§ 3032e — Technical Assistance And Innovation To Improve Transportation For Older Individuals

(a) The Secretary may award grants or contracts to nonprofit organizations to improve transportation services for older individuals. (1) A nonprofit organization receiving a grant or contract under subsection (a) shall use the funds received through such grant or contract to carry out a demonstration project, or to provide technical assistance to assist local transit providers, area agencies on aging, senior centers, and local senior support groups, to encourage and facilitate coordination of Federal, State, and local transportation services and resources for older individuals. The organization may use the funds to develop and carry out an innovative transportation demonstration project to create transportation services for older individuals. (2) In carrying out a demonstration project or providing technical assistance under paragraph (1) the organization may carry out activities that include— (A) developing innovative approaches for improving access by older individuals to transportation services, including volunteer driver programs, economically sustainable transportation programs, and programs that allow older individuals to transfer their automobiles to a provider of transportation services in exchange for the services; (B) preparing information on transportation options and resources for older individuals and organizations serving such individuals, and disseminating the information by establishing and operating a toll-free telephone number, call center, website or Internet-based portal, mobile application, or other technological tools; (C) developing models and best practices for providing comprehensive integrated transportation services for older individuals, including services administered by the Secretary of Transportation, by providing ongoing technical assistance to agencies providing services under subchapter III and by assisting in coordination of public and community transportation services; (i) improving the aggregation, availability, and accessibility of information on options for transportation services for older individuals, including information on public transit, on-demand transportation services, volunteer-based transportation services, and other private transportation providers; and (ii) providing older individuals with the ability to schedule trips both in advance and on demand, as appropriate; (E) identifying opportunities to share resources and reduce costs of transportation services for older individuals; (F) coordinating individualized trip planning responses to requests from older individuals for transportation services; and (G) providing special services to link older individuals to transportation services not provided under subchapter III. (c) In this section, the term “economically sustainable transportation” means demand responsive transportation for older individuals— (1) that may be provided through volunteers; and (2) that the provider will provide without receiving Federal or other public financial assistance, after a period of not more than 5 years of providing the services under this section.