Section
5317 New Freedom Program
The purpose of the New Freedom grant program is to encourage
services and facility improvements to address the transportation needs of
persons with disabilities that go beyond those required by the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA). Funds are available to support the capital and
operating costs of new public transportation service targeted toward people
with disabilities or public transportation alternatives that go beyond those
required by the
ADA
.
Eligible recipients include private non-profit
organizations, state or local governmental authority, and operators of public
transportation services including private operators of public transportation
services. Activities that could be funded under the program include, but
are not limited to:
- Purchasing
vehicles and supporting accessible taxi, ride-sharing, and vanpooling
programs; including staff training, administration, and maintenance.
- Providing
paratransit services beyond minimum requirements (3/4 mile to either side
of a fixed route), including for routes that run seasonally.
- Making
accessibility improvements to transit and intermodal stations not designated as key stations.
- Supporting
voucher programs for transportation services offered by human service
providers.
- Supporting
mobility management and coordination programs among public transportation
providers and other human service agencies providing transportation.
These activities are considered a capital cost and are defined as
short-range planning and management activities and projects for improving
coordination among public transportation and other transportation service
providers.
As designated by the Governor of the State of
Arizona
,
the City of Phoenix Public Transit Department administers New Freedom funds for
large urbanized areas (populations over 200,000) within the
Maricopa
County
region of the state. All
projects funded under this program must be derived from a locally developed,
coordinated public transit-human services transportation planning process.
Federal funds provide for up to 80 percent of capital projects and 50 percent
of operating projects. The Federal funds are available for the year
appropriated plus two years (total of three years).
Job Access-Reverse Commute / New
Freedom Application
(Word Document) / (PDF Document)