Memorandum
Date March 21, 2013
To Boston Region MPO
From Alicia Wilson, MPO Staff
Re JARC and New Freedom Grant Proposals Received by the MPO
Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC; 49 USC Section 5316) and New Freedom (49 USC Section 5317) are federal formula grant programs whose eligible recipients are states and public bodies. MassDOT is the eligible recipient for the Boston Urbanized Area, which contains the Boston Region MPO and four other MPOs in Massachusetts.
JARC provides grants to support the development and maintenance of projects designed to transport welfare recipients and eligible low-income individuals to and from jobs and activities related to employment. New Freedom provides grants for new public transportation services and public transportation alternatives that assist individuals with disabilities and exceed the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
MassDOT’s solicitation for JARC and New Freedom program proposals for state fiscal year (SFY) 2014 ended on March 1, 2013. After checking them for completeness, MassDOT forwarded the applications to the appropriate MPOs for review. The MPOs decide which applications to recommend and also inform MassDOT about project priorities. MassDOT then determines which proposals will be funded.
The funding available for the Boston urbanized area in SFY 2014 is $2,072,187 for the JARC Program and $1,229,681 for the New Freedom Program. The MPO received five JARC applications from five entities with requests totaling $1,244,250 and eight New Freedom applications from six entities with requests totaling $1,971,587.
The accompanying tables list and summarize the proposals, the funds requested, and staff scores for each proposal. Staff recommend funding projects that received a score of at least 375, or 75% of the maximum score. For the New Freedom projects since the qualifying proposals exceed the available funding, the MPO may choose to fund 2 years of a three year request or may choose to eliminate an entire project.
The also choose to fund lower-scoring projects based on factors such as project type, an applicant’s previous success, whether the applicant has received any prior funding, or has an ongoing project .
AW/aw
| Applicant | Project Funded Before | Project Description | Project Type | Total Project Cost | Total Funds Requested | Total Local Match | SFY 2014 Request | SFY 2015 Request | SFY 2016 Request | Target Population | Service Area | Need/ Strategy Met | Projected Annual Ridership | Cost/ Trip Served | Minority and/or Low-Income Tracts Served | Proponent Met (or almost met) Goal in Program Evaluation | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 128 Business Council Score (500 maximum) 443 | Yes, 2012 | Alewife-A3-Rte. 128 Corridor Reverse Commute Program: Continue shuttle service between Alewife Station on the Red Line and employment sites in the Hayden Avenue area of South Lexington and residents in the North Waltham area. | Capital, Purchase Service | $171,010 | $128,740 | $42,270 Corporate sponsors | $128,740 | Does not apply | Does not apply | Reverse commuters, general public | South Lexington and North Waltham | Increase service hours and coverage, improve the accessibility of existing services. | 20,000 | $9 | Yes | Yes | |
| Acton Score (500 maximum) 317 | No | Mobility Manager, to serve as a communication link between transportation providers and users, both present and potential. The manager would inventory and create a database of all public and private area transportation services and would also provide information to local businesses, medical providers, and municipalities about transportation options available. | Mobility Management | $20,000 | $16,000 | $4,000 CrossTown Connect | $16,000 | Does not apply | Does not apply | Senior citizens, people with disabilities | Acton, Boxborough, Concord, Littleton, Maynard, Stow | Mobility management | Does not apply | Does not apply | Yes | Does not apply | MassDOT did not fund project in 2012. |
| Foxborough Score (500 maximum) 417 | No | A planning study to determine the need for, and examine the feasibility of, transportation services designed to transport people with low incomes to and from jobs and employment-related activities in Foxborough; also to explore the need for reverse commuting services. | Planning | $38,400 | $30,720 | $7680 Planning Board Consulting | $30,720 | Does not apply | Does not apply | People with low incomes and possibly reverse commuters | Foxborough, possibly Mansfield | Improve connections | Does not apply | Does not apply | No | Does not apply | |
