Subject:
Title
Approval, Re: Resolution, re: Transfer of Vehicles from Federal Transit Administration Section 5307 Program to Florida Department of Transportation Section 5310 Program
End
Fiscal Impact:
This action does not result in any fiscal impact.
Dept/Office:
Transit Services
Requested Action:
Recommendation
It is requested that the Board of County Commissioners approve the following actions for the transfer of vehicles from the Federal Transit Administration Section 5307 Program to Florida Department of Transportation Section 5310 Program:
• the chair to sign the Authorizing Resolution,
• the InterimTransit Director to execute any follow-up documentation necessary to complete the transfer.
End
Summary Explanation and Background:
Brevard County Board of County Commissioners, under Space Coast Area Transit, has operated a vanpool program for over 35 years. The vanpool program leases vans to both Human Service Agencies providing Transportation Disadvantaged service and to Commuters. The Transit Services Department uses Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding for the vans while the Agencies and Commuters pay for the operating costs of their vehicles. Currently, the Transit Services Departments contracts with Commute with Enterprise who provides the management and maintenance of the program. Under the contract, Transit Services pays Enterprise $162,000per year subsidy.
The Human Services vans fulfill a need in the community for additional paratransit services beyond what Space Coast Area Transit provides with its own vehicles. The last non-COVID year 17 Human Services Agencies operated 33 vans, providing 131,427 passenger trips for 1,044,728 passenger miles. If Space Coast Area Transit could provide these trips, it would cost approximately $2,570,031 per year.
All vanpool passenger trips and financial data are reported to the FTA, as required, through the National Transit Database (NTD). In 2019, the program managers of the NTD program determined that the Human Services operated vanpools do not meet the requirements of public transportation under the FTA Section 5307 funding. The FTA modal headquarters in Washington also agreed with this determination, reversing a decision made by the FTA in 1989.
Transit Services and Commute with Enterprise staff met numerous times with FTA staff from Headquarters and their Regional Office along with Florida Department of Transportation Transit Office staff to determine the best path forward for the agencies to continue operating their vehicles.
It was decided that the Human Services Agency operated vans would qualify under the Enhanced Mobility of Seniors & Individuals with Disabilities program (FTA Section 5310) as the vans are not open to the general public for transportation as defined by FTA Section 5307 funding. Under this solution, the Human Services Agencies can continue to operate their vans with minor operational changes.
As Florida Department of Transportation is the grantee for the FTA Section 5310 funds, the 19 Human Services Agency vans (see attachment) which were purchased through the FTA Section 5307 grant program will need to be transferred to the FDOT Section 5310 grant program. This transfer does not have any immediate monetary impacts; however, it will allow the Human Service Agencies to continue to operate their current leased vans and advances the goals of these community-based programs. The management of the Human Services operated vans will remain under the Transit Services Department. In the future, replacement vans for this program must be funded under the FTA Section 5310 funding administered by the FDOT.
If Brevard County chooses not transfer the vans from FTA Section 5307 to Section FDOT Section 5310, we will no longer be permitted to provide or lease the vans to these agencies.
Clerk to the Board Instructions:
Please provide Transit Services with one executed copy of the Resolution.