Section 73-G. Financial assistance for creation of coordinated rural public transportation services

1. The commissioner may approve grants  to  any
  rural  county  having  no coordinated public transportation service, for
  the purpose of developing  such  a  service,  and  such  approval  shall
  reflect on ongoing funding commitment to the extent necessary to develop
  and  implement a county plan. Such grants shall be awarded in amounts up
  to a maximum of forty-five thousand dollars for up to  three  successive
  years,  subject to the amounts of an annual appropriation to be included
  in the state budget, and shall be utilized by such county solely to  pay
  for its eligible costs incurred in the development and implementation of
  coordinated  public  transportation  service  plan for said county.   No
  grant shall be approved for a rural county until  the  commissioner  has
  certified to the director of the division of the budget that said county
  will  appropriate for the purpose of planning and implementation of such
  coordinated public transportation service plan, county funds  equivalent
  to  at  least  ten  percent  of  the grant to be awarded the first year,
  twenty percent of the grant awarded the second year, and thirty  percent
  of the grant to be awarded the third year.
    2. Each grant shall be considered by the commissioner upon application
  by  a  county,  signed  by the chief executive officer of the county, if
  any, or the chairperson of the county legislative  body,  including  but
  not limited to, the general intent and purpose of the project; a general
  statement   of  the  expected  benefits  to  derive  therefrom;  and  an
  organizational  statement,  designating  the  person   responsible   for
  managing  the  grant,  and  the manner by which the county will maintain
  oversight of the expenditure of grant funds. Such application shall also
  state that the county will appropriate an amount equivalent to at  least
  ten percent of the grant to be awarded the first year, twenty percent of
  the grant awarded the second year, and thirty percent of the grant to be
  awarded the third year.
    3.  Upon  notification  by  the  commissioner  of  the  approval of an
  application for funding under this  section,  the  services  coordinator
  shall  prepare  a  countywide  coordinated public transportation service
  plan in accordance with guidelines issued by the commissioner.  No  such
  funds  shall  be  used for purchase of capital equipment. In the event a
  plan is completed and approved within one year and funds  awarded  to  a
  rural  county  for  this  purpose  are not fully expended, the remaining
  unexpended funds may be utilized to implement such plan.
    a. The  commissioner  shall  by  rule  issue  program  guidelines  for
  preparing  a  countywide coordinated public transportation service plan.
  Such guidelines may address,  but  not  be  limited  to,  the  following
  elements of the plan:
    (1)  provision for consultation with existing transportation providers
  and purchasers, the county executive, if any,  the  county  legislature,
  the general public and any other persons interested in the plan;
    (2) a description of the geographic area to be served;
    (3)  a  description  of  existing transportation services, facilities,
  equipment, and usage;
    (4) a description  of  the  nature  and  levels  of  existing  funding
  sources;
    (5)  a  description of any new funding sources that are proposed to be
  included in the coordinated public transportation service program;
    (6) provision for the retention of existing levels  of  human  service
  agency funding for transportation services;
    (7)   provision   for  the  inclusion  of  federal  and  state  public
  transportation operating assistance;
    (8) provision for continuation of existing levels of service to agency
  clients and the general public currently receiving service;

