

Grants are made to municipalities through a grant agreement between the NYSDOT and the municipality. In order to be eligible for federal Section 5311 operating and/or capital assistance, a public transportation system must operate in a rural area and be eligible for STOA. Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5311 Program. The regulations can be found in 49 CFR Parts 27, 37, & 38 and are available at the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) web site. This is known as route deviation service. The paratransit requirement can also be met by deviating 3/4 of a mile with the fixed route vehicle to pick up any passenger requesting service. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires fixed route public transportation systems to be accessible to individuals with disabilities to provide complementary paratransit to individuals with disabilities that are 3/4 of a mile from the fixed route and unable to reach the fixed route stops and accommodate passenger needs through alternative schedule formats and stop announcements. Contact John Fabian of the NYSDOT Motor Carrier Safety Bureau at (518) 485-2448 or by email at: Accessible Service. Also, a certification of internal accident investigation procedures is required. NYSDOT rules and regulations require operators receiving STOA to submit a system safety plan for approval within 180 days of service commencement and report certain accident events for immediate investigation by the PTSB staff. General information on bus inspection may be obtained by calling Rusty Seastrum at (518) 485-2448 or by going to: Public Transportation Safety Board (PTSB) safety oversight and System Safety Plan. Inspections are scheduled and conducted through NYSDOT's regional offices. Any operator required to have Operating Authority must have its buses inspected by NYSDOT.

General operating authority information may be obtained by calling Marie Bisio at (518) 457-7602 or by going to: Bus Inspection. Private third-party operators and municipalities operating outside of their municipal limits need operating authority from NYSDOT.

A copy of the STOA Rules and Regulations is available at STOA related questions should be addressed to Tom Vaughan at (518) 457-8335 or by going to: Operating Authority.
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Part 975 of the New York State Code of Rules and Regulations details all STOA program requirements. Operators receiving STOA must also maintain accounting books and records in accordance with NYSDOT's prescribed Uniform System of Accounts and file annual reports with the Department. Quarterly statistics must be reported to NYSDOT via the municipality by the 17th of January, April, July & October following the end of a quarter. Revenue vehicle miles and individual passenger counts must be kept for STOA reporting purposes. This is followed by a signed 119r agreement between the municipality and the third-party operator, if the municipality is not providing the service itself. To initiate STOA, a letter of intent from the municipality is sent to the NYSDOT Public Transportation Bureau indicating sponsorship of public transportation services for STOA. Only municipalities are eligible to receive STOA funds. An exception to use 8-14 passenger vehicles may be granted on a case by case basis. In order to be eligible for STOA, the service must be open and marketed to the general public, charge an appropriate fare, and be provided with vehicles capable of carrying 15 or more passengers. State Transportation Operating Assistance (STOA). The municipal sponsor then may provide service under its own authority or search out, through a competitive process, a third party operator, who then contracts with the sponsor to provide the service. Rural Section Programs Requirements for Participation Overview of Requirements for Participation in State and Federal Public Transportation Programs Administered by the New York State Department of Transportation:Īll potential operators should be aware that all state and federal program funds for public transportation service administered by NYSDOT are awarded only to a municipal sponsor, such as a county, city, public transportation authority or Indian reservation.
