[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 218 (Thursday, November 10, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79086-79090]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-27157]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
Announcement of Fiscal Year 2016 Rides to Wellness Demonstration
and Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility Grants Competitive
Program Project Selections
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) announces the selection of Rides to Wellness
Demonstration and Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility Program
(R2W Program) projects, with $7.2 million of funding from two programs:
Section 3006(b) of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act
(FAST), Public Law 114-94, which authorized a pilot program for
innovative coordinated access and mobility at $2 million; and $5.3
million from 49 U.S.C. 5312 (Section 5312). On March 29, 2016, FTA
published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) (81 FR 17549)
announcing the availability of Federal funding for the R2W Program.
These program funds will provide financial assistance to States and
Designated or Direct Recipients to test promising, replicable public
transportation healthcare access solutions that support the following
goals: Increased access to care, improved health outcomes and reduced
healthcare costs.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Successful applicants should contact
the appropriate FTA Regional Office for information regarding applying
for the funds or program-specific information. A list of Regional
Offices can be found at www.transit.dot.gov. Unsuccessful applicants
may contact Danielle Nelson, Office of Program Management at (202) 366-
2160, email: [email protected], to arrange a proposal debriefing
within 30 days of this announcement. A TDD is available at 1-800-877-
8339 (TDD/FIRS).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In response to the NOFO, FTA received 78
[[Page 79087]]
project proposals requesting $28 million from 34 states. Project
proposals were evaluated based on each applicant's responsiveness to
the program evaluation criteria outlined in the NOFO. FTA is funding 19
projects, as shown here: https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/grants/fy-2016-rides-wellness-demonstration-and-innovative-coordinated-access-and-mobility and in Table 1, for a total of $7,211,518. Recipients
selected for competitive funding should work with their FTA Regional
Office to submit a grant application in FTA's Transit Award Management
System (TrAMs) for the projects identified in the attached table. Funds
must be used consistent with the competitive proposal and for the
eligible purposes established in the NOFO and described in the FTA
Circular 9070.1G.
Recipients are reminded that program requirements such as cost
sharing or local match can be found in the NOFO. A discretionary
project identification number has been assigned to each project for
tracking purposes and must be used in the TrAMs application.
Selected projects are eligible to incur costs under pre-award
authority no earlier than the date projects were publicly announced,
September 12, 2016. Pre-award authority does not guarantee that project
expenses incurred prior to the award of a grant will be eligible for
reimbursement, as eligibility for reimbursement is contingent upon
other requirements. For more about FTA's policy on pre-award authority,
please see the FTA Fiscal Year 2016 Apportionments, Allocations, and
Program Information and Interim Guidance found in 81 FR 7893 (February
16, 2016). Post-award reporting requirements include submission of the
Federal Financial Report and Milestone progress reports in TrAMs as
appropriate (see FTA.C.5010.1D). Recipients must comply with all
applicable Federal statutes, regulations, executive orders, FTA
circulars, and other Federal requirements in carrying out the project
supported by the FTA grant. FTA emphasizes that recipients must follow
all third-party procurement guidance, as described in FTA.C.4220.1F.
Funds allocated in this announcement must be obligated in a grant by
September 30, 2018.
Carolyn Flowers,
Acting Administrator.
Table 1--FY 16 Grants for Rides to Wellness Competition Project Selections
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State Recipient Project ID Project description Allocation
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MD................................. Maryland Transit D2016-RTWD-001 The Maryland Transit Administration $103,334
Administration. will receive $103,344 to increase
the capacity of a mobility
management program that addresses
barriers for low-income individuals
in Allegany County western Maryland
who lack reliable access to
transportation to receive non-
emergency medical care. The
program, which will be updated with
transportation coordination
software, coordinates and provides
transportation to and from non-
emergency medical appointments at
no cost to the individuals.
CA................................. Riverside County D2016-RTWD-002 Riverside County Transportation 185,753
Transportation Commission and its partner
Commission. organizations will receive $185,753
for the Blythe Wellness Express, a
program that provides access to
preventative healthcare for South
California residents. This travel
navigator/mobility management
coordination project will address
access to services in an
underserved area and involve staff
from the public transit agency,
healthcare providers and community
volunteers. An evaluation piece
will document health-related
outcomes.
PA................................. Pennsylvania D2016-RTWD-003 The Pennsylvania Department of 1,190,000
Department of Transportation will receive
Transportation. $1,190,000 to fund FindMyRidePA. a
one-call, one-click center and real-
time transportation service serving
a three-county area in central
Pennsylvania. Building off the one-
call center concept developed from
an FTA-funded Veterans
Transportation and Community Living
Initiative project, the project
will address the challenge of
missed health appointments due to a
lack of transportation in a
targeted community, then scale it
for deployment in other areas of
the state.
