The Transportation Research Board’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program has released a report that explores the level of effort and costs associated with the development of coordinated public transit-human services transportation plans.

NCHRP Research Results Digest 354, A Review of Human Services Transportation Plans and Grant Programs, discusses the perceived success of the Coordination Plans and the perceived success states and other grantees are having in awarding funds and meeting the Coordination Plan objectives. Pursuant to the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) instituted a planning requirement as a condition of federal funding for its human services related grant programs for individuals with disabilities, older adults, and individuals with lower incomes.

The report summarizes the results of a research project that sought to (1) determine the level of effort and costs associated with the development of coordinated public transit-human services transportation Plans; and (2) determine the perceived success of the Coordination Plans and the perceived success states and other grantees are having in awarding FTA Section 5316 JARC and Section 5317 New Freedom funds and meeting the Coordination Plan objectives. To meet these objectives, tasks included conducting an Internet survey of state Departments of Transportation; performing more detailed telephone interviews with states, local transit agencies, private service providers, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, Rural Planning Organizations, and access groups; and analyzing FTA and state JARC and New Freedom grant awards.

A Review of Human Services Transportation Plans and Grant Programs presents the findings of these tasks to assist states and grantees in identifying ways to enhance their processes. In addition to state and grantee best practices, suggestions made by respondents for improving the accomplishment and effectiveness of the human services transportation grant programs, Coordination Plans, and the related requirements are reported. No conclusions are expressed regarding any of the suggested changes in the programs or requirements; the state and local agency comments are reported without elaboration.

Since 2007, FTA has required the establishment of a locally developed, coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan for all FTA human services transportation programs. The intent of this requirement is to bring the right people to the table to discuss human services transportation issues and identify opportunities to assist more people, reduce service gaps and overlaps, and increase the cost effectiveness of the services provided. Coordination plans must be developed through an inclusive process that involves representatives from public, private, and nonprofit transportation and human services providers, as well as the public. The National Resource Center for Human Service Transportation Coordination maintains a collection of state and local plans for coordinated transit and human services.