Page 1 GAO-04-420R Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations 

February 24, 2004 

The Honorable Thomas E. Petri 

Chairman 

Subcommittee on Highways, Transit, and Pipelines 

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

House of Representatives 

Subject: Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations: Federal Agencies Are Taking 

Steps to Assist States and Local Agencies in Coordinating Transportation Services 

Dear Mr. Chairman: 

In June 2003, we reported that over 60 federal programs can fund transportation 

services for certain “transportation-disadvantaged” populations (such as some elderly 

persons, persons with disabilities, or low-income persons) that lack the ability to 

provide their own transportation or have difficulty accessing conventional public 

transportation, but that several obstacles impede coordination of these programs.1

Most of the programs are administered by four federal departments—Transportation, 

Health and Human Services, Labor, and Education. Coordinating these disparate 

federal efforts could result in more efficient use of federal resources and in improved 

services for these transportation-disadvantaged populations. In fact, some local areas 

that have overcome existing obstacles and successfully coordinated the services 

offered by federal programs and others available in their area have realized improved 

customer service and substantial cost savings. 

To promote and encourage further coordination of the transportation services 

provided by these programs, we recommended that (1) the Departments of Labor and 

Education join the Departments of Transportation and Health and Human Services as 

members of the Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (Coordinating 

Council);2

 (2) the members of the Coordinating Council develop and distribute 

 

1

U.S. General Accounting Office, Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations: Some Coordination 

Efforts Among Programs Providing Transportation Services, but Obstacles Persist, GAO-03-697 

(Washington, D.C.: June 30, 2003). 

2

The Departments of Transportation and Health and Human Services formally established the 

Coordinating Council on Human Services Transportation in 1986, renamed the Coordinating Council 

on Access and Mobility in 1998. The Secretaries of the two departments signed a Memorandum of 

Understanding to create a forum where coordination of transportation programs sponsored by the two 

departments could be pursued to achieve the basic objective of improving mobility. 

United States General Accounting Office 

Washington, DC 20548 
Page 2 GAO-04-420R Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations

additional guidance to states and other grantees that encourages the coordination of 

transportation services; (3) the member departments ensure that the Coordinating 

Council’s strategic plan and each member department’s strategic and annual 

performance plans have long-term goals and performance measures related to 

coordinating the departments’ programs and improving transportation for 

transportation-disadvantaged populations; and (4) the member departments link their 

Web sites to the Web site of the Coordinating Council and advertise the site in 

departmental correspondence and other outreach opportunities. In addition to these 

recommendations, we identified several more general options for improving 

coordination—including developing improved leadership and establishing 

interagency forums at the federal, state, and local levels; harmonizing differing 

federal program standards and requirements; and providing financial incentives to 

encourage state or local agencies to coordinate. 

You asked us to (1) determine whether the four federal departments and the 

Coordinating Council have taken steps to address our recommendations and (2) 

identify actions taken by the four federal departments in relation to the options we 

outlined for improving coordination. 

To determine what actions have been taken or planned in response to our June 2003 

report, we interviewed officials at the Departments of Transportation, Health and 

Human Services, Labor, and Education responsible for those departments’ 

transportation coordination efforts, as well as officials from the Coordinating 

Council. We reviewed internal agency documents and publicly available documents 

describing several of the departments’ planned actions regarding coordination. We 

reviewed departmental strategic plans issued since June 2003 and determined 

whether linkages had been established between the Web sites of the Coordinating 

Council and the Web sites of the four departments. We also reviewed the 

departments’ written responses to questions posed at a congressional hearing on 

coordination held in May 2003,3

 as well as their written responses to our 

recommendations. We compared the departments’ actions to the recommendations 

and options we outlined in our June 2003 report. To obtain perspectives on the extent 

to which the departments’ actions are responsive to the recommendations and 

options we outlined, we sought the input of officials responsible for implementing 

some of these actions, and officials from the Community Transportation Association 

of America and associations representing transportation-disadvantaged populations, 

including AARP and the National Council for Independent Living. We conducted our 

work from November 2003 through February 2004 in accordance with generally 

accepted government auditing standards.

