Current Proposals of Projects

In January 2012 a call for projects went out for Section 5310: Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities, Section 5316: Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC), and Section 5317: New Freedom grants. Within the region, 13 applications for Section 5310 were received and 11 were approved; 1 transit system submitted two (2) approved applications for JARC projects; and two (2) transit systems submitted two (2) approved applications for JARC projects. Two (2) of the projects fall under the JARC grant and the other two (2) fall under the New Freedom grant. At the March 2012 HSTP Meeting the Regional Transportation Committee endorsed all four (4) projects. IDOT will conduct the final review.

Proposed Section 5310 Projects

Bureau County: The County, on behalf of the Bureau-Putnam Area Rural Transit, has

applied for the following vehicles in FY2012 under the Consolidated Vehicle Procurement (CVP):

 Replacement of owned vehicle

One (1) Medium Duty Paratransit ($63,000) One (1) Light Duty Paratransit ($57,000)  Service Expansion

One (1) Light Duty Paratransit ($57,000)

 Total CVP Request - $177,000

DeKalb County: The County, on behalf of TransVAC, has applied for the following

vehicles in FY2012 under the CVP:

 Replacement of Owned Vehicle

Three (3) Minivans w/ramps ($111,000) One (1) Medium Duty Paratransit ($63,000)

One (1) Super Medium Duty Paratransit ($100,000)

 Total CVP Request - $247,000

Grundy County: The County, on behalf of the Grundy Transit System, has applied for

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 Replacement of Owned Vehicle

Three (3) Medium Duty Paratransit ($189,000)  Service Expansion

One (1) Medium Duty Paratransit ($63,000)

 Total CVP Request - $252,000

Kendall County: The County, on behalf of Kendall Area Transit, has applied for the

following vehicles in FY2012 under the CVP:

 Service Expansion

Two (2) Minivans w/ramps ($74,000) Two (2) Light Duty Paratransit ($114,000)

 Total CVP Request - $188,000

Kreider Services: Kreider Services has applied for the following vehicles in FY2012

under the CVP:

 Replacement of Owned Vehicles

Two (2) Medium Duty Paratransit ($126,000)

 Total CVP Request - $126,000

Lee County: Lee County, on behalf of Lee-Ogle Transportation System, has applied for

the following vehicles in FY2012 under the CVP:

 Replacement of Owned Vehicles

Four (4) Medium Duty Paratransit (252,000)

 In addition to vehicles, Lee County has also applied for $36,000 in additional funds for added vehicle equipment.

 Total CVP Request - $288,000

Mendota Area Senior Services: Mendota Area Senior Services has applied for the

following vehicles in FY2012 under the CVP:

 Service Expansion

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 Total CVP Request - $74,000

Oswegoland Senior, Inc.: Oswegoland Seniors, Inc. has applied for the following

vehicles in FY2012 under the CVP:

 New Service

One (1) Light Duty Paratransit ($57,000)

 Total CVP Request - $57,000

Ottawa, City of: The City of Ottawa has applied for the following vehicles in FY2012

under the CVP:

 Service Expansion

Two (2) Minivans w/ramps ($70,000) Two (2) Light Duty Paratransit ($106,000)

 Total CVP Request - $176,000

Sinnissippi Centers: Sinnissippi Centers has applied for the following vehicles in

FY2012 under the CVP:

 Replacement of Owned Vehicle

One (1) Minivan w/ramp ($37,000)

 Total CVP Request - $37,000

Village of Progress: The Village of Progress has applied for the following vehicles in

FY2012 under the CVP:

 Replacement of Owned Vehicles

One (1) Light Duty Paratransit ($63,000)

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Proposed Section 5316 Projects

Proposed Project: LOTS intends to offer a deviated, fixed-route service to Northern

Illinois University (NIU). Many of the students, staff, and faculty that attend NIU reside in Lee and Ogle counties. The purpose of this JARC grant is to facilitate the commute of NIU student, staff, and faculty residing in Lee, Ogle, and western DeKalb counties and to increase the options for individuals attending Kishwaukee College who may be simultaneously enrolled in courses at NIU. LOTS currently provides service to Kishwaukee College, as does TransVAC out of DeKalb. These two (2) systems will work together in transferring riders between their services by working on a coordinated schedule.

Estimated Number of Individuals Served: LOTS expects to conduct 5,040 one-way

student trips to NIU in the first year and 6,048 one-way student trips in the second year.

