NOACA Will Ask for Designation as Administrator of Transportation Programs for Low-Income and Disabled Persons in Northeast Ohio

At today’s meeting, the NOACA Governing Board agreed to ask the Governor of the State of Ohio to designate NOACA as the Cleveland urban area recipient for the Job Access/Reverse Commute (JARC) and New Freedom programs. The Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), the current federal surface transportation law, established these special transportation programs. The JARC program offers transportation assistance for low-income individuals by providing access to employers. The New Freedom program focuses on the transportation needs of people with disabilities and addresses issues that go beyond the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Responsibilities of a designated JARC and New Freedom program recipient include:

• Administering both programs, including grant distribution, monitoring fund recipients and ensuring compliance with federal requirements;
• Applying to the Federal Transit Administration for program funding;
• Developing a project selection system and process;
• Preparing a regional coordination plan; and
• Certifying that local plans are developed equitably and through a process that includes representatives of public, private and human service providers and the public.