| MetroWest RTA Score (500 maximum) 337 | No | Wellesley Route 9 Reverse Commute: Project would integrate Wellesley into the MWRTA. Will provide fixed-route service between Woodland station on the Green Line and employment on Route 9 and in Wellesley Square | Operating | $1,200,000 | $600,000 | $600,000 State Contract Assistance | $200,000 | $200,000 | $200,000 | People who make reverse commutes from the Boston area into Wellesley | Newton, Wellesley, Natick, Framingham | Increase service coverage | 32,800 | $20 | Yes | Yes | Project was not recommended for funding last year. Could have RIDE implications. |
| Applicant | Project Funded Before | Project Description | Project Type | Total Project Cost | Total Funds Requested | Total Local Match | SFY 2014 Request | SFY 2015 Request | SFY 2016 Request | Target Population | Service Area | Need/ Strategy Met | Projected Annual Ridership | Cost/ Trip Served | Minority and/or Low-Income Tracts Served | ProponentMet (or almost met) Goal in Program Evaluation | Comment |
| Salem, North Shore Career Center (NSCC) Score (500 maximum) 333 | Yes, 2008, 2010, 2012 | Mobility Management and Employment Express: A subscription paratransit service providing access from across the North Shore to employment corridors in Salem, Peabody, and Danvers. Mobility management includes an advisory service for low-income individuals, helping them to access appropriate and affordable transportation throughout the North Shore. | Mobility Management | $851,604 | $468,790 | $382,814 In kind services, GLSS and North Shore Career Center | $468,790 | Does not apply | Does not apply | Persons with low incomes | Beverly, Danvers, Lynn, Peabody, Salem | Increase coverage, provide travel training, mobility management | 14,114 | $52 | Yes | No | Very high cost per trip |
| Total funds requested | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | $1,244,250 | Does not apply | $844,250 | $200,000 | $200,000 | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply |
| Total funds available | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | $2,072,187 | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply |
| Applicant | Project Funded Before | Project Description | Project Type | Total Project Cost | Total Funds Requested | Total Local Match | SFY 2014 Request | SFY 2015 Request | SFY 2016 Request | Target Population | Service Area | Need/ Strategy Met | Projected Annual Ridership or People Served | Cost/ Trip served | Minority and/or Low-Income Tracts Served | Proponent Met (or almost met) Goal in Program Evaluation | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acton Score (500 maximum) 397 | No | CrossTown Connect Dispatch: Increase efficiency by consolidating and expanding dispatch services for all accessible vans operated by each community in the service area. | Operating | $270,000 | $135,000 | $135,000 CrossTown Connect | $44,000 | $45,000 | $46,000 | Senior citizens, people with disabilities, general population | Acton, Boxborough, Concord, Littleton, Maynard, Stow, Westford | Coordination, expand service hours | Does not apply | Does not apply, for dispatch only | Yes | Does not apply | |
| Greater Lynn Senior Services Score (500 maximum) 450 | Yes, 2009, 2010, 2012 | Reaching Beyond Borders: The GLSS Mobility Links Project: Continue operating a Travel Counseling Call Center; maintain an interactive database of transportation resources across the target region; recruit mobility advisor volunteers, a corps of volunteer drivers who can be matched with and operate underused vehicles from various agencies to expand transportation options; expand the number of communities with kiosks where consumers have the opportunity to work with staff and advisors. | Mobility Management | $1,154,701 | $551,101 | $600,000 Grants and corporate sponsors | $233,039 | $153,406 | $164,656 | Low-income, people with disabilities, general public | Beverly, Danvers, Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Marblehead, Manchester, Middleton, Lynn, Lynnfield, Nahant, Peabody, Rockport, Salem; Saugus, Swampscott, Topsfield, Wenham | Improve communications, travel training and education, mobility management, one-stop travel counseling call center. | Travel and trip planning to 2,000 consumers, counseling and support to generate 14,500 affordable and accessible trips; 1,000 gap trips through the volunteer core. | Does not apply | Yes | Yes | Application didn't require data on persons served or trips generated as a result of travel counseling. Information was volunteered in the proposal. Agency has been highly effective with previous projects. |
