§3032e Technical Assistance and Innovation to Improve Transportation for Older Individuals

Summary

The Secretary can give grants or contracts to nonprofit groups to make transportation better for older people. Any nonprofit that gets money must use it to run a demonstration project or to give technical help to local transit agencies, area agencies on aging, senior centers, and local senior support groups so they can better coordinate federal, state, and local transportation services and resources, or to try new ways to provide rides. Allowed activities include making new approaches (like volunteer driver programs, self‑sustaining services, or swapping cars for rides); creating and sharing information by phone lines, call centers, websites, or apps; building models and best practices and helping agencies work together; improving access to options and booking trips in advance or on demand; finding ways to share resources and cut costs; doing personalized trip planning; and linking seniors to services not provided under subchapter III. Economically sustainable transportation means demand‑response rides that may use volunteers and must operate without federal or other public money after no more than 5 years.