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State of the State: Transportation Coordinationand Mobility Management Efforts in Florida

April 2021

About the National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM)
The National Center for Mobility Management is a national technical assistance center fundedthrough a cooperative agreement with the Federal Transit Administration, and operated
through a consortium of three national organizations—the American Public Transportation
Association, the Community Transportation Association of America, and Easterseals Inc. The
mission of the Center is to promote customer-centered mobility strategies that advance good
health, economic vitality, self-sufficiency, and community.

NCMM would like to thank the Florida coordination professionals who were interviewed andprovided review of this state profile:••••

Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantagedo David Darm, Executive Director
Community Transportation Coordinatoro Ross Silvers, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority
Local Coordinating Board Perspective, Planningo Julia B. Davis, AICP, Polk Transportation Planning Organization
Florida Public Transportation Associationo Lisa Bacot, Executive Director

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Contents
Overview ..................................................................................................... 3
Roles and Responsibilities ................................................................................. 4
Geographic Scale, Lead Agency, and Authority ........................................................ 8
Funding ...................................................................................................... 9
Current Status of Network ............................................................................... 12
Current Hurdles ......................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Conclusion .................................................................................................. 15
Resources ................................................................................................... 162

Overview
Florida has long been at the forefront of innovative thinking regarding coordinatedtransportation, especially for the “transportation disadvantaged.” Florida law defines theterm as those persons who, because of physical or mental disability, income status, or age,
are unable to transport themselves or to purchase transportation and are, therefore,
dependent upon others to obtain access to health care, employment, education, shopping,social activities, or other life-sustaining activities, or children who are handicapped or highrisk.1
In 1989, the Florida Legislature created the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged(CTD) within the Department of Transportation (DOT) to coordinate the transportation
services provided to the transportation disadvantaged.2 The purpose of the coordinated effort
is to assure the cost-effective provision of transportation by qualified community
transportation coordinators (CTCs) or transportation operators3 to the transportation
disadvantaged. As the state-level entity responsible for the oversight of the coordinatedtransportation disadvantaged services, the CTD contracts with CTCs and the planning agency
for each county.4
Florida has a dedicated funding source, the Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund, forservices that are considered “non-sponsored.”; meaning, the program supports trips for
eligible individuals who have no other funding source (i.e., “sponsored” trips) or means oftransportation available in the community (including public transit). For example, an eligible
individual may receive “sponsored” trips through Florida’s Managed Care Medical Assistance
Program (Medicaid) to access medical appointments.5 However, there may not be a similar
funding source for that same individual to access grocery shopping and other life-sustaining
activities, where such trips could be reimbursed under the Transportation Disadvantaged
program.
Florida's well-established coordination system is intended to balance local flexibility withcomprehensive state planning, policy, and oversight. The CTD serves as the policy
development and implementation agency for Florida’s transportation disadvantaged program.
“Coordination” is specifically defined in Chapter 427, Florida Statutes, as the “arrangement

1 Section 427.011(1), F.S.
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Section 427.013, F.S.

3 The term “transportation operator” means one or more public, private for-profit, or private nonprofit entities

engaged by the CTC to provide service to transportation disadvantaged persons pursuant to a coordinated systemor plan. Section 427.011(6), F.S.
4 Florida Commission for Transportation Disadvantaged, 2018 Annual Performance Report, p. 9-11. Available at:https://ctd.fdot.gov/docs/AORAPRDocs/ApprovedAOR2017-2018.pdf (last visited Jan. 13, 2020)
5 When Medicaid was “in” the Coordinated system. In 2011, they pulled out of coordination (see NEMT section
below)

3for the provision of transportation services to the transportation disadvantaged in a mannerthat is cost-effective, efficient, and reduces fragmentation or duplication of services.”6
Figure 1 highlights the organization structure of the coordination model.

