5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities

The 5310 Program has private nonprofit (PNP) agencies or groups. Public agencies may 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. Moreover, American Indian communities have been very active in the program.

Successful applications are initially adjudicated through a regional application evaluation and screening process, which includes ADOT and non-ADOT transportation and human service professionals. The 5310 Program utilizes the assistance of Council of Government (COG) and Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) planning offices to screen applicants within the state's nine planning regions. ADOT then makes the final decision regarding awards based on this input and available budget. Reviewers look at the proposals from the perspective of a number of evaluation factors, including expressed need for service and/or equipment, population served, financial capability to support funding, existing fleet inventories, coordination efforts and previous performance.

All projects funded under this program must be included in a locally developed, coordinated public transit-human services transportation planning process. Coordination is a key element that is now required for all FTA programs. To be awarded grant assistance, successful applicants must be included in the Regional Coordination Plan for their area and 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 this Inspection Form and return it to ADOT.

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 human services transportation coordination 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 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 in accordance with FTA coordination requirements. In urbanized areas, larger transit systems and dial-a-ride programs may represent the public transit component.

The FTA defines "mobility management" as "short-range planning and management activities and projects for improving coordination among public transportation and other transportation service providers." It is an innovative, customer-driven approach for managing and delivering coordinated transportation services. Helping customers includes older adults, people with disabilities and individuals with low incomes to gain mobility and get to where they need to go. Changes in demographics, shifts in land-use patterns and the creation of new and different job markets require new approaches for providing transportation services, particularly for customers with special needs. Mobility management focuses on coordinating services and providers to achieve a more efficient transportation service delivery system. It encompasses a potentially broad range of planning activities and related equipment (e.g., software and hardware to promote and support coordination efforts). It can also be a position (e.g., mobility manager, travel coordinator) within a centralized planning organization within a region or locality.

Coordination Plans and Mobility Manager Contacts

*Coordination Partner

Eligible Activities in the 5310 Program Serving Seniors and People with Disabilities.

Non-profits are eligible to participate and Governmental Agencies can be eligible for participation in the program.   See Overview. 

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.