Budget:

Total Project Cost = $353,419 Total Federal Share = $200,200 Total Local Share = $153,219

Calendar: Sept 2012 - Execution of JARC contract. Oct 2012 - Begin coordination of routes in DeKalb and

revise brochures to reflect new routes to NIU and Kishwaukee

College.

Nov 2012 - Begin promotion of new routes to NIU and Kishwaukee College. Dec 2012 - Begin second round of promotion of the new routes. Jan 2013 - Begins routes to NIU and Kishwaukee College.

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Proposed Project: LOTS intends to offer commuter service to Nippon Sharyo

Manufacturing, a Japanese-American owned company. This will be a new employment center in Rochelle, with the first shift beginning work in June. LOTS has been meeting with the Human Resources Department in offering this commuter service. If this project is funded, Nippon Sharyo will be able to hire individuals that may not have dependable transportation. Initially, this service will have a pick up location in Rochelle and later hopes to expand outside of the Rochelle area at designated bus-pooling areas.

Estimated Numbers of Individuals Served: LOTS expects to conduct 9,800 one-way,

worker trips in the first year and 13,000 one-way, worker trips in the second year.

Budget:

Total Project Cost = $392,245 Total Federal Share = $219,613 Total Local Share = $172,632

Calendar:

Sept 2012 - Execution of JARC contract.

Oct 2012 - Set meeting with LOTS providers to begin coordination of the route(s). Revise brochures to reflect new route(s). Nov 2012 - Schedule planning meeting with Nippon Sharyo. Dec 2012 - Begin transportation of employees. Apr 2013 - Review first quarter rides with Nippon Sharyo. Implement 2nd shift transportation .

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Proposed Section 5317 Projects

Proposed Project: The funding BPART is seeking through a New Freedom grant will be

used to create a dedicated ADA accessible public transportation service from areas in Bureau and Putnam counties to Illinois Valley Community College (IVCC) in Oglesby. In 2011, BPART started providing transportation to IVCC. BPART originally provided rides to two (2) individuals daily, but since then the service has grown to about 16 riders daily. Because of this, the service has grown to a size that BPART cannot handle. To accommodate this growth BPART is seeking funding to purchase a medium-duty paratransit vehicle and funding for the operation.

Estimated Numbers of Individuals Served: BPART expects to conduct a total of 3,200

trips a year.

Budget:

Total Project Cost = $124,910 Total Federal Share = $81,355 Total Local Share = $43,555

Calendar:

Nov 2012 -Advertise program to local media and IVCC campus. Mobility Managers will conduct

travel trainings on campus.

Dec 2012 - Coduct travel training sessions in Princeton and

Standard.

Feb 2013 - Dedicated service to IVCC begins.

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Proposed Project: The funding that LOTS is seeking will provide transportation for Lee

and Ogle County residents to kidney dialysis treatment facilities in Dixon, DeKalb, and Sycamore. Many individuals need dialysis treatment on Saturdays and LOTS does not currently provide weekend service. This grant would allow them to offer this service on the weekends. In addition, this grant would provide funding for transportation to the Veterans Employment and Training Services Program (VETS) which assists disabled veterans receiving job training. Additionally, the grant would help to provide transportation to community resources and socialization activities for people with disabilities as well Friday/Saturday night service during hours in which there is no operation.

Estimated Numbers of Individuals Served: Between the kidney dialysis, VETS

Program, and the Friday/Saturday evening transportation, LOTS expects to provide 13,299 rides in one (1) year.

Budget:

Total Project Cost = $554,544 Total Federal Share = $300,762 Total Local Share = $253,782

Calendar:

Oct 2012 - Revise current LOTS Brochure to reflect new routes to

Sycamore and elsewhere. Advertise

new service.

Oct 2012 - Offer Friday and Saturday evening socialization trips for people with disabilities

Nov 2012 - Offer transportation to disabled veterans receiving job skill training from the VETS

program.

Begin expanded routes, including Saturday

service for kidney dialysis.

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Section 5.02: Capital Projects

Reagan Transit Center

Lee County is in the midst of constructing a two (2) million dollar transit center. A ground breaking ceremony was held in November of 2011. The facility is set to be constructed in early 2013. The current proposal includes a 13,800 square facility, which will provide a 24-hour waiting area for individuals utilizing inter-city services. The garage will house up to 14 transit vehicles, provide mechanical and wash facilities for transit vehicles from LOTS fleet, as well as dispatch services. Lee County is expecting to receive bids for the project in 2012 and begin construction of the facility in late 2012/early 2013.