Results in Brief 

Federal departments and the Coordinating Council have made progress implementing 

the recommendations in our June report, which should result in improved 

 

3

Joint Hearing on Coordinating Human Services Transportation, House Committee on Transportation 

and Infrastructure and House Committee on Education and the Workforce; Washington, D.C.; May 1, 

2003. 
Page 3 GAO-04-420R Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations 

coordination of federal programs at the state and local level. However, the 

departments have made limited efforts to include coordination in their strategic and 

annual performance plans. The Departments of Labor and Education have been 

invited to join the Coordinating Council, and have been active in interdepartmental 

working groups under the council. In addition, several efforts are under way to 

improve and expand the range of guidance and technical assistance offered by three 

of the four federal departments; however, the Department of Education has yet to 

begin developing guidance on coordination for its programs. These federal 

coordination efforts are designed to help state and local agencies coordinate some of 

the key federal programs, such as Health and Human Services’ Medicaid program and 

Labor’s programs under the Workforce Investment Act, with transportation services 

funded by the Department of Transportation. All of these actions are in the early 

stages of implementation, and their success will depend on whether the departments 

can muster a sustained effort focused on measurable performance goals related to 

coordination efforts. While the Federal Transit Administration—an agency within the 

Department of Transportation—has included coordination-related performance goals 

in its strategic plan, other agencies and departments have not yet fully incorporated 

transportation coordination objectives, goals, or performance measures related to 

coordination in their strategic and annual performance plans. Officials within the 

involved departments and agencies, however, have identified transportation and the 

coordination of these services as an area to consider in the next cycle of planning 

efforts. Finally, while some of the agencies within the Departments of Health and 

Human Services, Labor, and Education have linked their Web sites to the 

Coordinating Council’s Web site, or have plans to do so, other agencies within these 

departments have not yet implemented this recommendation. 

The Departments of Transportation, Health and Human Services, Labor, and 

Education have also taken additional actions related to the other options outlined in 

our report for improving coordination. In December 2003, the four departments 

launched a five-part coordination initiative—“United We Ride”—that is designed to 

help states and communities overcome obstacles to coordination. This initiative is 

designed to provide financial incentives for coordination and establish an interagency 

forum for communication. While this initiative holds promise for improving 

coordination at the state and local levels, it is too soon to comment on its ability to do 

so. Also, while there have been some onetime funding contributions from three of 

the four departments, a more long-term commitment of resources could make the 

success of these ongoing actions more likely. 

The Departments of Transportation, Health and Human Services, Labor, and 

Education all commented on a draft of this report. All agreed with the findings of the 

report and provided technical comments that have been incorporated where 

appropriate. 

Background 

Many federal programs authorize use of funds to provide transportation to 

transportation-disadvantaged people so they can access government programs. 
Page 4 GAO-04-420R Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations

Programs that can fund incidental transportation services include health and medical 

programs or job-training programs. For example, Medicaid, which is administered by 

the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services within the Department of Health and 

Human Services (HHS), spent an estimated $976.2 million on transportation in fiscal 

year 2001. In addition, the Community Transportation Association of America 

(CTAA)4

 identified several programs as routinely providing transportation for clients, 

including Workforce Investment Act (WIA) programs, administered by the 

Department of Labor (DOL), and Vocational Rehabilitation Grants, administered by 

the Department of Education.5

 

In addition to these services, the Department of Transportation (DOT) funds several 

programs that focus on the specific transportation needs of transportationdisadvantaged populations. For example, Job Access and Reverse Commute Grants 

are aimed at connecting low-income individuals to employment and support services, 

and the Capital Assistance Program for Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities 

provides financial assistance to nonprofit organizations for meeting the 

transportation needs of elderly persons and persons with disabilities. 

