History
The Alaska Community Transit Office (ACT) provides reimbursement grants to public transit providers and human service agencies providing transportation to their clients. ACT is within the Division of Program Development, which is a division of the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF). The funding for our grant programs comes from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) which is a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority. The Alaska Community Transit Office responsibilities include:
- Documentation of procedures in the State Management Plan
- Planning for future transportation needs, ensuring integration and coordination among diverse transportation modes, and providing technical assistance
- Developing program criteria and project eligibility
- Announcing the availability of funds
- Soliciting and reviewing applications
- Verifying the eligibility of project applicants and project activities
- Selecting projects
- Monitoring projects
- Ensuring timely implementation, program audit and closeout
- Ensuring adherence to Federal and State requirements by recipients
The first grants from our office, funded by FTA, were issued in July, 1975. At that time there was one employee, today there are four employees working on transit for the State. The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority (AMHTA) began partnering with the ADOT&PF in 1997, and they also provide funding to ACT for grants throughout the State.
Since our inception, we have gone from awarding just over $89,000 in the first year, to awarding over $6,300,000 in FTA grant funds and $1,050,000 in AMHT funds. As our communities change and grow, transit continues to become a greater necessity, delivering persons to work, medical appointments, shopping, entertainment, or whatever the needs are. It is expected funding for transit will continue to grow in the years to come.