    (9) specific  provision  of  new  services  for  persons  in  need  of
  transportation  who  are  not  currently  served or sponsored by a human
  service agency or program;
    (10)  provision  for  the  increased  utilization  of  vehicles  which
  currently provide transportation services;
    (11) procedures for the  regular  advertising  and  marketing  of  the
  coordinated  public  transportation service indicating that such service
  is open to the general public, and publication of methods by  which  the
  general  public  can  access  and  utilize  available coordinated public
  transportation service;
    (12) performance, productivity and other measures that shall  be  used
  to measure accomplishment of coordinated public transportation service;
    (13)  uniform  definitions  related  to  record-keeping  in  order  to
  maintain consistency among counties;
    (14) provision for  equitable  sharing  of  total  coordinated  public
  transportation  service  operating  costs among participating providers,
  agencies, and program sources;
    (15) provision for a  centralized  accounting  service  that  provides
  primary  documentation  for  all  revenues  and expenses associated with
  administering and coordinating rural public  transportation  service  in
  the county;
    (16)  investment  of  one  person  or  office  with responsibility for
  managing the assets, operations and funding of coordinated rural  public
  transportation service in the county;
    (17)  descriptions of how the coordinated service system will maintain
  its policies, routes, schedules, fare structures and budget in a  manner
  that  encourages  public review, responsiveness to user concerns, energy
  conservation and fiscal solvency;
    (18) a pre-established basis for determining success using a specified
  means of performance measurement; a detailed  budget  of  the  resources
  available and the assistance necessary for implementation;
    (19)  a  demonstration of the potential for enhancement of services to
  be derived from a coordinated public transportation service program, and
  the  manner  in  which  the  program  will  promote   more   economical,
  comprehensive   or   efficient   service   to  the  general  public  and
  transportation disadvantaged populations;
    (20) a description  of  the  manner  in  which  the  elements  of  the
  coordinated public transportation service program are to be consolidated
  into  a  single  management  unit and the extent to which that unit will
  coordinate with any remaining non-public transportation services;
    (21) a description of the manner  in  which  the  subsequent  two-year
  grants  are  to be utilized in the implementation of the plan, including
  an itemized preliminary budget as described in  section  seventy-three-j
  of this article.
    b.  The  services coordinator shall submit to the county legislature a
  draft coordinated public transportation service plan in accordance  with
  program guidelines promulgated by the commissioner.
    c.  The county legislature shall, upon the giving of at least ten days
  notice, hold a public hearing on the draft plan after which, it may make
  such modifications as it deems appropriate.
    d. As a condition of the submittal of the plan to the department,  the
  county  legislature  shall adopt the plan, which it shall then submit to
  the commissioner. After approval by the commissioner of  the  plan,  the
  county  legislature  may  make  such  organizational  changes  as may be
  necessary for implementation of the plan.
    5. A second year grant may be  authorized  by  the  commissioner  upon
  acceptance  of  the  plan,  completed  in accordance with paragraph a of
  subdivision three of this section, and upon  the  appropriation  by  the

  county of an amount equivalent to at least twenty percent of such grant.
  The  second year grant shall be utilized for implementation of the plan,
  including management expenses, and  the  cost  of  expanded  operational
  services  as well as for the purchase of equipment, other than vehicles,
  which will enhance  delivery  of  a  coordinated  public  transportation
  service.
    6.  A  third year grant may be authorized by the commissioner upon the
  appropriation by the county of an amount equivalent to at  least  thirty
  percent  of  the  grant.  The  third  year grant may be utilized for any
  eligible costs necessary for the development  and  implementation  of  a
  coordinated  public transportation service other than operating expenses
  of services that  were  performed  prior  to  the  implementation  of  a
  coordinated  public  transportation  service; vehicles, other than those
  being  purchased  through  other  programs,  may  be  purchased  with  a
  third-year grant.
    7.  Any  rural  county  or  public  transportation authority providing
  transportation services in a rural county which has already  established
  and  operates  a  countywide  public transportation system, but does not
  offer a coordinated public transportation service  as  defined  in  this
  article, shall be eligible for not more than two years of financial aid,
  subject  to annual appropriation in the state budget, for the purpose of
  developing  and   implementing   a   more   fully   coordinated   public
  transportation service.
    8.  Any  rural  county which has previously initiated and is currently
  undertaking activities leading  to  the  development  of  a  coordinated
  public transportation services plan utilizing federal funds administered
  by,  and  pursuant  to  guidelines  issued by the commissioner, shall be
  eligible to receive a total of federal and state financial assistance up
  to the limit prescribed herein.