In August 2005, President Bush signed into law the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), legislation that provides funding for highway and transit programs.  SAFETEA-LU includes new planning requirements for the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Section 5310 (Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities), Section 5316 (Job Access and Reverse Commute – JARC) and Section 5317 (New Freedom) Programs, requiring that projects funded through these programs “must be derived from a locally developed, coordinated public transit- human services transportation plan”.  This provision is aimed at improving transportation services for persons with disabilities, older adults and individuals with lower incomes, and ensuring that communities are coordinating transportation resources provided through multiple Federal programs. 

 

To respond to the new federal requirements, the Maryland Transit Administration’s  (MTA) Office of Planning/Statewide Planning Division with assistance from the KFH Group is leading the development of a statewide and six regional Coordinated Transportation Plans.  This planning effort will not be solely limited to the Section 5310, JARC and New Freedom Programs, but will include and engage the wide spectrum of human service and public transportation services offered by Maryland’s locally operated transit systems and local human service providers.  The Coordinated Transportation Plans will also assess the transportation needs of older adults, people with disabilities and low income workers, develop strategies for addressing identified gaps and approving efficiencies of services and prioritize specific strategies for implementation.  In addition these plans will identify potential organizations or structures that could implement coordination activities and create new services on a regional basis. 

 

The Coordinated Transportation Plans will be in place so that beginning in State FY2008 projects funded through the Section 5310, JARC and New Freedom Programs will need to be included in these locally developed plans.  Therefore it is vital that current and prospective applicants are aware and involved in the plan development. 

 

Fortunately, the State is well poised to meet the new planning requirements and expand mobility options for Maryland citizens by building upon previous and current coordination efforts at both the state and regional levels.  Please see the “Previous Coordination History” page for more information on these efforts.

Coordinated Transportation Plan Requirements

 

FTA guidance defines a coordinated public transit-human service transportation plan as one that identifies the transportation needs of individuals with disabilities, older adults, and people with low incomes, provides strategies for meeting those local needs and prioritizes transportation services for funding and implementation.  Required elements of the plan are:

  • An assessment of available services that identifies current providers (public, private, and non-profit);

  • An assessment of transportation needs for individuals with disabilities, older adults, and people with low incomes;

  • Strategies and/or activities to address the identified gaps and achieve efficiencies in service delivery; and

  • Relative priorities for implementation based on resources, time, and feasibility for implementing specific strategies/activities identified.

While the coordinated plan is only required in communities seeking funding under one or more of the three specified FTA programs, FTA guidance states that the plan should also incorporate activities offered under other programs sponsored by Federal, State, and local agencies to greatly strengthen its impact.

 

Coordinated Transportation Plan Development

 

SAFETEA-LU requires that the coordinated plan be developed through a process that includes representatives of public and private and non-profit transportation and human services transportation providers, and participation by members of the public.  The development of Maryland’s Coordinated Transportation Plans will include an extensive outreach and review process, including:

  • The MTA will work in conjunction with the Maryland Coordinating Committee for Human Service Transportation (MCCHST), and the development of the plans will be guided by a State Coordinated Planning Committee of relevant stakeholders.  This committee will meet at key points in the plan development and serve as a sounding board, provide input into the regional plans and help create the state level plan.

  • Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) will lead efforts in their regions  -- Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) for the Baltimore Region and Washington Council of Governments (WashCOG) in the suburban Washington, D.C. area.

  • Existing regional coordinating bodies -- Maryland Upper Shore Transit (MUST) and Shore Transit on the Eastern Shore, and Tri-County Council of Southern Maryland in Southern Maryland -- will play a critical role in the development of the regional plans in their areas.  With support from the KFH Group, the coordinating bodies will host a regional forum to obtain input from a wide range of stakeholders and to create a separate Regional Coordinated Planning Committee that will guide decisions pertaining to specific local/regional needs and potential local projects.  These committees will include the wide range of agencies identified as critical to this effort and that may not be active participants in the existing regional coordination bodies.  In Western Maryland, a new project Coordinating Committee will be created.   A representative from each of the six regional planning efforts will participate on the State Coordinated Planning Committee.

More information on the development and structure of the state and regional Coordinated Transportation Plans can be found on the specific pages for these plans on this Web site.