Job Access_Reverse Commute
Published on AidPage by
IDILOGIC on Jun 24, 2005
Purpose of this program:
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 for capital projects, to finance operating costs of equipment, facilities and associated support costs related to providing access to jobs. 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.
Possible uses and use restrictions...
The funds are to be used for delivery of services. The funds are not to be used for planning or coordination.
Who is eligible to apply...
State and local government agencies, nonprofit agencies, and transit providers.
Credentials/Documentation
The applications submitted must contain a description of the applicant organizational capacity to perform the project, documentation of matching funds and ability to coordinate with human service agencies, a regional job access and reverse commute plan, transit operator concurrence, and State concurrence to amend the State Transportation Improvement Program (for areas with populations below 50,000).
Note:This is a brief description of the credentials or documentation required prior to, or along with, an application for assistance.
About this section:
This section indicates who can apply to the Federal government for assistance and the criteria the potential applicant must satisfy.
For example, individuals may be eligible for research grants, and the criteria to be satisfied may be that they have a professional or scientific degree,
3 years of research experience, and be a citizen of the United States. Universities, medical schools, hospitals, or State and local governments may also be eligible.
Where State governments are eligible, the type of State agency will be indicated (State welfare agency or State agency on aging) and the criteria that they
must satisfy.
Certain federal programs (e.g., the Pell Grant program which provides grants to students) involve intermediate levels of application processing, i.e., applications
are transmitted through colleges or universities that are neither the direct applicant nor the ultimate beneficiary. For these programs,
the criteria that the intermediaries must satisfy are also indicated, along with intermediaries who are not eligible.
How to apply...
Application Procedure:
Applicants must submit an original and two copies of their application to the appropriate FTA Regional Office. Additionally, applicants must submit an electronic copy via E-mail to the FTA at: JobAccess@fta.dot.gov or on a 3.5 formatted disk. This program is subject to the provisions of 49 CFR Parts 18 and 19.
Note: Each program will indicate whether applications are to be submitted to the Federal headquarters, regional or local office, or to a State or local government office.
Award Procedure:
The Administrator of FTA makes the final project approval decision. FTA is responsible for notifying the recipients of selections. Release of funding is dependent upon Department of Labor certification.
Note: Grant payments may be made by a letter of credit, advance by Treasury check, or reimbursement by Treasury check.
Awards may be made by the headquarters office directly to the applicant, an agency field office, a regional office,
or by an authorized county office. The assistance may pass through the initial applicant for further distribution by
intermediate level applicants to groups or individuals in the private sector.
Deadlines and process...
Deadlines
All projects have been Congressionally designated. This information is published in the Annual Apportionment Federal Register. Funds are normally available for three years.
Note:
When available, this section indicates the deadlines for applications to the funding agency which will
be stated in terms of the date(s) or between what dates the application should be received.
When not available, applicants should contact the funding agency for deadline information.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
FTA attempts to approve grants within 60 days of receipt of complete application.
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.
Note:
This section indicates whether any prior coordination or approval is required with governmental or nongovernmental units
prior to the submission of a formal application to the federal funding agency.
Appeals
Not applicable.
Note:
In some cases, there are no provisions for appeal. Where applicable, this section discusses appeal procedures or allowable rework time for resubmission
of applications to be processed by the funding agency. Appeal procedures vary with individual programs and are either listed in this section or
applicants are referred to appeal procedures documented in the relevant Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
Renewals
Not applicable.
Note:
In some instances, renewal procedures may be the same as for the application procedure, e.g., for projects of a non-continuing nature renewals will be treated as new, competing applications; for projects of an ongoing nature, renewals may be given annually.
Who can benefit...
Low income individuals; individuals traveling to suburban work places.
Beneficiaries
About this section:
This section lists the ultimate beneficiaries of a program, the criteria they must satisfy and who specifically is not eligible. The applicant and beneficiary will generally be the same for programs that provide assistance directly from a Federal agency. However, financial assistance that passes through State or local governments will have different applicants and beneficiaries since the assistance is transmitted to private sector beneficiaries who are not obligated to request or apply for the assistance.
What types of assistance...
Project Grants
The funding, for fixed or known periods, of specific projects. Project grants can include fellowships, scholarships, research grants, training grants, traineeships, experimental and demonstration grants, evaluation grants, planning grants, technical assistance grants, survey grants, and construction grants.
How much financial aid...
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
$23,550 to $1,500,000. Average: $356,000.
Note:
This section lists the representative range (smallest to largest) of the amount of financial assistance available. These figures are based upon funds awarded in the past fiscal year and the current fiscal year to date. Also indicated is an approximate average amount of awards which were made in the past and current fiscal years.
