Enhancing Mobility: The New Freedom Program Overview

1. Section 5317: New Freedom Program (NFP) U. S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration SAFETEA-LU Curriculum August 7, 2007

2. Learner Objectives • Provide accurate information, interpretation and guidance to FAQ’s about the New Freedom Program’s: • Overall intent • Entities eligible for funding • Eligible activities • Required elements for participation • Eligible capital and operations expenses • Support your independent use of New Freedom Program resource materials • Share knowledge about the New Freedom Program with FTA Headquarter and Regional staff colleagues

3. Where to Find New Freedom Program Guidance • FTA’s New Freedom Circular 9045.1 is available at http://www.fta.dot.gov/laws/leg_reg_circulars_guidance.html • Additional guidance is available at the “Grant Programs” section of FTA’s website at http://www.fta.dot.gov/funding/grants_financing_263.html.

4. The New Freedom Program Overview NEW IN SAFETEA-LU • The New Freedom Program (NFP) enhances transportation for people with disabilities beyond the ADA which are • New public transportation, or • New alternatives to public transportation • Formula program based on target population • New under SAFETEA-LU

5. Program History • The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 established accessibility as a civil right. • The Olmstead Supreme Court decision interprets the ADA to require integration of people with disabilities in community settings. • The New Freedom Initiative is government wide and also includes housing, education, and employment initiatives.

6. NFP Overview • Direct apportionment to urbanized areas with population of 200,000 or more • State administered for areas with population under 200,000 • Eligible subrecipients are private non-profits, public entities, operators of public transportation services

7. NFP Eligibility • Capital and operating funding: • Capital: 80/20 Federal/local match • 90/10 for CAA / ADA equipment • Operating: 50/50 Federal/local match • Administration (up to 10% recipient’s total): 100% Federal • Local match may be from other non-DOT Federal funds

8. NFP Eligibility • What is “new” service? • Not operational on August 10, 2005 Or • Did not have an identified funding source on August 10, 2005

9. NFP Eligibility • What is “beyond the ADA”? • Services that are not required under the ADA • Service, equipment or facility enhancements that exceed minimum ADA obligations • ADA is a civil right; NFP does NOT fund meeting minimum ADA requirements

10. What’s My Line? • Defining “beyond ADA” • Let’s review the circular • Turn to worksheet 1 • Review 3 examples & process questions Review additional examples & process questions

11. NFP Eligibility Eligible services and projects include: • Paratransit service area beyond 3/4 mile • Paratransit hours beyond fixed-route hours • Cost to change from next-day to same-day • Cost to change from curb-to-curb to door-to-door for all riders • Escorts or door-through-door service

12. NFP Eligibility Eligible services and projects (continued): • Vehicles and equipment designed to accommodate mobility aids larger and heavier than “common” wheelchairs. • Additional wheelchair securement locations on buses • New “feeder” service to commuter stations

13. NFP Eligibility Eligible services and projects (continued): • Accessibility improvements to stations that are not key stations • Accessible path • Elevator, ramp or detectable warnings • Signage or wayfinding technology • Other technology improvements

14. NFP Eligibility Eligible services and projects (continued): • Travel training • Public transportation alternatives: • Accessible taxi, ridesharing, vanpool • Voucher • Volunteer driver and aide programs • Mobility management and coordination programs

15. NFP Eligibility Mobility management activities: • Consists of short-range planning and management activities for improving coordination • Excludes operating public transportation services • Is a capital expense (80/20)

16. NFP Eligibility Mobility management activities: • Short-term management activities • Coordination bodies and councils • Transportation brokerages • Travel training and trip planning/navigators • One-stop transportation call centers • Planning for ITS

17. NFP Designated Recipients • Designated state agency for areas with population under 200,000 • Designed public entity for urbanized areas with population of 200,000 or more • Eligible subrecipients: • private non-profits • public entities • public transportation operators

18. NFP Designated Recipient: Roles and Responsibilities • Competitive selection process • Fair and equitable distribution of funds • Selection of projects from coordinated plan • Certification that local plans were developed with stakeholder involvement • Grant distribution and oversight for subrecipients • Reports to FTA

19. NFP Coordinated Planning • Locally developed, coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan • Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) (urbanized only) • Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) (urbanized only) • Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)

20. NFP Competitive Selection • Competitions every 1 to 3 years • Competitive approach and selection criteria determined by designated recipient • Announcement of competition and selected projects by designated recipient

21. NFP Program/State Plan State Management Plan • Describes policies and procedures for administering program • May be combined with SMP of other FTA program(s) • Must be approved by and on file with FTA regional office • FTA conducts state management reviews

22. Summary • The New Freedom Program (NFP) enhances transportation for people with disabilities ______the ADA by providing new _____ or new ____________. • It is a ______ program based on target population • Eligible subrecipients include operators of public transportation services including _______ operators of public transportation services.

23. Summary 4. New service is defined as any service not operational on _______ or any service that did not have an ___________as of this date. 5. “Beyond ADA” is defined as providing services that are: • _________under the ADA • but _________the mobility of people with disabilities or • exceeding the _______service, equipment or facilities requirements of the ADA to improve the mobility of people with disabilities

24. Summary 6. A common understanding plus consistent answers equals happy _________ staff 7. Purchasing vehicles to support new accessible taxi, ride sharing, and/or vanpooling programs are or are not eligible for NFP funding. 8. Support of state and local coordination policy bodies and councils are or are not eligible for NFP funding.

25. Summary • ______ conducts state management reviews to examine each state’s management procedures, and the relationship of the procedures to the SMP. • Locally developed, coordinated public transit-human services transportation plans include representatives of ______, _______, and __________ transportation and human service providers