Figure 1 - An overview of the organization of the Florida CTD model. Source: TD 101 – A Comprehensive Overview
of the Transportation Disadvantaged Program PowerPoint

Roles and Responsibilities
The Role of the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged“Our Mission - To ensure the availability of efficient, cost-effective, and qualitytransportation services for transportation disadvantaged persons.” – Commission forTransportation Disadvantaged
The CTD brings together multiple agencies and populations. It has seven voting members
appointed by the Governor; at least five who have significant business experience, at least
two who have a disability and use the transportation disadvantaged system, and at least one
over 65 years of age. Ex-officio non-voting advisors include representatives of the stateagencies or departments of Children and Families, Elder Affairs, Health Care Administration,
6 Section 427.011(11), F.S.

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Persons with Disabilities, Transportation, Veterans Affairs and Economic Opportunity, as well
as a county manager or administrator appointed by the Governor.
The CTD administers the Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund (TDTF),7 a dedicatedsource of funding for the coordination of transportation disadvantaged services across thestate. The majority of TDTF funds are allocated and disbursed to Florida’s 67 counties
through the Trip and Equipment Grant program. Trips funded from the TDTF are considered“non-sponsored” services, meaning such services “are not sponsored or subsidized by any
funding source other than the Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund.”8 Some counties
choose to provide additional local funds to increase the availability of services for TD
populations.
Florida’s legislation clearly defines the roles of both state and local agencies (see figure 1).
The state Commission selects a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) or other local entity
to be the designated official planning agency, which, in turn, appoints and staffs a Local
Coordinating Board (LCB), the chair of which must be an elected official. The LCB serves as anadvisory body in its service area. It identifies local service needs, provides guidance forservice coordination, and recommends a community transportation coordinator (CTC) to the
CTD.
The CTD contracts directly with the CTCs, which are organizations responsible forcoordinating transportation services in each of Florida's 67 counties. CTCs receive state andfederal funds to provide, or broker transportation services. State agencies may purchasetransportation services (“purchasing agencies”) from a CTC or are billed directly by service
operators. Purchasing agencies may include the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration(which administers the state’s Medicaid Managed Medical Assistance program), the Agency for
Persons with Disabilities Medicaid Waiver program, Department of Elder Affairs, etc.
State law gives the state Commission several other responsibilities besides designatingplanning agencies and contracting with CTCs. Florida provides extensive technical assistanceto the CTC in each county. Florida’s TD program requires CTCs to include CPR, first aid, driversafety, passenger assistance, and driver sensitivity in its training program. In addition, the TD
program works with the Department of Transportation to provide guidelines for planning,
program management training, contract management, quality assurance reviews, operational
reviews, financial evaluations, drug testing of employees, and information on Federal
guidelines.
Among other duties, the Commission must submit an annual report to the governor andlegislature, establish objectives and standards for transportation disadvantaged service
provision, develop policies and procedures for coordinating state, local and federal funding,
disburse funds and provide assistance to local agencies, and prepare a statewide five-year
transportation plan that addresses coordination issues.
The Role of Community Transportation Coordinators (CTCs)
Every county in Florida has a designated Community Transportation Coordinator (CTC) that is
responsible for the coordination and delivery of quality, safe and cost-effective
7 Section 427.0159, F.S.

8 Section 427.011(12), F.S.

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transportation services for the transportation disadvantaged. A CTC is a transportation entity
or organization recommended by a metropolitan planning organization (MPO), or by theappropriate designated official planning agency in an area outside the purview of a MPO, toensure that coordinated transportation services are provided to the transportation
disadvantaged population in a designated service area.
Each local CTC is responsible for the actual arrangement and delivery of transportation
services to the transportation disadvantaged. Services may include door-to-door paratransit
services, on-demand transportation (where the CTC may subcontract with a taxi-cab and/or atransportation network company to provide), and/or bus pass programs, if a fixed routesystem exists in the community and is accessible to the individual. The CTC, through acompetitive procurement process, may contract with local transportation operators toprovide transportation services to the transportation disadvantaged. Specifically, CTCs must:
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Execute uniform contracts for service using a standard contract, which includes
performance standards for operators.
Collect annual operating data for submittal to the commission.
Review all transportation operator contracts annually.
Approve and coordinate the utilization of school bus and public transportation services
in accordance with the transportation disadvantaged service plan.
In cooperation with a functioning coordinating board, review all applications for local
government, federal, and state transportation disadvantaged funds, and develop costeffective coordination strategies.
In cooperation with, and approved by, the coordinating board, develop, negotiate,
implement, and monitor a memorandum of agreement, including a service plan, forsubmittal to the commission.
In cooperation with the coordinating board and pursuant to criteria developed by thecommission, establish eligibility guidelines and priorities regarding the recipients of
non-sponsored transportation disadvantaged services that are purchased withTransportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund moneys.
Have full responsibility for the delivery of transportation services for thetransportation disadvantaged.
Work cooperatively with local workforce development boards to aid in thedevelopment of innovative transportation services for participants in the welfaretransition program.

