# Presentation: 112468

## Section 5316: Job Access and Reverse Commute(JARC) Program

**U.S. Department of Transportation**
**Federal Transit Administration**
**SAFETEA-LU Curriculum**
**August 7, 2007**

## Learner Objectives

- Provide accurate information, interpretation and guidance to FAQ’s about the JARC Program’s:
- Overall intent
- Entities eligible for funding
- Eligible activities
- Required elements for participation
- Eligible capital and operations expenses
- Support your independent use of JARC Program resource materials
- Share knowledge about the JARC Program with FTA Headquarter and Regional staff colleagues** **

**Notes:**
Display Slide 2

Talking Points: Trainers can share these and other comments as
appropriate:

These are the learner objectives are:
Following this training you will be able to:
Provide accurate information, interpretation and guidance to FAQ’s about the JARC Program’s:
Overall intent 
Entities eligible for funding 
Eligible activities  
Required elements for participation
Eligible capital and operations expenses 
Support your independent use of JARC Program resource materials.
Share knowledge about the JARC Program with FTA Headquarters and Regional staff colleagues.

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## Where to find JARC Program Guidance 

- FTA’s JARC Circular 9050.1 is Available at _[http://www.fta.dot.gov/laws/leg_reg_circulars_guidance.html](http://www.fta.dot.gov/laws/leg_reg_circulars_guidance.html)_
- Additional Guidance is available at the “Grant Programs” page of the FTA website, _[http://www.fta.dot.gov/funding/grants_financing_263.html](http://www.fta.dot.gov/funding/grants_financing_263.html)_

**Notes:**
Note to trainers: The information that corresponds to the guidance in subsequent slides can be found in the JARC circular. 

## JARC Overview

- Targets access to employment and employment related activities for people with lower incomes (below 150% poverty line)
- Also supports reverse commute

**Notes:**
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Talking Points: Trainers can share these and other comments as
appropriate:

This program targets access to employment and employment related activities for people with lower incomes.  

The program also supports REVERSE commute services.

Trainer Note: Ask learners the following questions (and provide these
answers if not identified by the learners)
“What is a reverse commute?”
A reverse commute describes the flow of commuters moving in the opposite direction of the majority of commuters. For example, commuting from an urban or rural home to a suburban job
“Are reverse commute services only targeted to commuters with low income?
No 
“Why are reverse commute services funded by the FTA?”
Reverse commute services target employees and people involved with employment related activities (training, school, etc.)  
This is an excellent example of how FTA coordinates efforts with other federal  departments (e.g. Department of Labor, Health and Human Services) to support their goal of supporting people in getting and keeping community jobs.
“Can anyone give us an example of how a state in your region uses reverse commute services?

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## 
JARC is a formula program based on target population
Under SAFETEA-LU JARC changed from a discretionary to a formula program

- JARC is a formula program based on target population
- Under SAFETEA-LU JARC changed from a discretionary to a formula program

**NEW IN SAFETEA-LU **

**Notes:**
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Talking Points: Trainers can share these and other comments as
appropriate:

JARC is a formula program based on target population. 
Under SAFETEA-LU JARC changed from a discretionary to a formula program.
Communities implementing projects that will be funded with earmarks under TEA-21 will use the requirements of the earmarked program.

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## JARC Overview

- Direct apportionment to urbanized areas with population of 200,000 or more
- State administered for areas with population under 200,000
- Eligible subrecipients are private non-profits, public entities, operators of public transportation services

**Notes:**
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Talking Points: Trainers can share these and other comments as
appropriate:

Apportionments will be made directly to urbanized areas of at least 200,000 in population.

The apportionment for communities below 200,000 goes the state, and the state administers to subrecipients.

Eligible subrecipients include private non-profits, public entities, operators of public transportation services.

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## JARC Eligibility

- Capital, planning, and operating funding for:
- services designed to transport low-income individuals to and from employment-related activities
- reverse commute projects

**Notes:**
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Talking Points: Trainers can share these and other comments as
appropriate:

JARC funding may be for capital, planning, and operating expenses that support: 

The development and maintenance of transportation services designed to transport low-income individuals to and from jobs and activities related to their employment, and 

Reverse commute projects. 

Trainer Note: see p. III-8 in the circular for additional information.

