The projects will provide access to job sites for low-income workers and welfare recipients and can also be used to transport children of these individuals to childcare. The grant program is intended to establish a coordinated regional approach to job access challenges. Public transportation is one of the key factors in shaping community development and eliminating poverty, Espinosa says.
Cars are more and more expensive and hard for the poor to afford.
One of the most important ways to help low-income New Mexicans is to make sure they can get from where they live to the job. The ATR Institute specializes in research, planning, and establishment of rural transit for transportation-disadvantaged populations. The ATR Institute is one of the leaders in the effort to coordinate public and human services transportation in the State. We believe this new technology can help make transit more efficient and cost-effective so New Mexico can provide the greatest service to those with the greatest need. The U.S. Department of Transportation s Federal Transit Administration solicited competitive grants under the Job Access and Reverse Commute Program, authorized under Section 3037 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century.