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Federal Transit Authorities – Section 5310 Program
Background
The goal of the Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities Public Transportation (Section 5310)
Grant Program is to improve accessibility and mobility for the elderly and
persons with disabilities. The Federal Transit Administration makes
capital grants to the state of Texas to help provide mass transportation service
that is planned, designed, and carried out to meet the special needs of elderly
individuals and individuals with disabilities throughout the state.
Funds are available to private non-profit organizations and other public
for-profit entities that certify to the governor that there are no existing
non-profit corporations or associations in their area that already provide
transportation service.
Local stakeholder forums or committees plan and design the service for their
local community and existing rural and/or urban transit service providers
operate the service as designed by the committees. The Section 5310 funds are
awarded directly to the rural and/or transit operator and those operators may
use the funds for eligible capital expenses including acquiring transportation
service from other transportation providers in the local area.
Funding
Eligible capital expenses include but are not limited to buses, vans, or
other paratransit vehicles, radios and communication equipment, vehicle
shelters, and wheelchair lifts and restraints. Other options, with the
concurrence of TxDOT-PTN, are lease of equipment, the acquisition of
transportation services under a contract lease, and preventive maintenance
service or parts associated with preventive maintenance service.
Based on funding availability, federal funds may be used to defray up to 80
percent of the cost of eligible capital expenditures. The local share of
eligible capital expenditures is 20 percent. All of the local share must be
provided from sources other than federal funds, except where specific
legislative language of a federal program permits its funds to be used to match
other federal funds. Funds are allocated to the 25 TxDOT districts on a formula
basis. The elderly and disabled population of each district is calculated by
using the latest census figures for counties available from the State Data Center.
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