41-2.014. Grants Program

(1) Eligible Recipients. Grant funds will be allocated annually to the following entities:

(a) Community Transportation Coordinators who have an executed Memorandum of Agreement.

(b) Metropolitan Planning Organizations or Designated Official Planning Agencies approved by the Commission.

(2) Types of Grants.

(a) Trip and Equipment Related. Trip and equipment related grant funds may be used for the provision of non-sponsored transportation disadvantaged services and for the purchase of capital equipment to be used for services provided to the transportation disadvantaged. Capital equipment expenditures will be limited to no more than 25% of the Commission participation and the required match.

(b) Planning Related. Planning related grant funds may be used by an eligible Metropolitan Planning Organization or Designated Official Planning Agency to assist the Commission in their responsibilities at the local level as identified in Chapter 427, F.S., including support to the local Coordinating Board.

(c) Innovative Service Development Related. Innovative service development grant funds shall be used to provide competitive grants to Community Transportation Coordinators for innovative service delivery that is cost efficient for the program and time efficient for the users. Grants may be for projects in which a Community Transportation Coordinator works with a non-traditional service provider, such as a transportation network company or other entity, that provides door-to-door, on-demand, or scheduled transportation services. A Community Transportation Coordinator shall not receive more than one award for a designated service area, as defined in Rule 41-2.002(4), F.A.C. A project may receive a maximum award of $750,000. Multiple designated service areas may partner for a grant of up to $1,500,000 provided that the project includes a goal of providing regional mobility in addition to any other goals. All funds shall be used to provide direct services to transportation disadvantaged clients. Projects should address at least one of the following program objectives:

1. Increase a transportation disadvantaged person’s access to health care, employment, education, shopping, social activities, or other life-sustaining activities;

2. Enhance regional connectivity and cross-county mobility; or,

3. Reduce the difficulty in connecting transportation disadvantaged persons to a transportation hub and from the hub to their final destination.

(3) Match Requirement. Eligible grant recipients for the trip and equipment grants and the innovative service development grants, must provide at least 10% of the total project cost as a local match. The match must be cash generated from local sources. Voluntary dollar collections do not require a match.

(4) Distribution of Grant Funds. Each year, the Commission shall allocate a portion identified as the Grants Program of the Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund in the following manner:

(a) An annual amount of $1,372,060 of the Grants Program shall be designated for planning grants to assist the Commission with implementation and maintenance of the program at the local level. Beginning with the 2002/2003 grant cycle, the annual cap will be adjusted by the same percentage increase equivalent to state employees as set by the Legislature.

(b) The voluntary dollar collections will be returned to the county where said funds were collected. The voluntary dollar collections shall be designated for additional trips at the local level.

(c) Innovative Service Development related grant funds will be awarded competitively to support such projects based upon available funding identified by the Commission.

(d) The remaining portion of funds, except as specified in paragraph 41-2.014(4)(b), F.A.C., will be appropriated for the Grants Program and designated for trip and equipment related grants, subject to limitations of paragraphs 41-2.014(1)(a) and (2)(a), F.A.C.

(5) Distribution of Trip and Equipment Related Grant Funds. Each eligible recipient’s allocation will be determined for the county or counties within the designated service area for which the recipient provides coordinated transportation disadvantaged services.

(a) Allocation of trip and equipment grant funds shall be based on a comparative ranking of all eligible recipients in each of the following categories:

1. The county’s total transportation disadvantaged eligible population as a percentage of the state’s total transportation disadvantaged eligible population, based on the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Population Estimates.

2. The county’s total centerline miles of public roads as a percentage of the state’s total centerline miles of public roads, based on public mileage data reported by the Federal Highway Administration.

3. The county’s total transportation disadvantaged services provided by trip and equipment grant funds as a percentage of the state’s total transportation disadvantaged services provided by trip and equipment grant funds, as reported on the invoices submitted by recipients for reimbursement under the trip and equipment grant program.

4. The county’s total allocated amount of trip and equipment grant funds as a percentage of the state’s total allocated amount of trip and equipment grant funds, based on allocated amounts from the previous fiscal year.

(b) For the 2021-2022 fiscal year, each category shall represent the following percentages of the state’s total allocated amount for the trip and equipment grant program:

1. 2.5% based on the state’s total transportation disadvantaged eligible population.

2. 2.5% based on the state’s total centerline miles of public roads.

3. 15% based on the state’s total transportation disadvantaged services provided by trip and equipment grant funds.

4. 80% based on the state’s total allocated amount from the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

(c) For the 2022-2023 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, each category shall represent the following percentages of the state’s total allocated amount for the trip and equipment grant program:

1. 5% based on the state’s total transportation disadvantaged eligible population.

2. 5% based on the state’s total centerline miles of public roads.

3. 30% based on the state’s total transportation disadvantaged services provided by trip and equipment grant funds.

4. 60% based on the state’s total allocated amount from the previous fiscal year.

(d) The Commission, in calculating allocated amounts, shall weigh each dataset described in paragraph (5)(a) as follows:

1. Every person identified within the state’s transportation disadvantaged population shall be weighted equally.

2. Every centerline mile of the state’s public roads shall be weighted equally.

3. Each trip and mile provided by trip and equipment grant funds shall be weighted relative to the unit cost at which they are reimbursed. Each bus pass purchased with trip and equipment grant funds shall be weighted higher than the unit cost at which they are reimbursed in order to incentivize their use in service areas where a fixed-route system is available.

(e) Fund allocations pursuant to paragraph (5)(a) of this rule shall be administered each fiscal year based on available data from the previous year or applicable period as determined by the Commission.

(6) Distribution of Planning Related Grants. Planning related grant funds will be apportioned for distribution to the planning agencies as follows:

(a) 25% of the planning allocation shall be divided into shares equal to the percentage of population each county has relative to the total state population, with each planning agency receiving a share for each county within its jurisdiction;

(b) 75% of the planning allocation shall be divided into shares equal to the number of counties throughout the state, with each planning agency receiving no more than one share for each county within its jurisdiction. Eligible recipients not requiring the total amount of funding available may recommend to the Coordinating Board that any excess funds be allocated to the Community Transportation Coordinator for additional non-sponsored trip needs. The Commission shall reallocate any eligible excess funds to that particular county or service area’s normal allocation. A local cash match of at least 10% shall be required to obtain this additional allocation.

(7) All grant recipients will provide their request for funds to the Commission.

(8) Prioritization of Non-sponsored Transportation Services. The Community Transportation Coordinator, with approval of the Coordinating Board, shall have the authority to prioritize trips for non-sponsored transportation disadvantaged services which are purchased with Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Funds. Any prioritization of trips or eligibility criteria which is developed shall consider all of the following criteria:

(a) Cost Effectiveness and Efficiency.

(b) Purpose of Trip.

(c) Unmet Needs.

(d) Available Resources.

Rulemaking Authority 427.013(9), 427.013(10) FS. Law Implemented 427.013, 427.0159, 427.016 FS. History–New 5-2-90, Amended 6-17-92, 7-21-93, 6-26-94, 10-1-96, 3-10-98, 1-13-04, 8-5-18, 3-4-21, 10-6-21, 7-17-24.