New Freedom Program (20.521)

Program

20.521 New Freedom Program

Federal Agency

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

Authorization

Safe, Accountable, Efficient, Flexible Transportation Equity Act: A legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), 49 U.S.C 5317.

Program Number

20.521

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

To provide grants to recipients for new public transportation services and public transportation alternatives beyond those required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et. Seq.) that assists individuals with disabilities with transportation, including transportation to and from jobs and employment support services.

Types of Assistance

FORMULA GRANTS

Uses and Use Restrictions

To be eligible, a project must either be a new public transportation service or a public transportation alternative beyond those required by the ADA and the project must assist individuals with disabilities with transportation, including transportation to and from jobs and employment support services. Capital and operating expenses for projects that meet the purpose of the statute are eligible to be funded. The recipient may use up to 10 percent of apportioned funds for administration, planning, and technical assistance.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

An eligible recipient is defined as a recipient to be designated by the Governor of the State in consultation with local officials and local public transportation providers in urbanized areas above 200,000 in population. In urbanized areas between 50,000 and 200,000 in population and nonurbanized (rural) areas, the State is the eligible recipient. Public agencies, nonprofit agencies, public transportation providers, private transportation providers, and human services transportation providers are eligible to be subrecipients under the New Freedom program.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Individuals with Disabilities.

Credentials/Documentation

Resolution by an authorized public body approving the filing for an application; projects must be included in the local coordinated public transit human service transportation plan, an urbanized area's transportation improvement program (TIP), and in the Statewide transportation improvement program (STIP) approved by FTA and FHWA. Information must be provided on legal capacity; coordinated regional planning; and compliance with certifications and assurances as compiled in FTA's Annual List of Certifications and Assurances. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Pursuant to Section 102 (2) (C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Public Law 91-190), 42 U.S.C. 4332 (2) (c), Executive Order 11514 (34 FR 4247) of March 4, 1970, an environmental impact assessment and/or environmental impact statement may be required for construction projects. 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 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 to be followed in applying for assistance under this program. An environmental impact assessment is 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 areas recipient, and included in the State Transportation Improvement Program prior to grant award. Recipients will submit applications electronically to the appropriate Federal Transit Administration, 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 New Freedom funds awarded. Notification of the grant program may also be found at http://www.grants.gov.

Award Procedure

An FTA New Freedom grant is awarded and funds are obligated in an electronic grant agreement. The recipient must execute the grant agreement, and access FTA's electronic funds management system; the funds management system allows the grantee to drawdown funds after invoices are received. The grantee directs funds to subrecipients.

Deadlines

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

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

It is a goal of the Federal Transit Administration to obligate grants within 36 days of the submission of a complete grant application.

Appeals

Not Applicable.

Renewals

Funds are appropriated annually. Grants may be amended to add newly available funds for a continuing project.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program.

This program has no matching requirements.

This program does not have MOE requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Terms and conditions are delineated in the grant agreement. Funds are awarded using an electronic financial management system as funds are expended and invoices received. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: by letter of credit.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

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. Pursuant to requirements established by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), nonfederal entities 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 determined by the OMB. The Federal Transit Administration may also conduct its own audits.

Records

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

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: The New Freedom program experienced an 89 percent increase in the amount of unds awarded over the course of FY08 and a wide range of projects have been established under the program. To date, the New Freedom program allowed states and localities to enhance ADA complementary paratransit beyond the minimum requirements of the ADA; provide feeder services; make accessibility improvements to transit and intermodal stations not designated as key stations; provide travel training; purchase vehicles to support new accessible taxi, ride sharing, and/or vanpooling programs; support the administation and expenses related to new voucher programs for transportation services offered by human service providers; support new volunteer driver and aide programs; and support new mobility management and coordination programs among public transportation providers and other human service agencies providing public transportation. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Financial Information

Account Identification

69-8350-0-7-401.

Obligations

(Formula Grants) FY 08 $99,870,654; FY 09 est $135,885,000; FY 10 est not reported. - (Grants) FY 08 $99,870,654; FY 09 est. $135,885,000; and FY 10 est. not available.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

Project funding varies based on competitive selection process at State or urbanized area level. Urbanized area apportionments range from $45 K to $5.7 M. State apportionments for small urbanized areas range from $35 K to $1.6 M and for rural areas from $48K to $1 M.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

1.) Federal Transit Administration Transit Program Changes, Authorized Funding Levels and Implementation of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, 70 Fed. Reg. 71950, 71968 (Nov. 30, 2005). 2) FTA Circular 9045.1, New Freedom Program Guidelines and Application Instructions, enacted May 1, 2008.

Related Programs

Not Applicable.

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

See Regional Agency Offices. Region 1, Transportation Systems Center, Kendall Square, 55 Broadway, Suite 920 Cambridge, MA 02142-1093. Telephone: (617) 494-2055 Region 2, One Bowling Green, Room 429, New York, NY 10004-1415. Telephone: (212) 668-2170, Region 3, 1760 Market Street, Suite 500, Philadelphia, PA 19103-4124. Telephone: (215) 656-7100, Region 4, Atlanta Federal Center, Suite 17T50, 61 Forsyth St., S.W. Atlanta, GA 30303. Telephone: (404) 562-3500, Region 5, 200 West Adams Street, Suite 320, Chicago, IL 60606. Telephone: (312) 353-2789, Region 6, 819 Taylor Street, Room 8A36, Fort Worth, TX 76102. Telephone: (817) 978-0550, Region 7, 901 Locust Ste. 404, Kansas City, MO 64106. Telephone: (816) 329-3920, Region 8, 12300 West Dakota Ave. Suite 310 Lakewood, CO 80228-2583. Telephone: (720) 963-3300 Region 9, 201 Mission Street, Room 2210 San Francisco, CA 94105-1839. Telephone: (415) 744-3133 Region 10, Jackson Federal Building, 915 Second Avenue, Suite 3142, Seattle, WA 98174-1002. Telephone: (206) 220-7954 LOWER MANHATTAN RECOVERY OFFICE (LMRO), 1 Bowling Green, Room 436 New York, NY, 10004. Telephone: (212) 668-1770.

Headquarters Office

Sylvia L. Marion 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E , Washington, District of Columbia 20590 Phone: (202) 366-6680

Web Site Address

http://www.fta.dot.gov/funding/grants/grants_financing_3549.html

Examples of Funded Projects

Fiscal Year 2008: 1) Enhancing ADA complementary paratransit services beyond the ADA; 2) New Feeder services; 3) Making accessibility improvements to transit and intermodal stations not designated as key stations; 4) travel training; 5) volunteer driver and aide programs; 6) Accessible taxi, ridesharing, or vanpooling programs 7) mobility management. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Per Congressional designation, recipients must conduct a competition to determine which projects should be funded.