Joint Partnership Program Information for Job Access & Reverse Commute Grant Proposals

Background

Meeting the mobility needs of welfare recipients and low-income persons presents significant transportation challenges and frequently requires innovative solutions and collaborative partnerships. For example, localities often face challenges in blending various federally provided transportation services in a given service area. The application of smart card technology may be a way to track recipient travel patterns and fare collection information as well as streamline accounting requirements. Other examples include establishing mobility management and transportation brokerage systems to manage service delivery, using Global Information Systems (GIS) mapping tools to develop customer-trip planning systems and implementing ITS technology to coordinate the service delivery of multiple operators. FTA's Job Access and Reverse Commute program funding can be used for the introduction of such innovation through FTA’s Joint Partnership Program (JPP).

Note: The JPP is not an independent source of funds.

Authorized under TEA-21, JPP offers an attractive alternative agreement mechanism for the deployment of new technological and methodological innovation into the transit marketplace.  JPP is not an independent source of funding for the Job Access program.  JPP agreements are specifically designed to speed up the introduction of new technologies that have the potential to enhance transit services and are nearing readiness for deployment. JPP can also be used in cases where entrepreneurs are working to deploy an enhancement to an existing technology, as long as the innovation results in a new product or service not already in the marketplace. JPP is not designed as a traditional research and development program mechanism, and therefore, is not intended as a tool for supporting technology development in its earliest stages, nor is it intended to support the deployment of technology already available in the marketplace.

The Joint Partnership Program encourages innovation in transit by providing attractive public/private partnership arrangement for entrepreneurs. The JPP authorizes Federal support for competitively selected consortia that would share in the costs, risks, and rewards of early deployment of innovation. Eligible consortia may utilize Federal funding, not to exceed fifty percent of the total cost of deployment, while keeping the controlling rights to the innovation with the developing partners of the consortia. This arrangement allows the entrepreneurs an opportunity to seek a market return on their innovation. In the past Federal investment has precluded such returns on entrepreneurial activities. This has deterred entrepreneurs, particularly private companies seeking to capitalize on their innovative developments, from working with governmental entities to introduce innovation. It is intended that products developed by a consortium would be available for use among transit service providers, but patent and royalty rights would be retained by the participating companies and agencies that are members of the consortium. The party or consortium members holding the patent rights would be required to make the invention available to the public within a reasonable time period and could not intentionally withhold the invention from the market place.

JPP can be utilized in the deployment of new services as well as the improvement of current transportation service related to the Job Access and Reverse Commute Program. New applicants as well as applicants that have received Job Access funding in previous years are encouraged to look at innovations that may build on current investments, thereby increasing efficiency and cost-effective of existing programs.

Examples of technological innovations that may improve Job Access related service include, but are not limited to: ITS advancements in vehicle location and real time information delivery; advanced accounting procedures for simplifying and harmonizing administrative requirements; fare collection innovations that allow for seamless transfer and tracking of recipient trips; information systems that match recipients to employment centers throughout a region; and other innovations that support the Job Access and Reverse Commute mobility goals.

A joint partnership agreement may be used for the deployment of a technology throughout a service area, or in one specific situation within a service area. For example, a provider may want to deploy a real-time information system on one or two routes prior to installation throughout a system. Applicants are encouraged to look at opportunities for a small-scale deployment that could be replicated once successful deployment in the initial application is successfully completed. This scenario limits the initial consortia investment to the first deployment. Other cost sharing arrangements could then be implemented for future deployments. Applicants are also encouraged to seek partnerships with other participating agencies to deploy similar innovation in various communities.

Section 5312 (d) (3) provides that a consortium assisted under the JPP shall provide not less than 50% of the costs of any joint partnership project. Any business, organization, person, or governmental body may contribute funds to a Joint Partnership Project. FTA intends to apply the same non-Federal share rules to the JPP as apply to other FTA assistance programs in most cases. Cash or in-kind contributions applicable to grants and cooperative agreements with state and local governments (49 CFR part 18) or its companion (49 CFR part 19) applicable to non-profit or educational institutions, are acceptable.

The JPP consortia must include public transit agencies that will deploy test, and implement the technology. A transit agency’s commitment of staff and equipment and its role as a test site will ensure that the results of the program will be tested and deployed in real world situations, thereby establishing the link between developer/supplier and the final end user. Applicants are encouraged to work with other agencies, to the extent possible, in the deployment of technology that may provide positive results to communities beyond their own. An eligible consortia will be made up of:

1. One or more public or private organizations located in the United States that provide mass transportation service to the public , and one or more businesses of any size incorporated in a State, offering goods or services, or willing to offer goods and services, to mass transportation operators; and
2. As additional members, public or private research organizations located in the United States or State or local governmental authorities.

As a partner with eligible consortia, the Federal Government would be sharing the risk normally borne by the private sector, and conversely, would be in a position to share in the benefit that might result. When there would be a clear and direct financial benefit to an entity under a cooperative agreement or contract financed through the JPP, the Secretary would establish the Federal Government share consistent with their investment and the resultant benefit, limited to 50% in all scenarios.

Applicants may include information on a proposed joint partnership project, not to exceed five pages, as an addendum to the Job Access and Reverse Commute application form. Applicants should submit the JPP application on-line version (see application section below) as well as three hard copies attached to the Job Access application. It should include:

1. Overview of the proposed effort, or proposed concept;
2. List of partners;
3. State of the technology;
4. Work to be performed;
5. Physical and/or operating characteristics of the innovation;
6. Development of prototype equipment/process or pilot program;
7. Project output;
8. Schedule
9. Total project cost, including source of matching funds
10. Assessment plan;
11. Relationship to goals of the Job Access and Reverse Commute Program.

The JPP program may, but need not, be used in connection with the Job Access and Reverse Commute application process. Applicants are not required to respond to this proposal. If pursued, applicants will be evaluated through the criteria identified in the Job Access and Reverse Commute program guidelines only. However, successful grant applicants may want to consider the JPP mechanism as an alternative means of implementing a Job Access project. Thus, it is important that applicants begin to think at an early stage about deployment opportunities. Further, applicants may find that the deployment of advanced technology may allow greater realization of the goals of the Job Access program. Those successful applications that include a joint partnership proposal will be invited by the FTA to develop in further detail the JPP proposal and determine specific arrangements for reaching agreement.

For further information on the JPP, FTA encourages applicants to contact Elaine Dezenski, Transportation Program Manager (202) 493-2633 or by e-mail at: [elaine.dezenski@dot.gov].