This is a FY21 section 5307 ARP application in the amount of $117869739

The Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration awarded a $117.9 million Project Grant under the Federal Transit Formula Grants (CFDA 20.507) program to San Antonio Metropolitan Transit (Via Metropolitan Transit) on May 6, 2022. The grant will fund operating activities for Via Metropolitan Transit and its subrecipient Alamo Area Council of Governments through May 6, 2022 to maintain public transportation services and prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic within the San Antonio urbanized area. $8.1 million will be subawarded to Alamo Area Council of Governments to provide transportation services, preventive maintenance, and operating assistance including administrative costs in outlying cities. The funding will allow Via Metropolitan Transit to continue operations and cover salaries, benefits, contracted security, purchased transportation, and other costs necessary to deliver transportation services throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency period.

Purpose

With the advent of covid-19 via MTA has experienced significant losses. With these funds via will be able to maintain normal operations as well as the salaries and benefits of maintenance staff and operations staff for the entire organization. Other expenses these funds will assist with include contracted security purchased transportation maintenance staff and other necessary costs that allow via to continue to provide public transportation services to the urbanized SAN antonio area.

Activities

Activities to be performed include operating activities for via as well as operating activities for vias subrecipient alamo area council of governments (aacog).

Expected outcomes

The project will provide for the provision of transportation and paratransit services.

Intended beneficiaries

Intended beneficiaries include the general public via customers utilizing public transportation and paratransit services.

Subrecipient activities

The recipient intends to sub-award funds to the alamo area council of governments (aacog).the subaward to the alamo area council of governments (aacog) in the amount of $811250. Aacogs scope of work includes preventive maintenance and operating assistance (to include indirect costs). Aacogs indirect cost allocation rate is coordinated through their cognizant agency the US depart of commerce economic development and administration (ceda). Aacogs current rate for calendar year 2021 is 11.26% of direct costs (see attached aacog indirect cost rate certificate for 2021) and will apply an estimated indirect cost of $91346 to this subaward. Aacog provides transportation services in the areas of the UZA that fall outside of vias service area including the cities of new braunfels schertz cibolo mcqueeny (guadalupe county) and marion. The five aforementioned cities came into the SAN antonio UZA in october 2012 (FY13). Benefits of the project include the provision of transportation services within the SAN antonio UZA throughout the covid-19 pandemic. Pre-award authority expenses in the approximate amount of $117058489 were incurred from 04/01/2021 to 02/28/2022.via certifies that IT and its subrecipients and contractors that are providers of public transportation have not furloughed any employees since march 27 2020 (the enactment date of the cares act). Vias annual locally funded expenditures for transit police and contracted security services far exceed 1% of 5307 ARP expenditures (see attached via FY 2022 business plan security expenditures) therefore via is not using 5307 ARP funds to meet the 1% security expenditure requirement. Via metropolitan transit agrees that if IT receives federal funding from the federal emergency management agency (FEMA) or through a pass-through entity through the robert t. Stafford disaster relief and emergency assistance act a different federal agency or insurance proceeds for any portion of a project activity approved for FTA funding under this agreement IT will provide written notification to FTA and reimburse FTA for any federal share that duplicates funding provided by FEMA another federal agency or an insurance company.per the ARP the project in this application is not required to be programmed in the long-range transportation plan or statewide transportation improvement plan.