below, under "Additional CHSTP Documents"). This detailed plan provides extensive analysis and regional maps. In an effort to provide a streamlined and useful reference to JARC and New Freedom applicants, DVRPC has produced a new CHSTP Summary (Publication # 10009). All applicants should refer to this document for an outline of regional goals and priorities (see pages 8-12).

Additional Plan Update Information