Veterans Transportation and Community Living Initiative Capital Grants Program
General Grant Information
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Veterans Transportation and Community Living Initiative made $30 million available to local government agencies to finance capital costs of implementing, expanding or increasing access to local One-Call/One-Click Transportation Resource Centers. The purpose of the initiative was to improve access to transportation resources for veterans, military families and other clients by connecting customers in one place to rides and transportation options available from a variety of transportation providers and programs in their area. The grant focused on capital expenses including hardware, software, and engineering and design, but did not fund vehicle purchases or operations. The maximum award was $2 million through a funding partnership of 80 percent federal and 20 percent local match.
Minnesota’s Project
The Minnesota Department of Transportation, with the Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging, MinnesotaHelp.info, the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, and other partners, will use the awarded $1.18 million to implement a project that augments the existing statewide one-call/one-click center with technology and information about public, not-for-profit, and private transportation alternatives for veterans, military families, people with disabilities and older adults.
The project will have four phases, each which will include formation of a 15-20 member coordinating council. The council will appoint a project management team to develop the scope of work for requests for proposals, review associated work proposals and award contracts, and coordinate with affected agencies. The council also will provide opportunities for public input/comment, and engage additional veteran and military family, human service and public transit providers to participate in the process.
- Phase I: MnRAAA and the project management team will begin to augment technology links between MinnesotaHelp.info and participating transportation providers in a 27-county service area in southwest Minnesota.
- Phase II: Augmentation of MinnesotaHelp.info begins through the development of statewide trip planner infrastructure.
- Phase III: Augmentation of technology links begins between MinnesotaHelp.info and participating transportation providers in 14 counties in west central Minnesota.
- Phase IV: Augmentation of technology links begins between MinnesotaHelp.info and participating transportation providers in seven counties in northeast Minnesota.
