The mobility access and transportation insecurity program is an initiative to explore strategies to improve peoples mobility and access to daily needs and evaluate outcomes and impacts upon…

The Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration awarded the Regents of the University of Minnesota a Cooperative Agreement worth $9.3 million on July 7, 2026, under the Public Transportation Innovation program (CFDA 20.530) to establish a research and demonstration program exploring interventions to improve mobility access and transportation security.

The University of Minnesota will establish and pilot transportation interventions designed to meet the transportation needs of individuals and communities experiencing transportation insecurity. Work includes selection of demonstration sites, collection of data to set performance metrics and evaluation plans for demonstration communities, performance evaluation of piloted interventions, and development of research conclusions on intervention outcomes. Thirteen demonstration site groups will be selected in an initial competitive round to develop potential demonstration interventions, with eight of the initial thirteen selected for full deployment. Activities across the demonstration sites will include staffing for management, outreach and communications, engagement planning, and project design.

Two sub-recipients contracted as project team members will work under the University of Minnesota's direction to execute the program through its life. Sub-recipient activities include demonstration recruitment, research and evaluation, partner communication and support, and demonstration project guidance.

The award runs from July 7, 2026, through October 31, 2029, with performance taking place in Minnesota. Intended beneficiaries include people and communities experiencing transportation insecurity across urban, rural, and other area types throughout the United States.

Activities

Establishment of a research and demonstration program to explore interventions to ensure mobility access and evaluate outcomes. Collection of needed data and input to set performance metric and evaluation plan for demonstration communities and projects. Selection of demonstration sites to pilot interventions. Evaluation of interventions performance and sharing of final results.

Expected outcomes

Creation and piloting of transportation interventions that can support an integrated transportation system that meets the transportation needs of a range of individuals and/or communities. Set of research conclusions and evaluations of the piloted interventions.

Intended beneficiaries

People or communities experiencing transportation insecurity or challenges. Demonstration projects will focus work on serving a variety of populations individuals and/or communities across a range of areas (i.e. urban rural etc.) throughout the united states.

Subrecipient activities

Two subrecipients will be contracted members of the project team working under the direction of the university of minnesota. These subrecipients will help execute the program throughout the life of the effort. Activities will include demonstration recruitment research and evaluation partner communication and support and demonstration project guidance. 13 demonstration site groups will be selected in a first competitive round of funding to develop potential demonstration interventions. During this round activities will include staffing for management outreach and communications engagement planning and project design. Of the initial 13 eight demonstration groups will be selected for the full deployment of planned interventions. Activities in this round include staffing and materials needed for management outreach and communications project development and deployment.