Recognizing the potential problems created by uncoordinated approaches to 

providing transportation to transportation-disadvantaged populations, DOT and HHS 

formed the Coordinating Council on Human Services Transportation in 1986, 

renamed the Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility in 1998, to have 

responsibility to coordinate and address issues of transportation access and mobility 

in the member Departments’ respective programs. Besides meeting as a whole body, 

members of the Coordinating Council also participate in various working groups to 

address coordination issues for specific populations, such as the elderly or persons 

with disabilities, or specific types of trips, such as medical trips. 

Federal Departments and the Coordinating Council Are Making Progress in 

Implementing Our Recommendations 

Numerous actions and plans to implement our recommendations to improve 

coordination are under way by federal departments involved in providing 

transportation services for the transportation-disadvantaged and by the Coordinating 

Council, though some departments have made more progress than others. In 

addition, the Coordinating Council has recently formed a working group to address 

the obstacles to coordination we identified in our report. The group, which first met 

in January 2004, was formed to determine which obstacles can be addressed 

administratively and which require legislative action and to propose next steps for 

administratively addressing the obstacles. 

 

4

CTAA is a national, professional membership association that conducts research and provides 

technical assistance for community transportation providers. 

5

Community Transportation Association of America, Building Mobility Partnerships: Opportunities 

for Federal Investment (Washington, D.C.: March 2002). 
Page 5 GAO-04-420R Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations 

The Departments of Labor and Education Have Been Invited to Join the Coordinating 

Council

The Secretaries of Transportation and Health and Human Services sent the 

Secretaries of Labor and Education letters inviting them to join the Coordinating 

Council on January 29, 2004. While the Coordinating Council has yet to meet formally 

with its new members, the expectation of joining has led to increased communication 

and collaboration among the four major departments involved in providing 

transportation services for the transportation-disadvantaged. For example, 

representatives of DOL and Education attended the most recent Coordinating 

Council meeting in November 2003, and both departments have participated in the 

council’s Obstacles Work Group and Persons with Disabilities Transportation Work 

Group. 

Federal Departments Are Taking Steps to Improve Guidance and Technical 

Assistance for Transportation Coordination

Federal departments have efforts under way to develop and disseminate additional 

guidance to states and other grantees that are designed to help clarify program rules 

and encourage coordination of some key programs (see table 1). Many of these 

efforts are centered in the Coordinating Council’s work groups and focus on specific 

opportunities to coordinate transportation services for particular populations or 

types of trips. 

Table 1: Federal Actions in Response to Recommendation to Develop Additional Coordination Guidance 

Recommendation Federal actions 

Develop and distribute additional guidance to states 

and other grantees that encourages the coordination of 

transportation services 

• DOT and HHS: Medicaid transit-pass brochures 

being updated 

• DOT and HHS: Guidance on Medicaid 

transportation brokerage under development 

• DOL and DOT: Guidance on using WIA program 

funds in coordination with other program funds 

forthcoming 

• DOT and HHS: Providing proactive technical 

assistance in eight states 

• DOL, DOT, and HHS: Existing technical assistance 

centers are coordinating and streamlining their 

efforts 

• DOL, DOT, and HHS: Developed the “Framework 

for Action,” a human services transportation 

coordination self-assessment tool for states and 

communities 

Source: GAO. 

Guidance for Coordinating with Medicaid Is Being Updated 

The Medical Transportation Work Group of the Coordinating Council, which includes 

officials from DOT’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and HHS’s Centers for 

Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), plans to issue an updated Medicaid transit-pass 
Page 6 GAO-04-420R Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations

brochure6 that provides guidance on how to coordinate Medicaid transportation with 

local transit services. In addition, the group is working to issue a new brochure on 

Medicaid transportation brokerages aimed at providing guidance on coordinating the 

various medical transportation providers within a community.7

 These materials, when 

issued, could help states better utilize existing transit systems and other medical 

transportation resources in communities to provide transportation for Medicaid 

beneficiaries. Medicaid transit-pass programs and brokerage systems in some states 

have resulted in significant cost savings and expanded transportation services for 

Medicaid beneficiaries, and additional guidance could encourage more states to 

develop these systems. In addition, an official from the work group said the group is 

working to clarify Medicaid’s cost allocation policy, which was cited as an obstacle to 

coordinating transportation services provided under Medicaid with other programs. 

