Pima Association of Governments (PAG), the metropolitan planning organization in Pima County, is accepting public comments starting Dec. 13 on the proposed FY 2023-2026 Public Transit-Human Services Coordinated Transportation Plan.
The 30-day comment period runs through 5 p.m. on Jan. 11.
The plan, which is federally required for the greater Tucson region, identifies the transportation needs of individuals with disabilities, seniors, and people with low incomes. It provides strategies for meeting those local needs and prioritizes transportation services and projects for funding and implementation.
The primary purpose of the plan is to provide guidance on the use of federal Section 5310 grants in the region. The Section 5310 program provides capital grants and operating assistance to non-profit and public agencies in acquiring and operating vehicles to transport older adults and persons with disabilities. The Arizona Department of Transportation serves as the designated recipient within the greater Tucson region. PAG coordinates with ADOT as to the use of the Tucson Urban Area 5310 apportionment and makes recommendations for small urban and rural areas. ADOT ultimately determines the final awards using PAG’s recommendations in its review process.
The draft FY 2023-2026 PAG Public Transit-Human Services Coordinated Transportation Plan includes the following key elements:
- Identifies transportation resources and evaluates needs assessments, including:
- Discovering regional service gaps
- Describing the current network of transportation providers including public transit, private transportations systems including Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) providers, volunteer and disabled veteran transportation services
- Revealing overlaps and gaps in services by mapping service area boundaries provided by participating 5310 agencies, volunteer transportation services, NEMT and veteran transportation providers
- Identifying populations served relative to agency programs
- Displaying the footprint of transportation services provided relative to urban and rural areas
- Identifying emerging needs
- Proposes strategies to bridge regional gaps, including:
- Determining opportunities for volunteer transportation services
- Identifying opportunities for regional coordination among transportation providers
- Evaluating the impact of COVID-19 on services and anticipating recovery from those impacts
- Creating coordinated strategies for addressing funding constraints
- Prioritizes collaboration to solve regional challenges via:
- Setting goals and strategies to advance regional coordination
- Identifying funding priorities for Federal Transit Administration Section 5310 projects
The draft FY 2023-2026 PAG Public Transit-Human Services Coordinated Transportation Plan may be viewed on the PAG Public Comments webpage. The plan may also be viewed online at all branches of the Pima County library system that have computers available for public use.
Public Comment Schedule
This public comment period begins Monday, Dec. 13, 2021. All written public comments on the proposed program must be received by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022, which concludes the comment period. Comments may be submitted via the online public comment form at PAGregion.com or emailed to info@PAGregion.com.
Mailed comments should be sent to: Pima Association of Governments, 1 E. Broadway Blvd., Suite 401, Tucson, AZ 85701.
For more information, call Genine Sullivan, PAG transportation mobility coordinator, at (520) 792-1093.
If you need translation assistance, please contact Zonia Kelley at (520) 792-1093. Si necesita ayuda con traducción, llame por favor al (520) 792-1093 y comuníquese con Zonia Kelley.
