§ 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.