The San Diego Association of Governments' Board of Directors allocated $7.1 million to local agencies and nonprofit organizations through the Specialized Transportation Grant program at its meeting Friday.
The funded projects are intended to expand mobility options for seniors and people with impairments throughout the San Diego region.
Ten local agencies and nonprofit organizations were awarded funding for 30 projects and programs — which include shuttles and on-demand transportation, non-emergency medical transportation, volunteer driver programs, transportation information and referral services and the purchase of new, accessible vehicles.
The grantees are the city of Vista, ElderHelp of San Diego, Facilitating Access to Coordinated Transportation, Jewish Family Service of San Diego, Metropolitan Transit System, Peninsula Shepherd Center, San Ysidro Health, St. Madeleine Sophie's Center, The Arc of San Diego and Travelers Aid Society of San Diego.
The Specialized Transportation Grant program is funded by TransNet — the regional half-cent sales tax for transportation approved by San Diego County voters, which sets aside 2% of annual revenues for each TransNet grant program — and the Federal Transit Administration Section 5310 program funds.
SANDAG awarded approximately $3.3 million to nine projects under the TransNet Senior Mini-Grant program to fund specialized transportation services for seniors whose special needs cannot be met by conventional transit or paratransit services. Approximately $3.9 million was awarded under Federal Transit Administration Section 5310 to 21 programs and projects that enhance the mobility of seniors and individuals with disabilities.
Since the grant program began in 2006, SANDAG has awarded more than $21.1 million in TransNet funds and more than $26.8 million in federal grants to support more than 275 projects.
SANDAG is the San Diego region's primary public planning, transportation and research agency. It is governed by a Board of Directors composed of mayors, council members and supervisors from each of the region's 18 cities and the county government.
