Filling the Gaps in Accessible Transportation

Since 1975, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has used grant programs as a mechanism to fill transportation gaps so that people with disabilities and older individuals can effectively use public transportation. The first state grants in the Section 5310 program were awarded in 1975. SAFETEA-LU (2005) created the New Freedom Program (Section 5317), and made the Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC, Section 5316) available to all states. All three programs are similarly administered at the state level and are contingent on inclusion in a locally developed coordinated public transit - human services transportation plan. Congress and the Administration have recommended consolidation of the three programs