Benefits of a Coordinated Plan
In 2007, the Safe Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) required that projects funded under Individuals with Disabilities, Job Access, and Reverse Commute Program (JARC), and New Freedom programs have a locally developed, coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan. In 2015, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) included recommendations to increase participation by recipients of federal grants in locally developed, coordinated planning processes. Today, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) requires that projects selected for funds under the Section 5310 “Enhanced Mobility for Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities” program be included in a locally developed, coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan.
- Available Service Assessment: An assessment of available services that identifies current transportation providers (public, private, and nonprofit).
- Transportation Needs Assessment: An assessment of transportation needs for persons with disabilities and seniors. This assessment can be based on the experiences and perceptions of the planning partners or on more sophisticated data collection efforts, and gaps in service.
- Strategies & Opportunities: Strategies, activities, and/or projects to address the identified gaps between current services and needs, as well as opportunities to achieve efficiencies in service delivery.
- Priorities for Implementation: Priorities for implementation based on resources (from multiple program sources), time, and feasibility for implementing specific strategies and/or activities identified.
The Central Massachusetts Metropolitan Planning Organization (CMMPO) receives funds to update the Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation (HST) Plan every 4 years for Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5310 “Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and People with Disabilities” eligibility. The HST Plan should integrate strategies to improve regional transportation and address gaps in human services transportation for seniors and people with disabilities using Section 5310 funds for mobility improvements.
The FY 2024 HST Plan will update the FY 2019 HST Plan and provide prioritizations on the use of funds from the annual competitive Massachusetts Community Transit Grant Program for the operating and mobility management application grant cycle and the Mobility Assistance Program vehicle application grant cycle.
The HST Plan scope should address both regulatory and local community goals to meet the needs of diverse groups, such as people with disabilities, seniors over 65, people with limited English proficiency, and people with low incomes. Implementation progress and future goals should be updated on a regular basis and be viewed as living documents that can be used toward the goal of coordinating transportation with age and dementia friendly planning, public health, transportation equity, transit planning, and human services access.
HST Plans should be developed through a meaningful public involvement process with all stakeholders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors that represent transportation and human service providers. The FTA suggests several public outreach strategies to garner full participation from all interested parties in an accessible and universally designed manner to meet a range of needs for a variety of community members.