Guidance Is Being Developed to Help Communities Identify Resources and 

Improve Planning 

Additional efforts designed to encourage local coordination are also under way by the 

Older Adult Transportation Work Group of the Coordinating Council, which includes 

officials from HHS’s Administration on Aging and FTA. One effort involves 

developing a template, being piloted in 15 communities, for each community to use in 

identifying existing transportation resources. In our June 2003 report, we found that 

an important first step for communities to coordinate transportation services is to 

identify the extent of services being offered in the community. The group is also 

working with the National Consortium on the Coordination of Human Services 

Transportation8

 to develop guidance for state and local transportation agencies to 

develop and coordinate state and local transportation plans with human services 

agencies that are involved in providing transportation for their older adult clients. 

Including human services agencies in transportation planning has been an important 

factor in the development of coordinated transportation projects under FTA’s Job 

Access and Reverse Commute program, and further participation of human services 

agencies in transportation planning could lead to improved coordination of the 

transportation services provided by those agencies with other transportation 

resources. This project began in November 2003 and is scheduled for completion by 

the end of 2004, according to a CTAA official involved with the work group. 

 

6

In the summer of 1999, DOT and HHS issued a brochure on the results of Medicaid bus-pass usage in 

six states. According to the Medical Transportation Work Group, the new brochure will highlight 

several communities and models that have implemented a transit-pass program. 

7

CTAA defines brokerage as a method of providing transportation where riders are matched with 

appropriate transportation providers through a central trip-request and administration facility. The 

transportation broker may centralize vehicle dispatch, record keeping, vehicle maintenance, and other 

functions under contractual arrangements with agencies, municipalities, and other organizations. 

Actual trips are provided by a number of different vendors. 

8

The National Consortium, composed of national professional organizations and interest groups, is 

designed to provide coordination information, support, and resources to those concerned with 

community transportation. 
Page 7 GAO-04-420R Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations 

Another effort, aimed at helping communities identify coordination resources, 

occurred when DOT and HHS convened four regional meetings of transportation and 

human services providers and staff from various state-funded programs.9

 The purpose 

of these meetings was to discuss coordination issues and programs, such as the 

Medicaid transit-pass program and brokerage programs. According to a DOT official, 

attendees developed state action plans for coordination and discussed best practices 

in service delivery. DOT and HHS officials indicated that they plan to hold similar 

meetings in the remaining six regions in 2004 that will also include representatives 

from DOL and the Department of Education. 

 Guidance on Coordinating DOL Programs Is Forthcoming 

DOL, in conjunction with FTA, is developing additional guidance. According to 

officials from these agencies, the agencies are in the process of developing responses 

to questions posed by CTAA with regard to how DOL program funds, such as from 

the WIA programs, can be used for transportation and in conjunction with other 

programs that serve similar populations and purposes. In our June report, we found 

that the lack of guidance about how WIA funds could be used to coordinate 

transportation was a common obstacle for states trying to coordinate the 

transportation services provided under WIA with other programs. Agency officials 

told us the responses will also address other obstacles mentioned in our June report, 

such as liability insurance issues related to carrying participants of other programs, 

and the proper sharing of funds from multiple programs. The responses are currently 

awaiting administrative approval for release and dissemination. DOL plans to post the 

responses on its Web site, as does CTAA. 

 Department of Education Has Not Developed Additional Guidance 

While DOT, HHS, and DOL have developed guidance for some of their key programs, 

the Department of Education has not yet done so. According to Education’s response 

to questions posed at the May hearing on coordination, the department agrees in 

principle with providing additional guidance and technical assistance with regard to 

how its programs can be coordinated at the local level. However, Education officials 

said they had been awaiting the invitation to join the Coordinating Council before 

pursuing the recommendations in our June report, and they also cited the impending 

reauthorization of some of the department’s key programs as the reason for delaying 

action. 