The Role of Local Coordinating Boards (LCBs)
The local coordinating board (LCB) is an advisory entity in each designated service area
composed of representatives appointed by the MPO, or designated official planning agency, toassist the CTC relative to the coordination of transportation services. The LCB oversees andannually evaluates the CTC. The LCB also aids the CTC by identifying local service needs.
Each LCB must:••

Review and approve the coordinated community Transportation Disadvantaged Service
Plan (TDSP), including the memorandum of agreement, prior to submittal to thecommission. The TDSP serves as the human services transportation coordination plan,in line with requirements for FTA’s Section 5310 program.
Evaluate services provided in meeting the approved plan.
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In cooperation with the CTC, review and provide recommendations to the commission
on funding applications affecting the transportation disadvantaged.
Assist the CTC in establishing eligibility guidelines and priorities regarding therecipients of non-sponsored transportation disadvantaged services that are purchasedwith Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund moneys.
Review the coordination strategies of service provision to the transportation
disadvantaged in the designated service area.
Evaluate multicounty or regional transportation opportunities.

To better understand the perspective of a LCB planner, NCMM interviewed Julia B. Davis,
AICP, senior transportation planner for the Polk Transportation Planning Organization. Davis
shared that the primary role for the LCB is to be the local stakeholder that provides
continuity in the activities of Polk County’s TD Program. “Coordinators (CTC’s), county
commission champions, and budget money may come and go, but the planning agency stays
there most of the time,” Davis said.
Davis also underscored the importance of the relationship between planners in each county.
They tend to refer to each other as “my coordinator” or “my planner,” and they often “haveone another on speed dial.” For Polk County, Davis writes a draft of the TDSP and works withthe local CTC for them to review and comment. Davis also works with a subcommittee on the
LCB to write, comment, and publish changes to the TDSP, with the process taking place
iteratively for a few months. One of the key components Davis emphasized is that everythingis done together- whether the planner works with the coordinator, the coordinator works withthe local board, or the board works with the planner. “It is not just, you are responsible for
this, but we [the TD program in Polk county] are.”
Also serving on the board are 19 members who represent various stakeholder groups –including:
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Elected officials
FDOT Regional Office staff
Department of Children and Families
FL Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
Veterans Service Office
Citizen Advocates (Users of the system, caregivers, etc.)
Children at Risk
FL Department of Elder Affairs
Local Private Operators
Public Transit Representatives
FL Agency for Healthcare Administration
Regional Workforce Development Board
Local Medical Community
Public Education/School Board
Economically Disadvantaged

The board membership provides opportunities for stakeholders in the community to serve on
the LCB, and each of those people brings their resources, priorities, concerns, or things theywant to, and/or must accomplish. There are many ways the board members can be7

