Mr. Tom McDonnell
Caltrans/Division of Mass Transportation
September 4, 2002
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September 4, 2002




Mr. Tom McDonell, Chief
California Department of Transportation
Division of Mass Transportation
P.O. Box 942874, MS-39
Sacramento, CA 84273-0001


RE: Recommendation for Designated Recipients of FTA Section 5307 for 2000 Census Defined Small Urbanized Areas in the MTC Region

Dear Mr. McDonell:

This letter in response to your request of August 9, 2002 soliciting the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s assistance to identify designated recipients for the FTA Section 5307 funds in the four newly designated small urbanized areas (UA) as defined by the 2000 census: Gilroy-Morgan Hill, Livermore, Petaluma, and Vallejo.

The following table lists the possible candidates for all seven of the small urbanized areas (UA) located within the MTC region. This table was developed to illustrate the considerable overlap and consequent need for funding coordination between the region’s small transit operators in both the prior existing urbanized areas and newly defined urbanized areas, and clearly communicate this to our transit partners and Caltrans’ staff. The most difficult challenge ahead will be to determine how to apportion the FTA Section 5307 small urbanized area funds in areas with more than one operator.

The first column lists both prior existing and newly established urbanized areas within the MTC region. The second column of the table outlines the eligible operators within the designated small UAs developed through a GIS mapping system. The third column is MTC’s recommendation of which operators should actually receive FTA Section 5307 apportionments, which was formed through a series of communications with concerned operators and discussions at MTC’s monthly partnership meetings.

• No changes to the established small urbanized areas of Fairfield, Napa, and Vacaville are being recommended at this time because of well established operating relationships and funding arrangements between previously established operators and other transit properties operating within these UAs.
  
• Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) is not being recommended as a designated recipient in the Livermore area because they have not sufficiently met MTC’s requirements to participate in regional funding. Specifically, they have not developed a Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP) nor have they submitted the level of project detail required for MTC’s Regional Transportation Plan (RTP).
  

• Petaluma Transit is not being recommended as a recipient at this time because they are not an established federal grantee. MTC has been advised that steps
  

• Western Contra Costa Transit Authority (WestCat) is not a recommended recipient in Vallejo because of the relatively small number of operating miles within the Vallejo UA. WestCat is also eligible to claim funds in the San Francisco/Oakland large UA.
  

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