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## JARC Eligibility

- Match ratios:
- Capital: 80/20 Federal/local match (90/10 for CAA/ADA required equipment)
- Operating: 50/50 Federal/local match
- Administration (up to 10% recipient’s total): 100% Federal
- Local match may be from other non-DOT Federal funds

**Notes:**
Display Slide 7

Talking Points: Trainers can share these and other comments as
appropriate:
1.  Match ratios: Trainer Note: see pp. III-9 to III-10 in circular for additional information:
Capital projects may be funded up to 80% with Federal dollars, with a minimum of 20% local match required.
90% Federal match if equipment is required by the Clean Air Act (CAA) or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Operating projects may be funded up to 50% of the net operating costs of the activity.
Also, up to 10% of the recipient’s total fiscal year apportionment may be used to fund program administration costs including administration, planning and technical assistance.  Program administration costs may be funded at 100% Federal share. Trainer Note: see p. III-7 in circular for additional information.
2.  Local match may come from other Federal programs that fund transportation, other than from the DOT programs.  Examples include:  employment training, aging, community services, vocational rehabilitation services, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). 

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## 
JARC Eligibility

Match ratios:

Planning: 80/20 Federal/local match 

Local match may be from other non-DOT Federal funds

**JARC Eligibility**
- Match ratios:
- Planning: 80/20 Federal/local match
- Local match may be from other non-DOT Federal funds

**NEW IN SAFETEA-LU **

**Notes:**
Display Slide 8

Talking Points: Trainers can share these and other comments as
appropriate:

Match ratios: Trainer Note: see pp. III-9 to III-10 in circular for additional information:

Planning activities may also be funded up to 80% Federal.  This is a  new provision under SAFETEA-LU. 
However, it is important to note that these funds are not intended to be used for developing the local coordination plan. 
Rather, they are intended to support operational types of planning.  
In order to be eligible for JARC funding, the need for such planning activities must be included in the local coordination plan. 

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## JARC funds a number of services and projects
Existing services and projects
New services and projects 
Let’s see what we know about the JARC program by completing an exercise

- Existing services and projects
- New services and projects
- Let’s see what we know about the JARC program by completing an exercise

- JARC Services and Programs

**Notes:**
Display Slide 9

Talking Points: Trainers can share these and other comments as
appropriate:

The JARC Program funds a generous number of services and projects.  

Trainer Note: Chapter III Section 11 of the JARC circular provides a list of 
eligible projects.)

2.  Some of these are existing services and projects, funded prior to SAFETEA-LU

3.   Some of these are new services and projects and are funded under SAFETEA-LU for the very first time

4.   Let’s see what we know about the JARC program .

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## It’s time for an exercise 
Turn to worksheet 1
Assemble into small teams
Take 10 minutes to answer the questions
Bragging rights await the winning team 

- Turn to worksheet 1
- Assemble into small teams
- Take 10 minutes to answer the questions
- Bragging rights await the winning team

- Whad’Ya Know?

**Notes:**
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Talking Points: Trainers can share these and other comments as
appropriate:

Please turn to worksheet 1 

Your team will have 10 minutes to answer the questions and bragging rights await the winning team. 

Trainer Note: Assemble learners into small teams (no more than 4 people) 
using one of the methods listed on “How to Use This Curriculum”. After 10
minutes has elapsed use Worksheet 1 Answers and review the answers with
the teams. Ask them to tabulate and announce their scores. Advise teams that
the answers are on their Toolkit CD. Give lavish praise for the wonderful
efforts of learners following the discussion.

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## JARC Eligible Activities 

- Late-night and weekend service.
- Guaranteed ride home service.
- Shuttle service.
- Expanding fixed-route public transit routes.
- Ridesharing and carpooling
- Transit-related aspects of bicycling.
- Local car loan programs for shared rides

## JARC Eligible Activities (continued)

- Promoting and administering voucher programs.
- Acquiring Geographic Information System tools.
- Implementing Intelligent Transportation Systems.
- Subsidizing the costs of reverse commute routes.
- Supporting new mobility management and coordination programs.

## JARC Designated Recipients

- Designated state agency for areas with population under 200,000
- Designed public entity for urbanized areas with population of 200,000 or more
- Eligible subrecipients:
- private non-profits
- public entities
- public transportation operators

**Notes:**
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Talking Points: Trainers can share these and other comments as
appropriate:

Now that we have a better understanding of the services and programs that can be funded under JARC let’s take a look at how these funds are distributed. 
For urbanized areas with populations less than 200,000 and nonurbanized areas, the state is the designated recipient.  Each state has a designated agency, and the designated agency applies to FTA for JARC funds on behalf of subrecipients. Trainer Note: see p. III-1 in the circular for additional information.
For urbanized areas with populations of at least 200,000, the designated recipient is a public entity designated by the state’s governor, responsible local officials, and publicly owned operators of public transportation.  Often, the JARC recipient is the same organization as the Urbanized Area Formula (Section 5307) designated recipient, but it may be a different agency in your area.  
Common types of recipients are public transit authorities or city or county governments. Alternatively, the metropolitan planning organization (MPO), state, or another public agency may be a preferred choice based on local circumstances. Trainer Note: see p. III-1 in the circular for additional information.
There are three categories of eligible subrecipients of JARC funds:
Private non-profit organizations
State or local governmental authority
Operators of public transportation services, including private operators of public transportation services(III-3)

