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Agenda Item # 9

BOARD MEMORANDUM

For Information Only

Background:

The Section 5310 program is a competitive statewide grant application process that is administered at the state level by Caltrans through the state’s Regional Transportation Planning Agencies (RTPAs) according to policies and scoring criteria established by the California Transportation Commission (CTC).   The program provides financial assistance for transportation services designed to meet the special transportation needs of seniors and persons with disabilities.  Section 5310 program funds may be used by eligible agencies to provide 80% of the funding for the purchase of vehicles and computer/communication equipment needed to provide such services. 

Discussion:

The scoring criteria used to evaluate Section 5310 project proposals is as follows:

1. Replace or expand vehicles and/or equipment: 20 points

2. Service effectiveness: 30 points

3. Provide service to meet current need: 10 points         

4. Ability of applicant: 30 points

5. Coordination of services: 10 points

Total Points Available: 100 points

In the San Francisco Bay Area, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) is the Regional Transportation Planning Agency and administers the Section 5310 Program for the nine Bay Area counties.   MTC requires that the region’s Paratransit Coordinating Councils (PCC’s) appoint Local Review Committees (LRC) to evaluate and rank Section 5310 applications submitted within their respective counties.   As the PCC for Santa Clara County, the CTA appointed a two member LRC at its January 2006 meeting. 

On March 3, 6, and 7, 2006, the CTA’s LRC met to review and score 21 project proposals submitted by five Santa Clara County non-profit social service agencies.  The LRC recommended scores for the 21 projects are listed in Attachment A.   The total cost of the 21 projects being requested is $1,199,500.  A local match totaling $239,900 (20%) must be provided by agencies receiving grants. 

The LRC’s recommended scores were forwarded by the General Manager to MTC on March 10, 2006 for inclusion in the region’s list of Section 5310 projects in accordance with VTA procedure governing the Section 5310 Program as adopted by the VTA Board of Directors at their March 1999 meeting.

Once the region’s rankings are finalized, the list of projects will be submitted to Caltrans for inclusion into a statewide list of applications.  Caltrans then refers applications likely to receive funding to its State Section 5310 Review Committee (SRC) for final scoring.  After the SRC makes final scoring adjustments, Caltrans forwards the SRC’s recommended Program of Projects to the CTC for approval.

The final State list of Fiscal Year 2005-06 Section 5310 projects will be approved by the CTC in September 2006.  Funding is usually available to successful applicants 12 to 18 months thereafter.  Staff will report back to the CTA once the final Fiscal Year 2006-07 scores are approved by the CTC.

Last year, $12.4 million was available statewide to fund Section 5310 project funding requests.   Overall, San Francisco Bay Area applicants received $2.93 million in funding, with Santa Clara County applicants receiving a total of $839,760.  A list of last year’s approved projects in Santa Clara County is included in Attachment B.

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