advocates. Each of them has some sort of hierarchy, like the state agency, representatives
can communicate with their hierarchy about the program and the need for help. They can
assist with legislation and legislative advocacy, or education as appropriate for theirconstituents.
Davis emphasized that the coordinated system partners have the potential to be a powerfulplatform to coordinate transportation, especially in times of crisis. Davis recalls one example
from Charlotte County during Hurricane Charley, where drivers from Charlotte County Transit
knew their routes and customers, what their needs were, and were able to make criticallyimportant life-saving trips.
The Role of Florida DOT
The state’s Central Office coordinates with the Commission for the Transportation
Disadvantaged to ensure that all locally developed Transportation Disadvantaged Service
Plan’s (TDSP) meet the FTA’s requirements for Locally Developed Coordinated Human
Services Transportation Plans (required under FTA section 5310). Under Chapter 427, Florida
Statutes, it is mandated that all new transportation funding for the transportation
disadvantaged be coordinated with the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged.
TDSPs are developed using local stakeholder groups and are approved by local coordinatingboards (LCBs).
The Central Office staff and District Office staff also coordinate on rural transportation
planning issues. Community Transportation Coordinators, as designated under Chapter 427,
Florida Statutes, participate in the rural transportation planning process in the rural areas.
Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT)
In 2011, the Florida Legislature reformed the Medicaid state plan to operate under a managed
care system (i.e., Managed Medical Assistance program), which included non-emergency
medical transportation services (NEMT). When the legislation took effect in FY 2014-2015, theCommission no longer had authority to administer NEMT. Some of the CTCs continue toprovide NEMT services under contract with brokers and managed care organizations, but theyoccur outside the purview of the CTD.

Geographic Scale, Lead Agency, and Authority
Geographic Scale: Statewide coverage, with CTCs and LCBs in each county
Lead Agency: Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged, an independentagency of the Florida Department of Transportation.
Establishing Authority: 427.011-017, Florida Statutes, and Rule 41-2, Florida Administrative
Code
Legislation was first passed in 1979 requiring the coordination of state-funded programs thatprovided transportation to transportation-disadvantaged populations. In 1989, the law wasamended to create the CTD and Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund. Florida'stransportation disadvantaged program and the CTD are currently governed by Chapter
8427.011-017, Florida Statutes, and Rule 41-2, Florida Administrative Code. The Transportation
Disadvantaged Trust Fund, which provides for carrying out the responsibilities of the CTD, isestablished in Chapter 427.0159, Florida Statutes, and further outlined in Rule 41-2.013 and41-2.014, Florida Administrative Code. For sources of revenue for the trust fund, see Chapters
320.02, 320.03, 320.0848, 320.204, 341.052 and 427.0159, Florida Statutes.

Funding
Unique among states, Florida has a dedicated funding source for transportation disadvantaged
services and coordination: The Transportation Disadvantaged Trust Fund, administered by the
CTD. The funds deposited into the Trust Fund must be appropriated by the Legislature to fundthe commission and may be used by the commission to subsidize a portion of a transportation
disadvantaged person’s transportation costs if certain criteria are met.9 In fiscal year 20192020, the Legislature appropriated $66.5 million in revenue through the Trust Fund (seeFigure 2 below). The largest source of revenue deposited in the Trust Fund is the $1.50 fee
collected from each motor vehicle license tag registration. The trust fund also statutorily
receives:
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A $5 portion of the $15 fee for a temporary disabled parking permit, which must be
used for matching grants to counties to improve transportation of persons who havedisabilities.
Voluntary contributions, which must be used as provided in the TD Program.
An annual $10 million from the proceeds of fees for original and duplicate certificatesof title transferred from the State Transportation Trust Fund (STTF), which must be
used as provided in the TD Program.
An annual $10 million from the Multi-Use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance(M-CORES) legislation (SB 7068) for the Commission to award Innovation and Service
Development Grants; andAdditional amounts from the STTF, reflected in Figure 2 below.

9 Section 427.0159, F.S.

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Figure 2 - Commission Revenues FY 2019-2020. Source: TD 101 – A Comprehensive Overview of the Transportation
Disadvantaged Program PowerPoint

The trust fund is disbursed in two kinds of grants: 1) planning grants to local planning
agencies for the purpose of local transportation disadvantaged planning and providing staff
support to local Coordinating Boards, and 2) trip and equipment-related grants to CTCs tofund transportation services not otherwise sponsored by a government agency or program,including the purchase of capital equipment. The latter grants fulfil the crucial role of fillinga service gap for persons whose transportation needs are not met by any other program. The
fund also covers the CTD’s administrative expenses.
The commission has awarded grants to several CTCs around the state to support projects that
fulfil the objectives of the M-CORES legislation (see following section). Majority of the
projects extend service options to existing operations, such as extending hours of operation orproviding “on-demand” services not currently available to the TD population.
From a systemwide perspective, Florida’s Coordinated Transportation System reported
approximately $296 million in revenues from all the various funding sources in FY 2019-20.
Most of the revenue (46 percent) comes from local government programs, such as fares
collected by the transit system. Of the $296 million of systemwide revenue, the TDTF
provided approximately 17.5 percent. Other sources of funding included the federal
Department of Transportation and other federal programs, and the state departments or