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## JARC Designated Recipient: Roles and Responsibilities

- Competitive selection process
- Fair and equitable distribution of funds
- Selection of projects from coordinated plan
- Certification that local plans were developed with stakeholder involvement
- Grant distribution and oversight for subrecipients
- Reports to FTA

**Notes:**
Note to trainer: This information is also covered in the cross-cutting issues presentation, so you can cover quickly or skip entirely if you are short on time.

Talking Points: Trainers can share these and other comments as
appropriate:

The designated recipient is responsible for:  
Conducting an area-wide or statewide competitive selection process.
Certifying a fair and equitable distribution of funds resulting from the competitive selection process.
Certifying that each project selected was derived from a locally developed, coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan.
Certifying that local plans are developed through a process that included representatives of public, private, and non-profit transportation and human services providers and participation by the public.  The designated recipient is not directly responsible for developing the coordinated plan, but is responsible for ensuring that the plan from which a selected project was derived was developed in compliance with the statutory requirements.  An agency or organization other than the designated recipient may take the lead in developing the coordinated plan.
Managing all aspects of grant distribution and oversight for subrecipients receiving funds under this program.
Submitting reports as required by FTA.

Trainer Note: see p. III-2 in the circular for additional information.

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## JARC Coordinated Planning

- Locally developed, coordinated public transit-human
- services transportation plan
- Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) (urbanized only)
- Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) (urbanized only)
- Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)

- NEW

**Notes:**
Note to trainers: this is also a cross-cutting issue

Trainer Note: It may be helpful to ask learners to turn to p. 105-107 of the 
pdf document (the schematic) during this discussion

Talking Points: Trainers can share these and other comments as
appropriate:

JARC projects must be derived from a locally developed, coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan developed through a process that includes representatives of public, private, and non-profit transportation and human service providers, participation by the public, and representatives addressing the needs of older adults and individuals with disabilities.
This is new for SAFETEA-LU, also applies to Section 5310 and New Freedom, and will be discussed under Cross-Cutting Issues.  Trainer Note: see p. IV-1 and all of Chapter V in the circular for additional information. 
Projects in urbanized areas must be included in the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) prepared and approved by the metropolitan planning organization (MPO), the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) approved jointly by the MPO and the Governor, and the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) developed by a State and jointly approved by FTA and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Trainer Note: see p. V-8 in the circular for additional information
Projects outside urbanized areas must be included in, or be consistent with the Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan, as developed by the State, and must be included in the STIP. Trainer Note: see p. V-8 in the circular for additional information. 

Trainer Note: see the schematic on p. IV-5 (p. 105-107 in the pdf copy) in the
circular for additional Information.

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## JARC Competitive Selection

- Competitions every 1 to 3 years
- Competitive approach and selection criteria determined by designated recipient
- Announcement of competition and selected projects by designated recipient

**Notes:**
Note to trainers: this is also a cross-cutting issue 

Talking Points: Trainers can share these and other comments as
appropriate:

Competitions may be conducted annually or at intervals up to three years as determined by the designated recipient based on local needs.  Designated recipients may choose to fund projects that will be implemented over multiple years.  There should be opportunities to update coordinated plans to align with the competitive selection process.
The designated recipient determines the competitive approach strategy and selection criteria.  For example, the designated recipient may conduct a competition that selects from a list of specific projects/activities to be funded, communities to implement projects from the area’s plan, or specific agencies/organizations to provide services to meet specific needs that have been identified and prioritized through the local planning process. 
The designated recipient should publicly advertise the availability of funds and selection criteria.  They should also  publish a list of selected projects following the competitive selection process.

Trainer Note: see pp. IV-2 through IV-5 for additional information

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## JARC Program/State Plan

- State Management Plan (SMP)
- Describes policies and procedures for administering program
- May be combined with SMP of other FTA program(s)
- Must be approved by and on file with FTA regional office
- FTA conducts state management reviews

**Notes:**
Note to trainers: this is also a cross-cutting issue 

Talking Points: Trainers can share these and other comments as
appropriate:

The State Management Plan (SMP) is a document that describes the state's policies and procedures for administering the Section 5310 and 5311 programs, and the state-managed portions of the Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) and New Freedom programs. 
Each program may have a stand-alone plan or be combined with that of other programs.
Each State is required to have an approved SMP on file with the appropriate FTA regional office and to update it regularly to incorporate any changes in program management or new requirements.  
FTA conducts state management reviews to examine each state’s management procedures, and the relationship of the procedures to the SMP. 
We’ll review The State Management Plan when we discuss Cross-Cutting Issues.