IL................................. Rides Mass Transit D2016-RTWD-004 Rides Mass Transit District of 518,844
District. Illinois will receive $518,844 to
establish a ``one-call'' center,
expand mobility management services
for patients at risk of re-
hospitalization, and initiate
transportation coordination for
patients seeking drug abuse and
mental health services in southern
Illinois with a high rate of mental
health and substance abuse and a
disproportionately low number of
healthcare providers. The project
is intended to close the gap in
access to mental health for
patients due to transportation
challenges in rural areas and
builds on a 2015 FTA-funded Rides
to Wellness Healthcare Access
Challenge Grant.
[[Page 79088]]
MI................................. Michigan Department of D2016-RTWR-001-001 The Michigan Department of 1,006,387
Transportation. Transportation will receive $1
million to expand a brokerage-based
program currently only available in
certain parts of the state to a
statewide model. The program
manages and delivers non-emergency
medical transportation for older
adults, people with low incomes,
and people with disabilities,
ensuring they have access to non-
emergency healthcare. The
coordination software records trips
reserved by county in each region
based on trip types, procedures and
clinic visits. Local health centers
will integrate the software and
refer clients to the service.
VT................................. Vermont Agency of D2016-RTWR-001-002 The Vermont Agency of Transportation 170,000
Transportation. will receive $170,000 to develop a
program to train staff at Community
Health Services to act as mobility
managers to help individuals in the
Ascutney, Windsor and St. Johnsbury
regions of Vermont schedule and
attend medical appointments. This
will lead to better health
outcomes, a reduction in missed
appointments, and a reduction in
the use of emergency services for
routine medical care. Modeled on a
program in another region of
Vermont, the mobility managers will
help patients, medical providers
and social service agencies
identify individuals most at risk
and provide alternative
transportation options via local
transit providers.
MI................................. Flint Mass D2016-RTWR-001-003 The Flint Mass Transportation 310,040
Transportation Authority will receive $310,040 to
Authority. develop a mobility management
program, including coordinated non-
emergency medical transportation,
trip planning and training. The
program will provide rides to
wellness appointments for
behavioral health patients,
dialysis patients, and primary/
urgent care for families, and
elderly and elderly disabled
patients in Flint and nearby
Genesee County, both of which are
impacted by Flint's municipal water
crisis. Building on a 2015 FTA-
funded Healthcare Access Mobility
Design Challenge Grant, the project
will improve local coordination and
access in the community.
MA................................. Montachusett Regional D2016-RTWR-001-004 Montachusett Regional Transit 200,000
Transit Authority. Authority will receive $200,000 to
implement a technology that
analyzes routing and dispatching
among several providers to
integrate management of rides to
healthcare in western Massachusetts
and boost under-used fixed route
and paratransit services. The
software will allow paratransit and
Council on Aging systems to bid on
demand response, long-term and
shared ride contracts so people
seeking fixed route, paratransit
and senior ride services can
request additional rides or mix
rides to maximize efficiencies. The
software also will determine if a
provider has the capacity to
deliver service.
FL................................. Jacksonville D2016-RTWR-001-005 The Jacksonville Transportation 399,200
Transportation Authority will receive $399,200 to
Authority. develop a software interface
connecting medical scheduling
programs and transit schedules to
generate transit travel times and
costs for healthcare receptionists
and patients as they choose
appointments. With the potential to
link a large number of healthcare
providers to mobility management
nationally, the project will
provide a pilot data set to prove
the value of linking transportation
options with medical appointments.
TN................................. Knoxville Area Transit D2016-RTWR-001-006 Knoxville Area Transit will receive 200,000
$200,000 to expand its 2-1-1 call
center as a single point of entry
for older adults and people with
disabilities to access transit to
healthcare facilities in the
region. The project will improve
local coordination and access in
the community and train public
information staff, healthcare
providers and residents on how to
use KAT buses.
GA................................. Atlanta Regional D2016-RTWR-001-007 The Atlanta Regional Commission will 337,628
Commission. receive $337,628 to provide travel
training, free transit passes over
a six-month period, and paratransit
or reduced fare enrollment
assistance to at least 200
individuals to be selected from
four area health centers. The
program will address the difficulty
in accessing medical services via
paratransit by bolstering a travel
training and mobility management
effort and leveraging creative
community partnerships. A regional
summit will explore future
opportunities for collaboration,
identify barriers and propose
solutions.