| Greater Lynn Senior Services Score (500 maximum) 467 | Yes, 2012 | Community Planning, Phase 2: Develop a Mobility Council that would coordinate efforts of agencies across the region; finalize several strategies to remove mobility barriers on the North Shore (strategies would include plans of action, cost-benefit analyses, and proposed funding mechanisms); pilot at least one of these strategies across multiple communities, documenting impact and ensuring full transferability and scalability. | Planning, Mobility Management | $793,861 | $533,861 | $260,000 Grants and corporate sponsors | $170,737 | $188,831 | $174,293 | People with disabilities | Beverly, Danvers, Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Marblehead, Manchester, Middleton, Lynn, Lynnfield, Nahant, Peabody, Rockport, Salem; Saugus, Swampscott, Topsfield, Wenham | Expand service coverage, improve accessibility of existing routes, improve communications, travel training, mobility management. | Does not apply | Does not apply | Yes | Yes | Agency has been highly effective with previous projects. |
| MetroWest RTA Score (500 maximum) 387 | No | Peer-to-Peer Training Program: A training program to help MWRTA RIDE users shift onto fixed-route service. Would also provide one-on-one training assistance to elderly people who are losing their driver's licenses. | Mobility Management | $120,000 | $100,000 | $20,000 Toll credits | $100,000 | Does not apply | Does not apply | People with disabilities | Ashland, Dover, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, Marlborough, Natick, Sherborn, Southborough, Sudbury, Wayland, Wellesley, Weston | Travel training | Does not apply | Does not apply | Yes | Yes | |
| Mystic Valley Elder Services Score (500 maximum) 460 | Yes, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 | Connect-a-Ride Alliance: Continue development and expansion of the Trip Metro North Program (uses mileage-reimbursed volunteers to provide transportation) and implementation of a central dial-a-ride/transportation counseling center model carried out in collaboration with SCM. | Mobility Management | $100,000 | $80,000 | $20,000 MVES corporate funds | $80,000 | Does not apply | Does not apply | Low-income, people with disabilities, seniors | Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, Wakefield | Increase service hours and coverage, improve communication, travel training, mobility management | Does not apply | Does not apply | Yes | Yes | |
| Salem, North Shore Career Center (NSCC) JARC funds also requested for this project. Score (500 maximum) 333 | Yes, 2008, 2010, 2012 | Mobility Management and Employment Express: A subscription paratransit service providing access from across the North Shore to employment corridors in Salem, Peabody, and Danvers. Mobility management includes an advisory service for persons with disabilities, helping them to access appropriate and affordable transportation throughout the North Shore. | Mobility Management and Operating | $458,554 | $252,425 | $206,129 In-kind services, GLSS and NSCC | $252,425 | Does not apply | Does not apply | People with disabilities | Beverly, Danvers, Lynn, Peabody, Salem | Increase coverage, provide travel training, mobility management | 7,600 | $60 | Yes | No | Very high cost per trip |
| SCM Score (500 maximum) 363 | No | Travel Training, Counseling, and Advocacy: Upgrade office software and infrastructure to support the mobility management program and streamline the information process. | Mobility Management | $219,000 | $175,200 | $43,800 Tufts Health Plan Foundation | $175,200 | Does not apply | Does not apply | MBTA consumers, Cambridge residents, Mass. Rehab. Commission, consumers | Somerville, Cambridge, Medford, Everett, Malden, Melrose, Reading, North Reading, Stoneham | Travel training, coordination | Does not apply | Does not apply | Yes | No | |
| SCM Score (500 maximum) 353 | No | Planning: Develop a financial and operating plan to integrate mobility management with their current transportation operations and use short-term consulting expertise to plan and implement coordinating services. | Planning | $180,000 | $144,000 | $36,000 Tufts Health Plan Foundation | $144,000 | Does not apply | Does not apply | MBTA consumers, Cambridge residents, Mass. Rehab. Commission, consumers | Somerville, Cambridge, Medford, Everett, Malden, Melrose, Reading, North Reading, Stoneham | Coordination | Does not apply | Does not apply | Yes | No | |
| Total funds requested | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | $1,971,587 | Does not apply | $1,199,401 | $387,237 | $384,949 | $1,971,587 | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply |
| Total funds available | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | $1,229,681 | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply | Does not apply |