Agenda Item # 7
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Date: |
February 21, 2006 |
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Committee Meeting Date: |
March 8, 2006 |
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Board Meeting Date: |
N/a |
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ACTION
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DISCUSSION
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| INFO
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BOARD MEMORANDUM
| TO: |
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee |
| | Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority |
| | Board of Directors |
| | | | THROUGH: | Michael T. Burns |
| | General Manager |
| | | | FROM: | Carolyn M. Gonot |
| | Chief Development Officer |
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| SUBJECT: |
Scoring Criteria for Lifeline Transportation Projects |
For Information only
The Metropolitan Transportation
Commission (MTC) has established the Lifeline Transportation Program to fund
projects that result in improved mobility for low-income residents of the nine
San Francisco Bay Area counties. The Lifeline Transportation Program
goals established by MTC are:
- Address transportation gaps and/or barriers that are identified through a Community-Based Transportation Plan (CBTP), countywide or regional Welfare-to-Work Transportation Plan, or other documented assessment of needs within the designated communities of concern. Findings emerging from one or more CBTPs may also be applied to other low-income areas, or otherwise be directed to serve low-income constituencies within the county, as applicable.
- Develop CBTPs through a collaborative and inclusive planning process that includes broad partnerships among a variety of stakeholders such as public agencies, transit operators, community-based organizations and other community stakeholders, and outreach to underrepresented stakeholders.
- Improve a range of transportation choices by adding a variety of new or expanded services including: enhanced fixed route transit services, shuttles, children’s programs, taxi voucher programs, improved access to automobiles, and capital improvement projects. Transportation needs specific to elderly and disabled residents of low-income communities may also be considered when funding projects.
Program Administration
MTC has proposed that the Lifeline Transportation Program be administered at the county level as a 3-year demonstration program. Congestion Management Agencies (CMAs) will administer the program, except in Santa Clara County where the program is to be jointly administered by VTA and the County of Santa Clara.
The Lifeline Transportation Program is funded through federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ), Jobs and Reverse Commute (JARC), and State Transit Assistance (STA) funding sources. Approximately $4 million is available for funding projects in Santa Clara County over the next 3 years.
On January 5, 2006, the VTA Board of Directors authorized the General Manager to execute a Cooperative Agreement between the County of Santa Clara and VTA to develop and administer a Lifeline Transportation Program in Santa Clara County. This agreement established a Joint Lifeline Transportation Committee (JLTC), which includes members from VTA, the County, and three countywide community organizations: The Housing Authority of Santa Clara County, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and Second Harvest Food Bank.
Project Scoring Criteria
As part of the Cooperative Agreement, the JLTC is charged with issuing a Call for Projects using MTC-supplied scoring criteria. The scoring criteria are intended to provide consistent guidance to each county in prioritizing and selecting projects to receive Lifeline Transportation Program funds. Each county, in consultation with other stakeholder representatives on the selection committee, will consider these criteria when selecting projects, and will establish its own weight to be assigned for each of the criterion.
Criterion #1: Implementation Plan
For projects seeking funds to support program operations, applicants must provide a well-defined service operations plan, and describe implementation steps and timelines for carrying out the plan. The project application should indicate the number of persons expected to be served, and the number of trips (or other units of service) expected to be provided. The service operations plan should identify key personnel assigned to this project, and their qualifications. Project sponsors should demonstrate their institutional capability to carry out the service delivery aspect of the project as described.
Criterion #2: Project Need/Stated Goals and Objectives
The project application should clearly state the overall program goals and objectives, and demonstrate how the project is consistent with the objectives of the Lifeline Transportation Program. The project should directly address transportation gaps and/or barriers identified through a Community-Based Transportation Plan (CBTP), countywide or regional Welfare-to-Work Transportation Plan, or are otherwise based on a documented assessment of needs within the designated “communities of concern.”
Criterion #3: Project Budget/Sustainability
Projects must submit a clearly defined project budget, indicating anticipated project expenditures and revenues, including documentation of matching funds. Proposals should address long-term efforts and identify potential funding sources for sustaining the service beyond the grant period.
Criterion #4: Cost-effectiveness
The project will be scored based on the project sponsor’s ability to demonstrate that the proposed project is the most appropriate match of service delivery to the need, and is a cost-effective approach. Project sponsors must also identify clear, measurable outcome-based performance measures to track the effectiveness of the service in meeting the identified goals. A plan should be provided for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the service, and steps to be taken if original goals are not achieved. Projects that exceed the minimum match requirement will score higher than those that meet the minimum match.
Criterion #5: Coordination and Program Outreach
Proposed projects will be evaluated based on their ability to coordinate with other community transportation and/or social service resources. Project sponsors should clearly identify project stakeholders, and how they will keep stakeholders involved and informed throughout the project. Project sponsors should also describe how they would promote public awareness of the project.
VTA and County staffs presented proposed weighting for each of the five scoring criteria to be used in evaluating submitted projects. The table below shows the assigned maximum points proposed for each criterion:
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Project Need/Stated Goals and Objectives
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25
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Project Budget/Sustainability
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20
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Cost Effectiveness
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15
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Coordination and Program Outreach
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10
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Total Points
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100
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The JLTC met on January 25, 2006 and adopted the weighting as specified above. Once approved by the County and VTA Boards, this information will be incorporated into the Call for Projects to be sent out on March 3, 2006. This information will also be presented at a workshop describing the proposal process scheduled for March 13, 2006. The VTA Board of Directors is scheduled to approve the scoring criteria at its March 2, 2006 meeting.
| Prepared by: | Bill Hough, Transportation Planner III |
| Reviewed by: | John Ristow, Deputy Director, Programming and Project Development |
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