Technical Assistance Programs Are Being Expanded and Coordinated 

Federal departments are also improving and expanding technical assistance for 

coordination in several ways. First, as part of the “United We Ride” initiative, 

representatives from existing federally sponsored technical assistance programs—

including DOT’s Rural Transportation Assistance Program, Easter Seals Project 

ACTION technical assistance center, and Intelligent Transportation Peer-to-Peer 

 

9

DOT and HHS each have 10 regional offices. 
Page 8 GAO-04-420R Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations

Program; HHS’s Community Transportation Assistance Project; and DOT’s and DOL’s 

Joblinks Technical Assistance Program—have begun meeting regularly with the goal 

of determining how best to collaboratively address the coordination of human 

services transportation and technical assistance needs. 

DOT and HHS have been conducting a pilot project using two technical assistance 

“ambassadors.” These individuals, who are active technical assistance specialists 

with CTAA and Easter Seals Project ACTION, are testing a new approach in eight 

states (Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, and Texas). 

According to agency officials, the ambassadors are to proactively assist these states, 

and communities within the states, in following through on coordination action plans 

and other initiatives begun in joint FTA/HHS regional workshops. The job of the 

ambassadors is to ensure that states are actively identifying the extent of 

coordination that currently exists in their states, to offer assistance along the way, 

and to pinpoint potential trouble spots and bring additional resources to bear in 

addressing them, according to a CTAA official who works with one of the 

ambassadors. For example, according to the official, the city of Birmingham, 

Alabama, was experiencing significant difficulties in their coordination efforts, and 

technical assistance from the Joblinks program was insufficient to overcome the 

difficulties. The CTAA official said he and the ambassador were able to tap into the 

other federal technical assistance programs’ resources to help the city develop a 

strategic vision and plan, and to connect city officials with peers elsewhere in the 

country, with the goal of improving coordination of programs. DOT officials also said 

that they hope this pilot project will help the agencies within DOT and HHS assess 

the resources that would be required to provide such intense technical assistance to 

additional states. 

 Additional Guidance Has Been Developed for Assessing Coordination Efforts 

As part of the “United We Ride” initiative, DOL, DOT, and HHS recently developed the 

Framework for Action, a coordination self-assessment tool. According to DOT, states 

and communities can use the tool to identify areas of success and highlight the 

actions still needed to improve the coordination of human service transportation. It 

includes a facilitator’s guide and descriptions of the core elements of a fully 

coordinated transportation system in a state or community. For example, the 

Framework for Action core elements for states include (1) evaluating the degree of 

existing state leadership and partnership; (2) determining whether current 

transportation resources have been identified, transportation needs have been 

assessed, and a strategic plan has been developed; (3) assessing the degree of 

customer focus; (4) identifying cost-sharing arrangements; (5) determining 

technology needs; and (6) assessing the extent of community-level mobility 

management arrangements. 
Page 9 GAO-04-420R Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations 

Federal Departments and the Coordinating Council Have Yet to Fully Incorporate 

Coordination Activities with Measurable Performance Goals in Their Strategic and 

Annual Performance Plans

Officials from DOT, HHS, DOL, Education, and the Coordinating Council have 

indicated that they plan to consider including information on coordinating 

transportation services for the transportation-disadvantaged in their next strategic 

and annual performance plans. However, for various reasons, only FTA has 

demonstrated progress in this area at this time (see table 2). 

Table 2: Federal Actions in Response to Recommendation to Incorporate Coordination in Strategic 

Planning Efforts 

Recommendation Federal actions 

Ensure that the Coordinating Council’s strategic plan 

and each member department’s strategic and annual 

performance plans have long-term goals and 

performance measures related to coordinating the 

departments’ programs and improving transportation 

for transportation-disadvantaged populations 

• Coordinating Council and HHS strategic plans are 

under revision 

• FTA has added coordination-related performance 

measures to its strategic plan 

• Officials from DOL and Education say they are 

waiting for reauthorization of several key pieces of 

legislation before incorporating transportation 

coordination into their strategic and performance 

plans 

Source: GAO. 

