Job Access-Reverse Commute (20.516)

Program

20.516 Job Access-Reverse Commute

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Transportation
Office: Federal Transit Administration (FTA)

Authorization

Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient & Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for users (SAFETEA-LU), Title 49, Part 53, Section 5316, Public Law 109-59, 49 U.S.C 5317.

Program Number

20.516

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

To provide grants to local governments, nonprofit organizations, and designated recipients of Federal transit funding to develop transportation services to connect welfare recipients and low- income persons to employment and support services. Job Access grants will be to finance planning, capital and operating cost of projects. The Reverse Commute grants will assist in funding the costs associated with adding reverse commute bus, train, carpool or service from urban areas, urban, rural and other suburban locations to suburban work places.

Types of Assistance

PROJECT GRANTS

Uses and Use Restrictions

The funds are to be used for delivery of services as well as to administer, plan and provide technical assistance for projects.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

State and local government agencies, nonprofit agencies, and transit providers.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Low income individuals; individuals traveling to suburban work places.

Credentials/Documentation

The applications submitted were derived from a locally developed, coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan and developed through a process that included representatives of public, private and nonprofit transportation and human services providers and participation by the public. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Applicants must coordinate with: the State or local agencies that administer the State program funded under part A of Title IV of the Social Security Act, public housing agencies, the community to be served, and other stakeholders. The program is covered under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

Application Procedure

This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. The project must be a product of the local coordinated public transit human services coordinated plan, competitively selected by the area's recipient, and included in the State Transportation Improvement Program prior to grant award. Recipients will submit applications electronically to the appropriate FTA regional office. The FTA regional offices are listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog. Recipients will then distribute funding directly to the subrecipients. After the recipient has competitively selected projects to be funded, the recipient may officially request that FTA allow subrecipients that are eligible to apply directly to FTA for Section 5307 funds be allowed to apply directly to FTA for JARC funds awarded. Notification of the grant program may also be found at http://www.grants.gov.

Award Procedure

An FTA grant award obligating Federal funds is reflected in a grant agreement. To access funds, the recipient must execute the grant agreement.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

In the past Fiscal years, FTA approved JARC grants on an average of 42 days following submission of a complete application.

Appeals

Not Applicable.

Renewals

Grants may be amended to add additional funds.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

This program has no statutory formula.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this program.

This program does not have MOE requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Generally 1 year. Can be up to 4 years. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: by letter of credit.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

(1) Progress reports; (2) Financial status reports, submitted quarterly for recipients in urbanized areas over 200,000 population, and annually for other recipients and states; (3) Detailed annual reports of project results for program evaluation purposes. SF - 272. (1) Progress reports; (2) Financial status reports, submitted quarterly for recipients in urbanized areas over 200,000 population, and annually for other recipients and states; (3) Detailed annual reports of project results for program evaluation purposes. SF - 269. (1) Progress reports; (2) Financial status reports, submitted quarterly for recipients in urbanized areas over 200,000 population, and annually for other recipients and states; (3) Detailed annual reports of project results for program evaluation purposes.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133, "Audits of State and Local Governments and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal entities (including universities) that expend $500,000 or more in a year in Federal awards shall have a single or program specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year with certain exceptions as stated in OMB Circular No. A-133.

Records

Recipient is required to retain intact, for 3 years following submission of the final expenditure report, pending resolution of audit findings, all grant products, financial records, and supporting documents.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) services in 45 States and the District of Columbia have been funded through more than 450 grants and grant amendments.
An evaluation of the JARC program provided to Congress in January 2009 reported that the JARC program is meeting its mission of providing low-income persons with transportation to entry-level job opportunities; the cost-per-ride of JARC services is comparable to other public transit services; the JARC program produces tangible economic benefits to users of the services and the public at large; the JARC program may also produce long-term benefits for users; and participants in the coordinated public transit human service transportation planning process indicated that this process resulted in improvements in service coordination. Additional information on the performance of the JARC program can be found on FTA�s website, http://www.fta.dot.gov/funding/grants/grants_financing_7175.html. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Financial Information

Account Identification

69-1125-0-1-401; 69-8350-0-7-401.

Obligations

(Project Grants) FY 08 $157,346,731; FY 09 est $251,186,800; FY 10 est not reported. - Obligations
(Grants) FY 08 act. $157,346,731; FY 09 est. $251,186,800; and FY 10 est not available.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

$10,890 to $1,293,611. Average: $180,588.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

FTA Circular 9050.1, Job Access and Reverse Commute Program Guidelines and Application Instructions, updated May 1, 2007.

Related Programs

20.505 Federal Transit_Metropolitan Planning Grants; 20.507 Federal Transit_Formula Grants; 20.509 Formula Grants for Other Than Urbanized Areas; 20.513 Capital Assistance Program for Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities; 20.515 State Planning and Research

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None. See Catalog Appendix for listing of Federal Transit Administration regional offices.

Headquarters Office

Sylvia L. Marion 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, East Building-Fourth Floor, Washington, District of Columbia 20590 Phone: (202) 366-6680

Web Site Address

http://www.fta.dot.gov/funding/grants/grants_financing_3550.html

Examples of Funded Projects

Fiscal Year 2008: Projects funded include Extended service hours, new demand, responsive service, fixed route extensions, emergency childcare transportation, guaranteed ride home programs, additional bus lines; mobility management projects. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

49 U.S.C. 5316(f) of SAFETEA-LU states factors that must be fair and equitable. Proposals must also meet legal and administrative requirements, available on the FTA web site at http://www.fta.dot.gov.