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agencies for Children and Families, Education, Elder Affairs, Health, and Economic
Opportunity (the workforce development system). See Figure 3 below.

Figure 3 - Coordinated System's Revenues FY 2019-2020. Source: 2020 Annual Performance Report (fdot.gov)

Innovation & Service Development Grant Program
The 2019 Legislature created the Multi-Use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance (MCORES) program, which included $10 million in recurring funding to the Transportation
Disadvantaged Trust Fund.10 The Commission administers the funding through the “Innovationand Service Development” Grant program in Rule 41-2.014(2)(c), F.A.C.
The Commission awards the funding through competitive grants to CTCs and Transportation
Network Companies (TNCs) for innovative transportation service projects that:
1. Increase a transportation disadvantaged person’s access to and departure from job
training, employment, health care, and other life-sustaining services.
2. Enhance regional connectivity and cross-county mobility; or,
3. Reduce the difficulty in connecting transportation disadvantaged persons to atransportation hub, and from the hub to their destination.
For Fiscal Year 2019-20, the Commission awarded $4.5 million for 21 Innovation and Service
Development projects. Most of the projects extended service options to existing operations,such as extending hours of operation or providing “on-demand” services not currently
available to the TD population. Some of the projects supported employment activities, such
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Section 338.2278(8)(e), F.S.

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as trips for employees who work late shift hours in Pinellas County (St. Petersburg).
Approximately six projects supported access to health care activities, such as dialysis
treatment centers. Some of the projects supported cross-county transportation, such as trips
for veterans in Citrus County to access the VA hospitals in Gainesville and Tampa.

Current Status of Network
Current status of network (June 2020):
In 2020, Florida’s Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged conducted a “Trip andEquipment Allocation Formula Study” to explore changes to the formula used to allocate
funds through the Trip and Equipment Grant, established in Rule Chapter 41-2.014, F.A.C.
The study consisted of:•••

An in-depth analysis of data collected and reported by the Coordinated Transportation
System, including an examination of the impact of potential changes to the formula.
Stakeholder workshops for the Commission to receive input and explore funding
models for future consideration; andA final report, summarizing findings from the analysis, input received fromstakeholders, and proposed changes to the formula to be implemented in rule,
beginning July 1, 2021.

The final report from this study was published in September 2020. The report analysed datafrom federal and state sources to identify more precise ways of allocating funding based on
demand, performance, and systematic stability. The study can be found athttps://ctdallocationstudy.com/index.php/final-report/.
The Commission adopted changes to Rule 41-2, F.A.C., to implement the recommendations of
the study, beginning July 1, 2021. If approved by the State of Florida, the changes will
implement a new formula that will allocate funding to each county based on the following
four variables:1) TD Population – Using the American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates,11 the CTD
will allocate funding more directly to county residents that are eligible to be served by
the TD program (individuals living with a disability, who are 65 years or older, and/or
living below poverty).
2) Miles of Public Roads – As an alternative to geographic square miles, the Commission
will allocate funding for a county’s centerline miles12 to estimate travel habits moreaccurately across diverse counties.
3) TD Services Reimbursed Directly by the Trip & Equipment Grant – The current
allocation formula accounts for systemwide trips and miles reported in the county’s
Annual Operating Report (AOR), which includes both TD (non-sponsored) services andother sponsored transportation. The Commission will allocate TD funding more directlyfor services only reimbursed under the Trip & Equipment Grant. Using invoice data on
Trip & Equipment services submitted by CTCs (instead of AOR data) more directly
11 Data on characteristics that match the TD population are found on Table C18130
12 This data is collected and reported by the Federal Highway Administration

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measures performance of the TD non-sponsored services, which the allocations areintended to reimburse.
4) Base Funding – The current methodology has a separate base allocation component,
which is based on a county’s equivalent amount from Fiscal Year 1999-00, for the
purpose of ensuring stability in funding from year-to-year. As an alternative approach,the new formula adds base funding as a variable and allocates funds based on apercent of a county’s previous year’s allocation. This is intended to reduce extreme
increases or decreases in a county’s allocation year-to-year.