[[Page 79089]]
NY................................. Niagara Frontier D2016-RTWR-001-008 The Niagara Frontier Transportation 468,566
Transportation Authority will receive $468,566 to
Authority. fund transportation to prenatal
healthcare appointments for low-
income, high-risk pregnant women in
Buffalo, NY. The project provides
participants with a transit pass as
well as guidance on how to use the
public transportation system for
healthcare appointments. The
project concept was formed through
a HUD Sustainable Communities
Initiative and a 2015 FTA-funded
Healthcare Access Mobility Design
Challenge grant.
CA................................. San Diego Association D2016-RTWR-001-009 The San Diego Association of 160,000
of Governments. Governments will receive $160,000
to coordinate rides for patients,
both those traveling from emergency
rooms to hospitals for admission
and discharged patients traveling
to pharmacies, treatments or their
homes. The project will apply
mobility management as part of
hospital discharge planning,
helping patients learn about how to
attend healthcare appointments as
well as wellness activities using
public transportation.
MI................................. Detroit Department of D2016-RTWR-001-010 The Detroit Department of 509,475
Transportation. Transportation will receive
$509,475 to increase mobility for
older adults, particularly city
residents with lower incomes and/or
disabilities, to non-emergency
medical care. The project will use
scheduling software that improves
efficiency and coordination between
transportation and healthcare
providers, as well as offer
transportation to health/wellness/
prevention activities such as
recreation centers, parks, and
farmers markets.
IA................................. Iowa Department of D2016-RTWR-001-011 The Iowa Department of 130,560
Transportation. Transportation will receive
$130,560 for the Delaware County
Connections Program, a rural,
volunteer-based transit service
that will improve the coordination
of non-emergency medical
transportation and provide
healthcare access for people with
low incomes, older adults and
individuals with intellectual
challenges. The project focuses on
rides to wellness activities at
senior centers, farmers markets and
support groups.
NH................................. New Hampshire D2016-RTWR-001-012 The New Hampshire Department of 182,880
Department of Transportation will receive
Transportation. $182,880 to fund the Bridge to
Integration Project, a technology
that will bridge the gap between
Medicaid-funded transportation
brokers and NHDOT's coordination
software vendor system, an
innovation that will be tested at
three pilot sites. The sites will
test the new technology with the
goal of increasing access to
transportation for healthcare
appointments for Medicaid
recipients, older adults and people
with disabilities. Under NH's
managed care model authorized in
2011, all Medicaid populations are
to be enrolled in a managed care
program. The result has been an
increase in the Medicaid care
management population. By
partnering with the brokers and
implementing a coordination
software system, it will allow more
efficient and effective
coordination of transportation
resources and assets throughout the
state.
MO................................. Bi-State Development D2016-RTWR-001-013 The Bi-State Development Agency of 940,251
Agency. St. Louis, MO, will receive
$940,251 for its Gateway Program,
which features a public health
mobile clinic that provides health
screenings such as blood pressure
and cholesterol tests at MetroLink
Public Transportation Stations in
north St. Louis County. This public
transit and healthcare partnership
creates a bridge between silos by
serving the healthcare needs of
public transit riders along their
route. The program includes non-
emergency medical transportation to
and from appointments using transit
subsidies, and is designed to
provide underserved residents with
a bridge in care until they are
able to enroll in health insurance
coverage options available through
the Affordable Care Act.
OH................................. Ohio Department of D2016-RTWR-001-014 The Ohio Department of 133,000
Transportation. Transportation will receive
$133,000 to fund the Mommy and Me
Ride for Free program on behalf of
the Hospital Council of Northwest
Ohio. The project, which improves
coordination and access in Lucas
County by leveraging existing
transportation options, will
provide pregnant women and women
with infants access to
transportation. Using the TARPS and
TARTA transit systems, women will
increase their access to
healthcare, leading to better birth
outcomes and improved health status
for both mother and baby.
[[Page 79090]]
NC................................. Research Triangle D2016-RTWR-001-015 The Research Triangle Regional 65,600
Regional Public Public Transportation Authority of
Transportation Durham, N.C., will receive $65,600
Authority. to expand the Go Triangle Regional
Call Center to improve coordinated
transit planning and application
assistance for paratransit riders
who are low-income, uninsured or
have mental health special needs.
By co-locating paratransit mobility
management services with fixed
route mobility management services,
the project will increase access to
care. The project builds on a 2015
FTA-funded Healthcare Access
Challenge Grant that tested
solutions for transportation for
low income, uninsured, or Medicaid
consumers of behavior healthcare
and developed a plan to implement
solutions.
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Total: $7,211,518.
[FR Doc. 2016-27157 Filed 11-9-16; 8:45 am]
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