Obligations
(Grants) FY 03 $135,618,000; FY 04 est $153,993,000; and FY 05 est $135,461,000.
Note:
The dollar amounts listed in this section represent obligations for the past fiscal year (PY), estimates for the current fiscal year (CY), and estimates for the budget fiscal year (BY) as reported by the Federal agencies. Obligations for non-financial assistance programs indicate the administrative expenses involved in the operation of a program.
Account Identification
69-1125-0-1-401.
Note:
Note: This 11-digit budget account identification code represents the account which funds a particular program.
This code should be consistent with the code given for the program area as specified in Appendix III of the Budget of the United States Government.
Examples of funded projects...
Projects funded include Extended service hours, new demand, responsive service, fixed route extensions, emergency childcare transportation, guaranteed ride home programs, and additional bus lines.
About this section
This section indicates the different types of projects which have been funded in the past. Only projects funded under Project Grants or Direct Payments for Specified Use should be listed here. The examples give potential applicants an idea of the types of projects that may be accepted for funding. The agency should list at least five examples of the most recently funded projects.
Program accomplishments...
Job Access and reverse Commute services in 45 States and the District of Columbia have been funded through more than 300 grants and grant amendments.
Criteria for selecting proposals...
Section 3037(f) of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century states factors that must be considered in awarding grants under this program. Proposals must also meet legal and administrative requirements, available on the FTA web site at http://www.fta.dot.gov.
Assistance considerations...
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Generally 1 year.
Formula and Matching Requirements
An 80 percent cost share for capital projects, and a 50 percent match for operating projects is required. Certain other Federal funds may be use for this match, such as the Department of Health and Hman Services temporary assistance to needy families. the Department of Labor Welfare-to-work, and the Federal Highway's State Planning and Research funds.
Note:
A formula may be based on population, per capita income, and other statistical factors. Applicants are informed whether there are any matching requirements to be met when participating in the cost of a project. In general, the matching share represents that portion of the project costs not borne by the Federal government. Attachment F of OMB Circular No. A-102 (Office of Management and Budget) sets forth the criteria and procedures for the evaluation of matching share requirements which may be cash or in-kind contributions made by State and local governments or other agencies, institutions, private organizations, or individuals to satisfy matching requirements of Federal grants or loans.
Cash contributions represent the grantees' cash outlay, including the outlay of money contributed to the grantee by other public agencies, institutions, private organizations, or individuals. When authorized by Federal regulation, Federal funds received from other grants may be considered as the grantees' cash contribution.
In-kind contributions represent the value of noncash contributions provided by the grantee, other public agencies and institutions, private organizations or individuals. In-kind contributions may consist of charges for real property and equipment, and value of goods and services directly benefiting and specifically identifiable to the grant program. When authorized by Federal legislation, property purchased with Federal funds may be considered as grantees' in-kind contribution.
Maintenance of effort (MOE) is a requirement contained in certain legislation, regulations, or administrative policies stating that a grantee must maintain a specified level of financial effort in a specific area in order to receive Federal grant funds, and that the Federal grant funds may be used only to supplement, not supplant, the level of grantee funds.
Post assistance requirements...
Reports
Electronic reports, as requested by FTA.
Note:
This section indicates whether program reports, expenditure reports, cash reports or performance monitoring are required by the Federal funding agency, and specifies at what time intervals (monthly, annually, etc.) this must be accomplished.
Audits
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.
Note:
This section discusses audits required by the Federal agency.
The procedures and requirements for State and local governments and nonprofit entities are set forth in OMB Circular No. A-133.
These requirements pertain to awards made within the respective State's fiscal year - not the Federal fiscal year,
as some State and local governments may use the calendar year or other variation of time span designated as the fiscal year period,
rather than that commonly known as the Federal fiscal year (from October 1st through September 30th).
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.
Note:
This section indicates the record retention requirements and the type of records the Federal agency may require.
Not included are the normally imposed requirements of the General Accounting Office.
For programs falling under the purview of OMB Circular No. A-102, record retention is set forth in Attachment C.
For other programs, record retention is governed by the funding agency's requirements.
Regulations...
Authorization
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, Section 3037, 49 U.S.C. 5309 note.
Note:
This section lists the legal authority upon which a program is based (acts, amendments to acts, Public Law numbers, titles, sections, Statute Codes, citations to the U.S. Code, Executive Orders, Presidential Reorganization Plans, and Memoranda from an agency head).
Regulations, Guidelines, And Literature
See FTA website, www.fta.dot.gov. Hard copies are available upon request.