The Senior & Disabled Transportation Services Program is part of the Regional Safety, Mobility and Walkability Measure X Program. The purpose of this program is to increase transportation services for seniors and persons with disabilities to support their ability to live independently in their homes and communities. Per Measure X policies, this program is intended to fund non-profit transportation services to support seniors and persons with disabilities.
As spelled out in the policies and project descriptions of Measure X, the goals of this program are to:
• Give seniors more transportation options
• Support independent travel by people with disabilities
• Provide safer and more reliable senior transportation services
The Senior & Disabled Program Grant Guidelines were presented to this Committee and the MST Mobility Advisory Committee for comment. The TAMC Board of Directors approved the guidelines, and issued a call for projects at the October 2017 meeting. Staff conducted outreach to notify prospective non-profits about the availability of funds at meetings of the MST Mobility Advisory Committee, and at meetings of the South County Outreach Efforts group. Applications were due on December 1, 2017, and TAMC received five eligible applications.
The grant application was comprised of five sections with a total of 90 points possible. The five sections and corresponding score criteria were designed and approved by the Transportation Agency Board to favor projects and programs that will meet the transportation needs of seniors and people with disabilities throughout Monterey County. Below is a summary of the application sections and corresponding score criteria. The guidelines and score sheet with detailed criteria is included as a web attachment.
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Section
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Score Criteria
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Points
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1) Applicant Information
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Applicant experience
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20
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2) Project Description and Project Implementation Timeline
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Project feasibility and readiness
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20
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3) Project Benefits
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Project need and relative level of urgency
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20
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4) Communities Served
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Geographic equity
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15
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5) Project budget
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Cost effectiveness and project funding leverage
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15
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In October and November 2017, the eXcellent Transportation Oversight Committee and the Monterey-Salinas Transit Mobility Advisory Committee nominated committee members to the grants review committee:
- Cesar Lara, Building Healthy Communities, TAMC Measure X Oversight Committee
- Kalah Bumba, Salinas Senior Center, TAMC Measure X Oversight Committee
- Ronn Rygg, United Way, MST Mobility Advisory Committee
- Maureen McEachen, Visiting Nurses Association, MST Mobility Advisory Committee
- Kathleen Murray-Philips, Monterey County Dept. Area Agency on Aging, MST Mobility Advisory Committee
- Virginia Murillo, TAMC staff
The Transportation Agency received five completed grant applications, totaling $1.7 million in requested Measure X Senior & Disabled Transportation Program grant funding. Each application was reviewed and scored by the review committee. Attachment 1 provides an overview of projects and their score averages by the review committee.
- The Veterans Transition Center of California - Mobility Opportunities for Veterans - $258,689
- Blind and Visually Impaired Center - Orientation and Mobility Training - $178,550
- Josephine Kernes Memorial Pool - Kernes Pool Transportation Voucher Program - $147,000
- Alliance on Aging - Senior Transportation Specialist Project - $170,000
- ITN Monterey County - Dignified Transportation of Seniors and Visually Impaired Adults - $745,761
Following public comment at the February 28 TAMC Board of Directors meeting, the TAMC Executive Committee met to discuss issues of geographic equity in this first round of grant funding. The Executive Committee directed staff to conduct a needs assessment and identify ways to improve the program for the next call for projects.
MST through the Measure Q Investment Plan and the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments through the Transportation Alternatives for Rural Areas Study have done a significant amount of work to identify transportation services that are needed in South County and other rural areas of the County. TAMC staff will confer with South County leaders to identify strategies to meet South County's transportation needs. Staff will continue to coordinate with the MST Mobility Advisory Committee to identify gaps in services. That Committee also has membership of service providers that serve South County and have a unique insight as to their needs. The process for the next call for projects will begin in Fall/Winter 2019.