5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities

The 5310 Program primarily works with private nonprofit (PNP) agencies or groups. FTA does allow public agencies to function as grant recipients where no PNPs exist to provide the service or the state determines such funding is in the best interest of coordination in the region. Indian tribes are considered local governments in the 5310 program.

Applications are accepted for 5310 funding in odd years and for 5310 Regional Mobility Management in even years. Successful applications are awarded through an application compliance review, evaluation and screening process as outlined in the program guidebook. Funds are awarded based upon the panel review score, regional prioritization and funds available within the geographic region and eligible project categories.

All projects funded under this program must be included in the Regional Coordinated Public Transit - Human Services Transportation Plan. Coordination is a key element for all FTA funded programs. To be eligible for a 5310 grant, all projects must be included in the Regional Coordinated Public Transit - Human Services Transportation Plan for their areas and the application must have participated in related coordination activities, such as coordination meetings.

Applicants who receive a vehicle from ADOT will need to follow all requirements as listed in the program guidebook.  ADOT requires an annual inspection of all vehicles awarded through its 5310 program.  Vehicles can either be inspected by ADOT's Equipment Services group when scheduled or a mechanic can fill out the Inspection Form and return it to ADOT.

The FTA requires agencies participating in the Section 5310 program to be included in a Regional Coordinated Public Transit human services transportation plan, be it a statewide, regional or local plan. Arizona has chosen to support regional coordination plans. The regional coordination plans are managed individually by the state's COGs and/or MPOs with oversight by ADOT. The COGs and MPOs must certify to ADOT that the projects selected for regional funding are derived from a locally developed, coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan that was developed through a process that includes representatives of public, private and nonprofit transportation and human service transportation providers; participation by the public; and representatives addressing the needs of older adults and individuals with disabilities.

The coordination plan identifies the transportation needs of individuals with disabilities, older adults and people with low incomes; provides strategies for meeting those local needs; and prioritizes transportation services for funding and implementation. The coordination plan should maximize the program's collective coverage by minimizing the duplication of services. The FTA's minimum requirements for a coordination plan are

an assessment of available services that identify current transportation providers (public, private and nonprofit).
an assessment of transportation needs for individuals with disabilities, older adults and people with low incomes. This assessment can be based on the experiences and perceptions of the planning partners or on more sophisticated data collection efforts and gaps in service.
strategies, activities and/or projects to address the identified gaps between current services and needs, as well as opportunities to achieve efficiencies in service delivery.
priorities for implementation based on resources (from multiple program sources), time and feasibility for implementing specific strategies and/or activities that have been identified.
In addition, ADOT must certify to the FTA that the regional coordination plan was developed through a process that included representatives of public, private and nonprofit transportation and human services providers, and members of the public. ADOT must also document the plan from which each project listed is derived, including the lead agency, the date of adoption of the plan or other appropriate information.

In rural areas, the recipients of the FTA Section 5311 program assistance are the "public transit" in the public transit-human services transportation plan, and their participation is expected to comply with FTA coordination requirements. In urbanized areas, larger transit systems and dial-a-ride programs may represent the public transit component.

Non-Emergency Medical Transportation

FTA allows the use of their assets to be used towards NEMT activities.  Below are two reports discussing coordination between transit agencies and NEMT. 

• NEMT Opportunities for Coordination with Other Transportation Services in Arizona
• TCRP Handbook for Examining the Effects of Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Brokerages on Transportation Coordination..