Current Hurdles
These are hurdles identified by Florida coordinated transportation system stakeholders.
Definition of “Sponsored” Trips - In 2016, several policy changes had been implemented that
had a major effect on the ability of Florida’s larger fixed-route transit systems to pull down
the TD dollars that have been allocated to their respective counties. The two major changes
were as follows:••

Lack of TD eligibility for passengers living within the Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA) service area and/or near fixed-route service (unless they are traveling after
hours or their origin/destination is outside the fixed route/ADA service area).
Allowing only the passenger fare to be billed to the CTD if the customer lives within
the ADA service area and/or near a fixed-route and cannot pay the fare.

David Darm, Executive Director of the CTD states that, “[the CTD] does not have an official
policy on this matter as of October 2020, beyond what is interpreted in Chapter 427. We areplanning to examine this issue further and hold workshops with stakeholders in the coming
months to develop a policy.”
There have been disagreements between the CTD and fixed route transit systems about thedefinition of what constitutes a “sponsored” trip and what kind of trips are eligible to becovered by the TDTF. In 2019, the CTD informed Florida’s fixed route transit systems thatthey can no longer use their allocated TDTF dollars within the ¾ mile ADA corridor because
the trip a person would be taking within the corridor is already “sponsored by an agency,” asindividuals with disabilities can use the ADA paratransit services. According to the CTD, theposition on ADA complementary paratransit was made before 2019. As referenced above, theposition was made in 2016 after the Commission discovered through its quality assurance
reviews that there was a lack of documentation among certain CTCs, verifying whether
individuals were determined eligible for TDTF services. Darm states that “the Commission is
ultimately accountable to the state in spending TDTF money in support for individuals who
are TD and have no other means of transportation available (e.g., personal vehicle, transit,etc.).”
Advocates with the Florida Public Transportation Association (FPTA) highlight Chapter
427.0159(3) of Florida Statutes. The statute states that TDTF “funds for non-sponsoredtransportation disadvantaged services shall be distributed based upon the need of the13

recipient and according to criteria developed by the CDT.” The criteria for “non-sponsored” isbased on the individual’s need, not whether the transportation operator is reimbursed forthat service. The funding is intended to purchase tips for eligible individuals who would
otherwise not have access to transportation. The ADA affords individuals with disabilities
living within a fixed route corridor access to services through complementary paratransit,
regardless of whether the TDTF reimburses those services. Previous guidance from the FTA
shows that ADA paratransit service should not be considered a sponsored program, since it is a
civil rights law. In addition, only 10% of 5307 funds can be used towards paratransit service
costs, which does not cover the expenses of implementing the federally mandated ADA law.
CTD is exploring this issue further to see if there is a better method in determining eligibility
for dual TD/ADA eligible riders. But it is important to emphasize that the state created the
TDTF to support individuals who have no other means of transportation.
FPTA understood that in the early to mid-90’s the Medicaid agency in several states also
attempted to deem their clients that lived within the ADA corridor to be ineligible for
Medicaid transportation. FTA provided a statement specifying that since the ADA is a piece of
civil rights legislation, it is therefore not considered a “sponsored program.” Consequently,
the Medicaid agency was informed that it should work with the local transit provider toprovide the trips for Medicaid utilizing state Medicaid transportation dollars and that theagency should negotiate a fair rate with the transit system to provide the service. It wasdetermined that the state Medicaid Agency could not shift the financial burden to the local
transit provider.
Conversely, the CTD states that the civil rights mandate is on transit agencies (not theCommission) to provide access to individuals with disabilities who live within a fixed-route
corridor and cannot access the route itself due to their disability. David Darm states, “this is
not to say the Commission is not willing to negotiate a rate to purchase paratransit services
for individuals with disabilities living within or around a fixed-route corridor. However, weneed to understand how that would increase access for individuals (i.e., who have limitedaccess under the current system) and the ramifications of such a decision on our trust fund.”Cross-County Mobility
Cross-county mobility is the ability to utilize transportation disadvantaged services acrosscounty lines. While the commission encourages CTCs and local planning agencies to promote
regional and cross-county transportation to enhance the mobility of the transportation
disadvantaged, there are challenges that may inhibit certain CTCs from providing trips outsideof their county, including:••

