At the request of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) and with guidance and input from human services agencies and public and private transit operators in each county, SEWRPC has facilitated the planning processes and prepared the maps, tables, and inventories for Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Coordination Plans (“Coordination Plans”) for each of the seven counties in the Region.
The Coordination Plans are intended to provide a framework to assist community leaders, human services agencies, and public transit agencies to improve transportation services in each county and between counties. The Coordination Plan assesses the existing transportation needs and services in the county, identifies unmet needs or service gaps, and presents a prioritized list of strategies to address those needs. By focusing on coordination strategies that use existing resources, the Coordination Plan aims to improve county residents’ access to transportation in a cost-effective manner.
County Coordination Plans
To develop the county Coordination Plans, SEWRPC staff organized a series of meetings for multiple counties to identify the unmet transportation needs in each county and between counties, and develop strategies to address the needs. The plans for Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties were developed during three meetings in West Allis; the plans for Kenosha, Racine, and Walworth Counties were developed during two meetings in Burlington; and the plans for Ozaukee and Washington Counties were developed during two meetings—one in West Bend, and one in Port Washington. A wide range of stakeholders in each county was invited to the meetings.
Each County’s coordination plan may be viewed and downloaded by clicking on the links in the right toolbar. The invitation list, meeting records, and attendance lists for the coordination planning meetings are documented in the appendices of each plan.
Federal and State Requirements for Coordination Plans
The Coordination Plans were prepared in response to Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regulations. Beginning in 2007, transit projects using the following FTA program funds must be derived from a locally-developed plan for public transit and human services transportation coordination:
- Elderly and Disabled Transportation Capital Assistance Program (Section 5310) funds, which assist with the purchase of specialized transit vehicles used to serve elderly and disabled persons;
- Job Access and Reverse Commute Program (JARC) funds, which in Wisconsin are combined with other state and federal funding programs through the Wisconsin Employment Transportation Assistance Program (WETAP). The JARC/WETAP funds can be used to provide capital and operating assistance for services that address the employment-related transportation needs of low-income workers and public assistance recipients; and
- New Freedom Program funds, which assist with capital and operating expenses for new public transportation services that exceed the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). In Wisconsin they are also often combined with Federal funds for Vocational Rehabilitation.
In addition to these three programs, WisDOT requires that projects selected for funding under the Supplemental Transportation Rural Assistance Program (STRAP) be derived from a coordination plan.
The FTA requires that public transit-human services transportation plans include, at a minimum, the following elements:
- An assessment of transportation needs for individuals with disabilities, seniors, and people with low incomes;
- An assessment of available transportation services that identifies current providers;
- Strategies to address the identified gaps between current services and needs, as well as opportunities to improve efficiencies in service delivery; and
- Priorities for implementing strategies.
Additional Information
If you need more information on the transportation coordination plans, or need the documentation in an accessible format, please inform SEWRPC staff by calling 262-547-6721, or e-mailing PTSHcoordination@sewrpc.org.