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Introduction

The Human Services Transportation Plan (HSTP) is a unified, locally-derived, comprehensive strategy for delivery of public and specialized transportation services that identifies transportation needs, specifically those of persons with disabilities, older adults and persons with limited incomes.  The HSTP lays out strategies for meeting these needs and prioritizing services.

Tri-County Regional Planning Commission is responsible for creating the HSTP for the following two areas:

• Illinois Region Five:  rural areas within Knox, Fulton, Marshall, Peoria, Stark, Tazewell, and Woodford Counties
• Peoria-Pekin Urbanized Area

The HSTP is based on input from transit providers, users, government officials, human service agencies, advocacy groups, and other members of the public.  A committee has been formed with representatives from each of these groups and will direct the plan's formation.  Tri-County staff is coordinating the committee and logistics of the HSTP.  Agendas and minutes from the HSTP Committee meetings can be found here.

The HSTP Committee has taken an inventory of what paratransit services exist in the region. It has identified places that are underserved as well as areas that are served by more than one paratransit provider.  the HSTP Committee also reviews local grant applications in order to help IDOT and FTA allocate their transit funds. 

Background

Per reauthorization of transportation funding under SAFETEA-LU, projects to be selected for funding under 5310 Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities, 5316 Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) and 5317 New Freedom programs must be projects that, in regards to selection and planning, are derived from a locally developed, coordinated public Human Services Transportation Plan (HSTP) and are developed through a process that includes representatives of the public, private, and nonprofit transportation and human services providers and participation by the public.

Illinois Department of Transportation-Division of Public and Intermodal Transportation (IDOT-DPIT) has defined, through a public process, 11 planning regions for downstate Illinois that will be used as a framework for developing the coordinated HSTPs, and will be working with regional transportation planning coordinators to accomplish this task. In this particular project, coordinated HSTPs will have a focus on the needs of rural downstate areas (population 50,000 or less).

Goals

The overall goals of the project are to develop the Regional HSTP, select projects for funding, and develop a Regional Program of Projects (RPOP). The HSTP must be developed and adopted through the Regional Transportation Committee (RTC), which includes stakeholders from public transportation service providers, human service agencies (especially those representing elderly, disabled, and low income populations), planning organizations and county government representatives.

The following information is updated on an annual basis in order to keep the HSTP current and useful:

• inventory of existing transportation services
• transportation needs assessment & gap analysis
• recommended short term and long term transportation strategies to address service gaps and improve coordination

This plan is reviewed and adopted by the HSTP committee on an annual basis. The plan is used as a baseline for identifying transportation projects that meet service coordination needs of the region and become part of the RPOP. The coordinator reviews projects with the HSTP committee before submitting them to the state for final selection and approval.

Section 5310: Specialized Transportation

Section 5310 funds are used to purchase small buses and vans for local programs throughout the state. The goals of the program are to maintain a safe fleet of vehicles to service transportation needs of elderly persons and persons with disabilities and support the continuation of existing services as well s the growth of existing or new services. 80% of the cost of the vehicles comes from federal funding; the remaining 20% are from state or local funds.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

• Private nonprofit corporations and associations organized for the specific purpose of assisting in providing transportation services to meet the special needs of elderly persons, persons with disabilities and/or persons for whom mass transportation services are unavailable, insufficient or inappropriate.
• Public bodies approved by IDOT as the local “Coordinated Service Provider” for elderly persons and persons with disabilities.
• Public bodies which certify to IDOT that no nonprofit corporations or associations are readily available in an area to provide the service.

For more information, please reference the 5310 circular.

Section 5316: Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC)

JARC funds are available for capital, planning, and operating expenses that support the development and maintenance of transportation services designed to transport low-income individuals to and from jobs and activities related to their employment and to support reverse commute projects. Matching funds can come from a variety of sources, including some state funds. For capital expenses, JARC can fund up to 80%; the applicant is responsible for supplying the remaining 20%. For operational expenses, JARC will fund up to 50%, while the applicant is responsible for the remaining half.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

• State and local government agencies
• Public transportation providers
• Private nonprofit transportation providers
• Private for-profit companies
• Nonprofit organizations (Are not eligible for operating expenses)

For more information, please reference the 5316 circular.

Section 5317: New Freedom

New Freedom funds are available for capital and operating expenses that support new public transportation services beyond those required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and new public transportation alternatives beyond those required by the ADA designed to assist individuals with disabilities with accessing transportation services, including transportation to and from jobs and employment support services. "New" service is any service or activity that was not operational on and did not have an identified funding source as of August 10, 2005. Matching funds can come from a variety of sources, including some state funds. For capital expenses, New Freedom can fund up to 80%; the applicant is responsible for supplying the remaining 20%. For operational expenses, New Freedom will fund up to 50%, while the applicant is responsible for the remaining half.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

• Private nonprofit corporations and associations organized for the specific purpose of assisting in providing transportation services to meet the special needs of elderly persons, persons with disabilities and/or persons for whom mass transportation services are unavailable, insufficient or inappropriate.
• Public bodies approved by IDOT as the local “Coordinated Service Provider” for elderly persons and persons with disabilities.
• Public bodies which certify to IDOT that no nonprofit corporations or associations are readily available in an area to provide the service.

For more information, please reference the 5317 circular.