Urban transit systems – If the CTC is a transit authority, federal law requires it to provide
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) complementary paratransit services for individuals
who, due to a disability, cannot access the fixed-route bus system. The FTA requires these
services to be provided within ¾ of a mile outside the bus route, but the local transit
authority may decide whether to provide these services beyond the ADA corridor,
including across county lines.
Local autonomy – The transportation disadvantaged program provides the CTCs and theirlocal coordinating boards with the flexibility of determining their own service level, which
includes prioritizing the service needs. Some CTCs may choose to limit the number of trips
14•that cross county lines or support a certain activity based on a priority determined by the
local program.
Costs – Out-of-county trips are more expensive and require additional resources such as
drivers and vehicles. Despite this challenge, several CTCs are coordinating out-of-county
trips, which may be limited to certain days of the week or month to manage costs.
Additionally, some CTCs may have to contract with a taxi or transportation network
company to provide cross-county trips for individuals who need an “on-demand” service.

Some CTCs must cross county lines to go to major medical facilities. CTD Executive Director
David Darm shared that “funding is structured to allow that but there are limits.” As such,many cross-county trips may be limited to once a week. The CTD has expressed interest in
developing performance metrics that allow CTD to assess cost-effectiveness of cross-county
mobility.
Lisa Bacot, Executive Director of the Florida Public Transportation Association (FPTA) believes
that to better coordinate out of county trips and to maximize the limited dollars, it may betime to consider a regional pilot program with several CTCs in order to pool the funding for
TDTF dollars, and extend their reach for a more regional transportation approach that better
responds to emerging travel patterns in Florida.
Lack of Coordination with Medical Transportation - Back in 2011, the Medicaidtransportation program was placed under a managed care system, with all the NEMT undermanaged care. Some CTCs provide NEMT transportation in the cases where there is limited orno other transportation providers in their community. However, the switch to managed careredefined what coordination meant in Florida. Fragmentation with funding for different trips
has resulted with different numbers to call for different trips.

Conclusion
Despite the overwhelming success of the TD program, Florida recognizes that there is stillmuch work to be done. Currently the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged, CTCs,
LCBs, and other stakeholders like the Florida Public Transportation Association, are working
to find ways of meeting those unserved needs, through policy, rulemaking, pilots, and otherefforts.

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Resources:
Also, NCMM reviewed several helpful web resources on the CTD Model to understand service
delivery considerations.
1. Commission for Transportation Disadvantaged Website
2. Florida Human Service Transportation Coordination State Profile, National Conferenceof State Legislatures
3. Transportation Disadvantaged State-Wide Service Analysis, Center for Urban
Transportation Research, University of South Florida
4. Florida Transportation Disadvantaged Programs, Return on Investment Study
5. Innovative Approaches for Increasing Transportation Options for People with
Disabilities in Florida, Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, Inc.
6. Local Coordinating Board and Planning Agency Operating Guidelines, Florida CTD
7. Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged 2020 Annual Performance Report

The National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM; www.nationalcenterformobilitymanagement.org) is a national technical assistance centercreated to facilitate communities in adopting mobility management strategies. The NCMM is funded through a cooperative agreement with theFederal Transit Administration and is operated through a consortium of three national organizations – the American Public Transportation
Association, the Community Transportation Association of America, and Easterseals. Content in this document is disseminated by NCMM in theinterest of information exchange. Neither the NCMM nor the U.S. DOT, FTA assumes liability for its contents or use.

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