Coordinated Human Services Transportation Planning (CHSTP)

Enacted in August 2005, SAFETEA-LU-the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act-A Legacy for Users - authorized $45.3 billion in transportation funding over a four year period (2005-2009). Under the new SAFETEA-LU regulations, the previous Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) Grant program has now been made a component of a new Coordinated Human Services Transportation Plan.

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." Within the new CHSTP, three programs must be coordinated through the region plan: the Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) Program (Section 5316), the New Freedoms Initiative (Section 5317), and Elderly and Disabled Transportation (Section 5310).

Within the new CHSTP, three programs must be coordinated through the regional plan:

• Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) Program (Section 5316)
• New Freedoms Initiative (Section 5317)
• Transportation for Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities (Section 5310)

CHSTP Updates
Earlier this year, DVRPC facilitated the Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09) funding round for JARC and New Freedoms for the five-county Pennsylvania sub-region. DVRPC received 41 applications from eleven organizations for JARC funding and seven applications from six organizations for New Freedoms funding. FY09 Pennsylvania JARC funds total $7,992,616 and FY09 Pennsylvania New Freedoms funds total $1,382,333. On February 29th, 2008, the DVRPC Board recommended 35 JARC services and four New Freedoms services for funding. The FY09 JARC / New Freedoms summary contains information on all Pennsylvania projects submitted for funding for this round.

DVRPC will facilitate the Fiscal Year 2010 funding round in the Fall of 2008.

Other CHSTP Information
A new Coordinated Human Services Transportation Plan was created in 2007 that responds to SAFETEA-LU and includes:

• A brief history of the Federal Transit Administration's programs
• A description of welfare legislation is Pennsylvania and New Jersey
• Pertinent demographic and travel information
• An explanation of the new Coordinated Human Services Transportation Planning requirements
• An assessment of strategies and goals
• A gap analysis of existing services and unmet needs

The CHSTP has been prepared through an open coordinated process. A copy of the plan can now be downloaded HERE. 07008 [16.4 MB .pdf]

Each county in New Jersey is required to have a local Human Service Transportation Plan. Links to county plans in our region can be found below.

Camden County - United we ride Human Services Transportation Coordination Plan [16.85 MB .pdf]
Community Transportation Plan Burlington County [109k .pdf] | Map [506 k .pdf]
FINAL Mercer County Human Services Transportation Coordination Plan [9.13 MB .pdf]
Gloucester County Human Service Transportation United We Ride Coordination Plan [495 k .pdf]