What is the Regional Transportation Coordination Committee?

Meeting Notes   |   Membership   |   Survey

The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) legislation was passed in August 2005. SAFETEA-LU requires that projects selected for funding under the Section 5310 Elderly Individuals with Disabilities Program, the Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) Program, and the New Freedom Program be “derived from a locally developed, coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan”, and that the plan be “developed through a process that includes representatives of public, private and nonprofit transportation and human services providers and participation by the public.”

The Capital District Transportation Committee (CDTC) has a long history of coordination efforts, dating back to the 1970’s. Looking back through CDTC’s archived files, much progress has been made over the years to coordinate programs, while coordination on a regional level has always eluded the region. The requirements set forth in the SAFETEA-LU legislation have required CDTC to take a step back and review previous efforts and identify current coordination opportunities.

Toward that end, the Capital District Transportation Committee, the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Capital District, convened a committee of stakeholders, called the Regional Transportation Coordination Committee or RTCC, to help develop the coordinated plan, identify areas of need and ensure that JARC, New Freedom and Section 5310 funds are spent appropriately. The RTCC membership consists of the regional steering committee that was formed by the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) to guide the Job Access and Reverse Commute efforts and others that were added to ensure that representation fulfils the guidelines set forth in the SAFETEA-LU legislation.

In 2006, the RTCC, in cooperation with the Albany County United We Ride Effort, conducted a survey of human service agencies that either provide, contract or have clients in need of specialized transportation. Over 500 survey questionnaires were mailed to human service agencies located in the four counties. Ninety-three providers and eighty non-providers completed the survey. The survey data were used to aid in the identification of unmet need and to help craft a list of recommendations for future focus.

The Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan for the Capital Region was drafted by CDTC staff with guidance from the RTCC. The plan was adopted by CDTC’s Policy Board at its June 2007 meeting.

The RTCC will continue to meet quarterly to work toward coordination of services in the Capital District, as well as to guide the solicitation the for JARC and New Freedom programs. Meeting notes are available.
CDTC Home Page