DOT’s most recent departmentwide strategic plan, issued in September 2003, does 

not specifically address coordination of transportation services for the 

transportation-disadvantaged. However, a DOT official noted that some of the 

strategies presented in the plan for increasing access to transportation-disadvantaged 

populations do support coordination. In particular, one strategy is to “work with 

stakeholders in all modes to ... operate the system at its highest level of efficiency,” 

which supports coordination with other service providers. Furthermore, FTA has 

added an objective to its own strategic plan creating, as a key deliverable, 

accountability for each of the 10 federal regions to help states complete assessments 

using the Framework for Action. The target goals for fiscal year 2004 are for 30 

percent of states overall (15 states) to complete the assessment and for at least one 

state in each region to implement one or more of the core elements of the Framework 

for Action. 

HHS’s strategic plan for fiscal years 2003-2008 is still in draft form. An HHS official 

said that the department is developing more detailed goals and measures of 

collaboration and transportation efforts that cut across departments. 

Officials from DOL and Education told us that their departments’ ability to respond to 

our recommendations is limited by reauthorization issues. A DOL official said that the 

department is making an effort to make coordination of transportation services more 

of a priority in its strategic and performance planning process. However, the most 

recent departmentwide strategic plan, issued in September 2003, does not address 

transportation as a component of DOL’s programs. In a written response to our 

recommendation, a DOL official stated that while the department’s strategic plan 
Page 10 GAO-04-420R Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations

does not specifically address transportation, it includes strategies for developing a 

competitive workforce through establishing crosscutting strategic initiatives with 

other government agencies. In a separate written response, an official from DOL’s 

Employment and Training Administration noted that the administration plans to 

revisit its own strategic and annual performance plans to address coordination after 

reauthorization of WIA—a key piece of legislation governing most of that 

administration’s programs that can be used to fund transportation services. An 

official from Education had a similar response, saying that the department is limited 

in its ability to respond to this recommendation until several key pieces of legislation 

are reauthorized. However, DOT has included several provisions that are intended to 

improve coordination of human service transportation in the department’s surface 

transportation reauthorization proposal. These provisions include (1) requiring local 

coordination plans for funds allocated through the Capital Assistance Program for 

Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities, New Freedom program, and Job 

Access and Reverse Commute program; (2) the ability to use other federal dollars for 

the required state/local match for these programs; (3) an increase in the percentage 

of funds for these programs that can be used for administrative, planning, and 

technical assistance purposes; and (4) allowing mobility management to be an 

eligible expense under the Urbanized Area Formula Program.

DOT and HHS officials active in Coordinating Council activities estimate that the 

council’s strategic and action plans will be updated by the end of 2004. The officials 

said they plan to align the tasks of the action plan with the Coordinating Council’s 

long-term goals and objectives and to include measurable annual performance goals 

for coordination efforts. 

Federal Departments Provide Web Links to the Coordinating Council

The four federal departments have made progress in adding Web links to the 

Coordinating Council’s Web site (see table 3). In our June report, we found that some 

state and local officials involved in providing transportation services were unaware of 

the Coordinating Council or the coordination information available on its Web site. 

Accordingly, we recommended that DOT, HHS, DOL, and Education link the Web 

sites of their agencies involved in providing services for the transportationdisadvantaged to the Coordinating Council’s Web site and advertise the site in 

departmental correspondence and during conferences or other outreach 

opportunities. As we noted in our June report, the FTA Web site already contained a 

link to the Coordinating Council’s Web site prior to our recommendation. 
Page 11 GAO-04-420R Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations 

Table 3: Federal Actions in Response to Recommendation to Provide Links to Coordinating Council’s 

Web Site 

Recommendation Federal actions 

Link departmental Web sites to the Web site of the 

Coordinating Council and advertise the site in 

departmental correspondence and other outreach 

opportunities 

• HHS’s Administration on Aging, DOL’s Employment 

and Training Administration, and Education’s Office 

of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services 

provide links to the Coordinating Council’s Web site 

• Other agencies within HHS, DOL, and Education 

have not linked their Web sites to the Coordinating 

Council 

Source: GAO. 

