N.J. Admin. Code § 16:78-3.4
Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 21, November 4, 2024
Section 16:78-3.4 - Coordination plan requirements(a) In order for a county to be eligible for assistance pursuant to the program, the governing body of that county or an agency or group(s) authorized by the governing body to receive funds pursuant to this chapter must develop and maintain a county plan for that assistance in accordance with the program rules. A Coordinated Human Service Transportation plan consistent with 49 U.S.C. § 5310, satisfies the requirement for the county plan. The plan must be reviewed and updated every five years. The plan must be reviewed by the stakeholder groups or committees identified during the planning process. The stakeholders should be consulted at a minimum twice a year to review current services and any new needs and deficiencies that have been identified. Addendums to the plan should be made to include any new agencies that are either meeting a deficiency in service or have become part of the county's stakeholder group since the last update. The county plan must also reflect coordination of human service transportation needs of the county and the regions and must be approved by the governing body of that county. These plans shall be subject to approval by the Board. The annual application for funds must support activities identified in the most current approved plan.(b) The county plan shall include, but not be limited to, the following: 1. Provisions for the coordination of existing and future transportation services at the county level and for inter-county transportation services;2. Information as to what existing accessible and non-accessible transportation services are available (inventory of existing services);3. An assessment of transportation needs for individuals with disabilities and senior citizens. This assessment can be based on the experiences and perceptions of the planning partners or on more sophisticated data collection efforts, and gaps in service;4. Strategies, activities, and projects to address the identified gaps between current services and needs, as well as opportunities to achieve efficiencies in service delivery;5. Priorities for implementation based on resources (from multiple program sources), time, cost, and feasibility for implementing specific strategies and activities identified; and6. The financial resources to be put in place to meet these costs, including fares and/or voluntary contributions/donations.(c) The application for funds must comply with a comprehensive planning document as described at (b) above. An application for funds must be submitted annually.(d) In order to afford individuals the capability of influencing transportation decisions at all stages of development, the governing body of each county or designated recipient must appoint members to a local citizen's advisory committee. The objective of the committee is to advise the recipient on planning, implementing, and operating coordinated transportation services at the county level.(e) The governing body or designated recipient may choose to appoint an existing advisory committee to satisfy the objective set forth in this chapter. However, committee membership must consist of at least 51 percent consumers (for example, senior citizens and people with disabilities) of the service. The committee shall be involved in the review and development of the annual application of funds.(f) The recipient shall provide NJ TRANSIT with the following information about the local citizen advisory committee as either part of its annual application o r, in the case of notices and minutes, as they become available during the course of the contract year:2. Membership, clearly identifying consumer members, terms of office, positions, and demographics;3. Notice of meetings, with a minimum of four scheduled meetings a year. Notice shall include date, time, location, and agenda; andN.J. Admin. Code § 16:78-3.4
Adopted by 56 N.J.R. 141(b), effective 1/16/2024