The Community Transportation Association of Idaho administers Idaho's Rural Transportation Assistance Program (RTAP) and Idaho Transit Coalition's application for federal discretionary funds for bus and bus related facilities; otherwise known as the 5309 Federal Program.

RTAP Program

The Rural Transportation Assistance Program (RTAP) is a federal program established and funded by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The purpose of the program is to provide a source of funding to assist in the design and implementation of training and technical assistance projects and other support services tailored to meet the specific needs of transit operators and others in areas with a population of less than 50,000.

Idaho RTAP goals are to:

  1. Promote the safe, effective, and dependable delivery of mobility in rural, non-urbanized areas (under 50,000).
  2. Provide training and technical assistance to enhance the mobility capacity of the rural community.
  3. Identify and make available up-to-date and quality information, technical assistance, and other resources to support the professional development of entities and individuals providing and coordinating mobility resources.
  4. Facilitate peer-to-peer self-help through the development of local networks of mobility professionals.
  5. Support the engagement and coordination of the community in mobility activities, including public, private, non-profit, specialized and human service agencies.
  6. Utilize the RTAP resource in a strategic fashion, thereby leveraging Idaho's resources while increasing its capacity to deliver effective and efficient rural mobility services.

Idaho RTAP program priorities for 2010-2011 are to:

  1. Support and enhance the grant writing and management skills of entities working to secure funds for projects to support rural mobility services.
  2. Foster increased ability and capacity for effective coordination at the local level.
  3. Foster the development of robust mobility systems.
  4. Support the training requirements of rural providers in a manner that maximizes training opportunities and leverages RTAP funds.

The Idaho RTAP Program supports four categories of services by which the program priorities are served.

These include:

  • Training
  • Technical Assistance
  • Research
  • Support Services

For more information about the Idaho RTAP Program and to apply for scholarships, visit www.ctai.org.

5309 Federal Program Funding

The Community Transportation Association of Idaho (CTAI) coordinates the Idaho Transit Coalition (ITC), an informal coalition of transit providers working together to obtain capital funds for the 5309 Federal Grant Program.

The 5309 Federal Grant Program provides capital assistance for new and replacement buses, related equipment, and facilities. Eligible capital projects include the purchasing of buses for fleet and service expansion, bus maintenance and administrative facilities, transfer facilities, bus malls, transportation centers, intermodal terminals, park-and-ride stations, acquisition of replacement vehicles, bus rebuilds, bus preventive maintenance, passenger amenities such as passenger shelters and bus stop signs, accessory and miscellaneous equipment such as mobile radio units, supervisory vehicles, fare boxes, computers and shop and garage equipment.

Eligible recipients for capital investment funds are public bodies and agencies (transit authorities and other state and local public bodies and agencies thereof) including states, municipalities, other political subdivisions of states; public agencies and instrumentalities of one or more states; and certain public corporations, boards and commissions established under state law. Funds are allocated each year on a discretionary basis by congress. For more information, visit www.ctai.org.