An official from CMS in HHS said that CMS plans to include transportation 

information and links to FTA and the Coordinating Council on its Web site. This 

action is awaiting administrative review. HHS’s Administration on Aging’s Web site 

contains transportation information and a link to the Coordinating Council’s Web 

site. There is also a link to the Coordinating Council on HHS’s Office of 

Intergovernmental Affairs Staff Information page under the name of a key member of 

the Coordinating Council. However, other HHS agencies that fund transportation 

services for the transportation-disadvantaged—Administration for Children and 

Families, Health Resources and Services Administration, and Substance Abuse and 

Mental Health Services Administration—do not provide such a link. 

DOL’s Employment and Training Administration has added a link to the Coordinating 

Council in its Web page. Other DOL agencies involved in transportation, such as the 

Veterans Employment and Training Service, do not have links to the Coordinating 

Council. However, the Employment and Training Administration administers the 

majority of DOL’s programs that can fund transportation services for the 

transportation-disadvantaged. 

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services administers the bulk of 

Education’s programs for the transportation-disadvantaged, and that agency has 

added a link to the Coordinating Council on its Web page. Education’s Office of 

Elementary and Secondary Education and Office of Innovation and Improvement do 

not provide links to the Coordinating Council on their Web pages. According to 

Education’s written response to questions posed at the May hearing on coordination, 

the department indicated that its response to this recommendation could be 

accomplished through its participation as a member of the Coordinating Council. In 

addition, the department stated that it plans to cross-link Web-based resources with 

other departments and the Web site of the Coordinating Council after the Individuals 

with Disabilities Education Act and the Rehabilitation Act are reauthorized. 

The “United We Ride” Initiative Holds Promise to Improve State and Local 

Coordination of Transportation Services 

A significant response to some of the other options identified in our June report has 

been “United We Ride,” a five-part transportation coordination initiative—developed 

by DOT, HHS, DOL, and Education—that was officially launched in December 2003. 
Page 12 GAO-04-420R Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations

The options we identified for improving coordination include developing improved 

leadership and guidance and establishing interagency forums at the federal, state, and 

local levels and providing financial incentives to encourage state or local agencies to 

coordinate (see table 4).

Table 4: The Five Components of the “United We Ride” Initiative and Their Relation to the Coordination 

Options in GAO’s June 2003 Report 

Component Description Related coordination options 

Framework for Action A tool states and communities can use to 

assess their coordination efforts and identify 

areas for improvement 

• Provides additional coordination 

guidance to states and communities 

State Leadership 

Awards 

Awards to recognize 3-5 states that have 

made significant progress in coordination; 

awards are to be presented at National 

Leadership Forum 

• Recognizes successful state 

leadership efforts and encourages 

other states to coordinate 

National Leadership 

Forum on Human 

Services 

Transportation 

Coordination 

Transportation and human service teams 

from each state have been invited to 

participate in this February 2004 conference 

to highlight coordination successes, 

technical assistance programs, and peer 

advice 

• Provides opportunities to 

demonstrate federal and state 

leadership in coordination 

• Provides forum for interagency 

communication 

State Coordination 

Grants 

Grants to address transportation 

coordination gaps and needs identified 

through the Framework for Action; states 

participating in the Forum are eligible to 

apply 

• Provides financial incentives to 

encourage states to coordinate 

Help Along the Way Technical assistance program; federal 

departments and national organizations are 

working to coordinate existing technical 

assistance services and provide “hands-on” 

coordination assistance to states and 

communities (e.g., the technical assistance 

“ambassadors”) 

• Provides additional coordination 

guidance to states and communities 

Source: GAO analysis of information from DOT, HHS, DOL, Education, AARP, Community Transportation Association of America, and National Councils for Independent 

Living. 

