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NJ TRANSIT NJ TRANSIT

BOARD APPROVES NJ TRANSIT'S FY19 LOCAL AND COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS

August 8, 2018

NEWARK, NJ — The NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors today authorized the expenditure of approximately $45 million in federal and state funds to implement local transportation programs for Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19), providing critical local transportation services for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, the economically-disadvantaged and rural residents.

Each of the programs extends or complements existing NJ TRANSIT services. The programs include:

  • The State's Senior Citizen and Disabled Resident Transportation Assistance Program funded by the Casino Revenue program.
  • A federal program to purchase vehicles and related equipment for private, non-profit agencies and designated public entities providing transportation services for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
  • A federal program to provide capital, administrative and operating assistance for public transportation services in small urban and rural areas of New Jersey.
  • The New Jersey Jobs Access and Reverse Commute program, designed to provide access to and from employment centers not directly served by traditional bus and rail services.
  • The Federal Rural Transit Assistance Program, which provides training and technical assistance for small transit operators.

 

“Thousands of New Jersey residents will more easily travel to work, for shopping, or to visit loved ones thanks to the funding we approved today,” said NJ TRANSIT Board Chair and New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti. “We’re pleased to support transportation services in each of the 21 counties, as well as for private and non-profit organizations supporting seniors and people with disabilities throughout New Jersey.”

“Every New Jersey resident deserves to have access to public transportation, and these grants and programs fill in some of the gaps,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Kevin Corbett. “It’s important that the local governments and non-profits who deeply understand local needs have access to the funds, training and support to offer transit solutions for seniors, people with disabilities and working families.”

NJ TRANSIT partners with all 21 New Jersey counties to fund community transportation programs.

The NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors today continued this effort by approving the following programs for FY19 which provides the following:

  • $18.59 million from the Casino Revenue Tax Fund to operate the Senior Citizen and Disabled Resident Transportation Assistance Program.
  • $8.7 million for Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5310 programs, which provide federal funds for the purchase of vehicles and related equipment by private, non-profit agencies and designated public entities. This includes $1.5 million in state funding to support local match requirements.
  • $6.1 million for Section 5311 programs, which provide federal funds for capital, administrative and operating assistance for public transportation services in and between small urban and rural areas of New Jersey.
  • $123,359 in federal funding for the Rural Transit Assistance Program, which provides training and technical assistance for small transit operators receiving Section 5310 and 5311 funding.
  • $5.3 million for the New Jersey Jobs Access and Reverse Commute (NJ-JARC) Program under which counties provide public transportation services to help residents obtain convenient transportation to employment opportunities.
  • $6 million in other funds passed through to recipients. 

Below is a summary of the five programs:

Senior Citizen and Disabled Resident Transportation Assistance Program


Funded from the Casino Revenue Tax Fund, this program allocates 85 percent of the annual appropriation for distribution by formula among New Jersey’s 21 counties for transportation of senior citizens and persons with disabilities. The remaining 15 percent is allocated to NJ TRANSIT to provide technical assistance to the counties, coordinate the program within and among the counties, and support bus and rail accessibility projects.

Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program and Grant

Section 5310 of the Federal Transit Act provides funds for states to purchase vehicles for lease to private non-profit agencies and certain public bodies that provide special transit service for senior citizens and people with disabilities through a competitive grant process. Under the program, federal funds can be used to pay up to 80 percent of a vehicle’s cost. Since 1979, NJ TRANSIT has purchased nearly 1,800 vehicles for organizations serving seniors and persons with disabilities throughout the state of New Jersey.

Section 5311 Program and Grant

Section 5311 of the Federal Transit Act provides capital, administrative and operating assistance for public transportation services in and between small urban and rural areas of New Jersey pursuant to a population-based formula. NJ TRANSIT will disperse the FY19 funds to continue sixteen existing, successful programs throughout the state.

Since the program's inception in 1979, NJ TRANSIT has provided half of the matching funds for all Section 5311 projects, with recipients providing the other half.

Rural Transit Assistance Program

Through this program, NJ TRANSIT provides training and technical assistance for all community transit providers receiving or operating under federal funds in New Jersey.

Through this program, NJ TRANSIT operates ongoing driver training programs, as well as provides training and technical assistance for small transit managers, dispatchers, mechanics and other support staff members.

New Jersey Jobs Access and Reverse Commute Program (NJ-JARC)

This program provides funds for operating expenses for transit services that target employment transportation. The NJ-JARC program mirrors the former federally-funded program, awarding operating funds to public and non-profit agencies on a competitive basis for community shuttle services throughout the state. The New Jersey Department of Human Services provides up to $1 million annually to support NJ-JARC services.

 

About NJ TRANSIT

NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 944,000 weekday trips on 251 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines and through Access Link paratransit service. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 165 rail stations, 62 light rail stations and more than 19,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.

This document and others are available for translation on njtransit.com.