Title
Ordinance Amending the GTA Grant Fund Budget for the FY 2014 Section 5310 Enhance Mobility for Seniors and Individuals With Disabilities Grant
Body
Department: Transportation
Council District: Citywide
Public Hearing: May 20, 2014
Advertising Date/By: March 30, 2014/News & Record
Contact 1 and Phone: Adam Fischer 373-2861
Contact 2 and Phone: Libby James 373-2820
PURPOSE:
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded grant funds under the Section 5310 Enhance Mobility for Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program to the Greensboro Urban Area. The Section 5310 program supports projects that serve the special needs of transit dependent populations beyond traditional public transportation service, exceed the requirements of ADA act, improve access to fixed route service and decrease reliance of complementary Paratransit, and provide alternatives to public transportation. As the designated recipient for these funds, City Council approval is required to establish the grant project budget.
BACKGROUND:
After a competitive selection process, the Transportation Advisory Committee at the June 23, 2014 meeting awarded Section 5310 program funding to (1) the City of Greensboro Public Transportation Division/Greensboro Transit Authority, (2) Guilford County Transportation and Mobility Services (TAMS), and (3) the Senior Resource Center to support eligible operating expenses.
The City of Greensboro will use Section 5310 funding in the amount of $168,161 to provide early morning dialysis trips during weekdays and Saturdays for seniors and individuals with disabilities who meet the program goal and when public transportation is insufficient, inappropriate, or unavailable. The City will also provide paratransit service beyond the normal, fixed-route service hours. In addition, as the designated recipient for Section 5310 funds, the City of Greensboro Public Transportation Division will utilize $20,760 of the area allocation to support program administration costs, including administering the grant application and funding to the successful sub-recipients and ensuring that federal reporting requirements are met.
Guilford County TAMS will use Section 5310 funding in the amount of $97,380 to provide transportation services for elderly individuals with disabilities and low income individuals that are on the waiting list to access transportation to employment, education, and medical trips.
The Senior Resource Center will use Section 5310 funding in the amount of $40,500 to purchase a 15-20 passenger vehicle to provide round trip, door to door transportation for elderly refugees who participate in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes and other programmed activities at the Senior Center. The vehicle will also be used to provide quality of life/pharmacy/grocery shopping trips for seniors who participate in and attend the Community Nutrition sites located in the greater Greensboro area.
BUDGET IMPACT:
The City of Greensboro is required to provide a local match of 20% for the enhanced service. Funding for this project is as follows:
$134,529 Federal (80%)
$ 33,632 Local (20%) In Kind Services
$168,161
Guilford County will provide the local matching funds for the TAMS project. Funding for this project is as follows:
$ 48,690 Federal (50%)
$ 48,690 Guilford County (50%) In Kind Services
$97,380
The Senior Resource Center will provide the local matching funds to support their portion of the project.
$32,400 Federal (80%)
$ 8,100 Senior Resource Center (20%) In Kind Services
$40,500
Ten percent of total awarded funding is allocated for program administration and does not require a local match. Greensboro Transit Authority will perform program administration duties. Funding for administration is as follows:
$20,760 Federal (100%)
RECOMMENDATION / ACTION REQUESTED:
The Transportation Department recommends and requests that the City Council approve the attached grant project ordinance in the amount of $326,801 to support eligible project expenses.