The initiative takes steps to improve federal leadership and commitment to 

coordination by establishing coordination as a priority and providing some dedicated 

financial support and proactive technical assistance. According to FTA officials, 

states and local communities will be encouraged to use the Framework for Action to 

identify gaps in their coordination efforts and specific steps to address those gaps, 

and FTA is holding itself accountable—through performance measures in its strategic 

plan—for getting states to implement the Framework for Action. To date, DOT has 

committed approximately $1 million for the state coordination grants, which provides 

states with financial resources for addressing the identified gaps. According to DOT 

officials, other agencies have indicated that they plan to commit funds to these grants 

as well. 
Page 13 GAO-04-420R Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations 

The initiative also recognizes the importance of state leadership in successful 

coordination. Similar to what was outlined in our report, an expert panel10 advised 

DOT officials that strong leadership at the state level is necessary for coordination to 

succeed; subsequently the secretaries of all four departments invited the governor of 

each state and territory to appoint state leadership teams of transportation and 

human service officials to participate in an interdepartmental coordination forum. All 

four secretaries are scheduled to make presentations during this National Leadership 

Forum. According to DOT officials, State Leadership Awards will be presented to 

selected states that have implemented exemplary models of coordination 

transportation, and representatives from those states will be asked to share 

information on their successful coordination efforts. In addition, technical assistance 

resources are scheduled to be available at the National Leadership Forum to help 

states and localities implement the Framework for Action, identify peers who can 

coach them through coordination challenges, and provide other types of coordination 

advice and assistance, according to officials from FTA. The DOT officials also stated 

that FTA, the Federal Highway Administration, and DOL’s Office of Disability 

Employment Policy have pledged financial support for the forum. In addition, DOL’s 

Employment and Training Administration is also considering financial contributions 

in support of United We Ride activities, according to DOL officials. 

“United We Ride” shows promise for improving coordination because it addresses 

our recommendation for federal departments to provide additional guidance on 

transportation coordination and it addresses other options highlighted in our report. 

However, it is too soon to comment on the effectiveness of this initiative because 

many of the components are just being implemented. Also, with reauthorization of 

key federal legislation pending and with growing federal and state deficits, the future 

sustainability of funding for these activities is uncertain. A long-term commitment of 

resources could make the success of these ongoing actions more likely. 

Agency Comments 

We provided the Departments of Transportation, Health and Human Services, Labor, 

and Education with a draft of this report for review and comment. All generally 

agreed with the findings in the report and provided technical comments, which we 

have incorporated where appropriate. The Department of Health and Human Services 

also provided general comments, which are presented in enclosure I. 

_ _ _ _ _ 

As agreed with your office, unless you announce the contents of this report earlier, 

we plan no further distribution until 30 days after the issue date. At that time, we will 

send copies of this report to the appropriate congressional committees and to the 

Secretaries of the Departments of Transportation, Health and Human Services, Labor, 

and Education. Copies will also be available at no charge on GAO’s Web site at 

 

10In August 2003, FTA convened a panel of transportation and human service experts—representing 

users, service providers, state governments, urban and rural areas, and other groups—to identify the 

elements of fully coordinated systems and the lessons that have been learned about how communities 

make progress toward becoming fully coordinated. 
Page 14 GAO-04-420R Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations

www.gao.gov. If you have any questions concerning this report, please contact me at 

(202) 512-2834 or siggerudk@gao.gov, or Rita Grieco at (202) 512-2834 or 

griecor@gao.gov. Jessica Lucas-Judy and Andrew Von Ah also made key 

contributions to this report.

Sincerely yours, 

Katherine Siggerud 

Director of Physical Infrastructure Issues 

Enclosure 
Page 15 GAO-04-420R Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations 

Enclosure 

Comments from the Department of Health & Human Services 
Page 16 GAO-04-420R Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations

Enclosure 

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