Trainer Note: see chapter VII in the circular for additional information.

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## Summary

- JARC targets access to __________ and ___________________ activities for people with lower incomes.
- JARC also supports ______________ services.

**Notes:**
Display Slide 16

Trainer Note : Trainers should read each point, give learners time to
call out the answers and prompt them with correct answers if needed.

 JARC targets access to employment and employment related activities for people with lower incomes.  

 JARC also supports reverse commute services

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## Summary

- 3.  JARC has these new provisions under SAFETEA-LU:
- JARC is now a __________ program.
- ______ activities may now be funded.
- Projects must now be derived from a locally _____________________.

**Notes:**
Display Slide 17

Trainer Note: Trainers should read each point, give learners time to
call out the answers and prompt them with correct answers if needed.

 3.  JARC has these new provisions under SAFETEA-LU: 

JARC is now a formula based program
Planning activities may be funded. The federal match is up to 80% 
Projects must now be derived from a locally developed, coordinated public transit-human service transportation plan

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## Summary

- Capital projects may be funded up to
- 	___ % with Federal dollars.
- 5.  Operating projects may be funded up to
- 	___ % of the net operating costs of the activity.

**Notes:**
Display Slide 18

Trainer Note: Trainers should read each point, give learners time to
call out the answers and prompt them with correct answers if needed.

Capital projects may be funded up to 80 % with Federal dollars.
	Trainer Note: Up to 90% for ADA/Clean Air-related equipment.

5.  Operating projects may be funded up to 50% of the net operating costs of the activity.

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## Summary

- 6. There are a variety of eligible services and projects under JARC. Name five.

**Notes:**
Display Slide 19

Trainer Note: Trainers should read each point, give learners time to
call out the answers and prompt them with correct answers if needed.

6. There are a variety of eligible services and projects under JARC. Name five.

Trainer Note: an extensive list is found on pages 3 and 4 of Worksheet 1
answer key.  An even longer list is in the JARC circular, Ch. III Section 11, p.
III-8).
Eligible services and projects include:
Late-night and weekend service
Guaranteed ride home service
Shuttle service
Expanding fixed-route public transit routes
Continuation projects
Demand-responsive van service
Ridesharing and carpooling activities
Transit related aspects of bicycling
Local car loan programs
administration and expenses related to voucher programs
Promotion (marketing)
Acquiring Geographic Information System (GIS) tools 
Implementing Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
 Integrating automated regional public transit and human service transportation information, scheduling and dispatch functions 
Deploying vehicle position-monitoring systems
Employing a mobility manager

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## Summary

- 7. Designated recipients for the JARC program can be _________ and _____________.
- 8. Designated JARC state agencies have many roles and responsibilities. Name five.

**Notes:**
Display Slide 20

Trainer Note: Trainers should read each point, give learners time to
call out the answers and prompt them with correct answers if needed.

7. Designated recipients for the JARC program can be a state agency for areas with population under 200,000 and a designed public entity for urbanized areas with population of 200,000 or more

8. Designated JARC state agencies have many roles and responsibilities. Name five.
Conducting an area-wide or statewide competitive selection process to select subrecipients.
Certifying a fair and equitable distribution of funds resulting from the competitive selection process.
Certifying that each project selected was derived from a locally developed, coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan.
Certifying that local plans are developed through a process that included representatives of public, private, and non-profit transportation and human services providers and participation by the public. 
Managing all aspects of grant distribution and oversight for subrecipients receiving funds under this program.
Submitting reports as required by FTA.

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## Summary

- 9. Projects in urbanized areas must be included in the ________ prepared and approved by the MPO, the ________ approved jointly by the MPO and the Governor, and the ________ developed by a State and jointly approved by FTA and Federal Highway Administration.
- 10. Competitions may be conducted _______ or at intervals up to _____ years as determined by the designated recipient based on local needs.

**Notes:**
Display Slide 21

Trainer Note: Trainers should read each point, give learners time
to call out the answers and prompt them with correct answers if
needed. After the final question thank everyone for their
participation.

9. Projects in urbanized areas must be included in the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) prepared and approved by the metropolitan planning organization (MPO), the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) approved jointly by the MPO and the Governor, and the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) developed by a State and jointly approved by FTA and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

10. Competitions may be conducted annually or at intervals up to three years as determined by the designated recipient based on local needs.  

End of Section 5316.