Chapter Trans 6

Chapter Trans 6

RURAL AND SMALL URBAN AREA PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

Trans 6.01   Purpose and scope.

Trans 6.02   Definitions.

Trans 6.03   Federal share of project costs.

Trans 6.04   Distribution of federal aids.

Trans 6.05   Operating grants to rural and small urban areas.

Trans 6.06   Capital grants.

Trans 6.07   Application for federal aids.

Trans 6.08   Reporting requirements.

Trans 6.09   Labor protection requirements.

Trans 6.10   Property management and disposition.

Trans 6.11   Federal aid grant agreements.

Ch. Trans 6 Note Note: Chapter Trans 6 was created by emergency rule effective April 17, 1979. Chapter Trans 6 was repealed and recreated by emergency rule effective April 20, 1983. Chapter Trans 6 as it existed on October 31, 1983 was repealed and a new chapter Trans 6 was created effective November 1, 1983. Chapter Trans 6 was repealed and recreated by emergency rule effective November 30, 1983. Chapter Trans 6 as it existed on April 30, 1984 was repealed and a new chapter Trans 6 was created effective May 1, 1984.

Trans 6.01 Trans 6.01 Purpose and scope. The purposes of this chapter are to prescribe the department’s administrative interpretation of ss. 85.20 and 85.23, Stats., and to prescribe the administrative policies and procedures for implementing the federal program for public transportation projects in rural and small urban areas. This program is authorized by 49 USC 5311, as amended. The goal of this program is to enhance access of people in rural and small urban areas for purposes such as health care, shopping, education, recreation, public services, and employment by encouraging the maintenance, development, improvement and use of public transportation services.

Trans 6.01 History History: Cr. Register, April, 1984, No. 340, eff. 5-1-84; CR 18-065: am. Register October 2020 No. 778, eff. 11-1-20.

Trans 6.02 Trans 6.02 Definitions.

Trans 6.02(1) (1) “Capital equipment” means non-expendable personal property for use in the provision of public transportation service and having all of the following:

Trans 6.02(1)(a) (a) A useful life of one year or more.

Trans 6.02(1)(b) (b) An acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit.

Trans 6.02(1g) (1g) “Capitalized maintenance project” means vehicle and facility related maintenance which a mass transit system has classified as a capital project as allowed under 49 USC chapter 53.

Trans 6.02(1r) (1r) “Department” means the Wisconsin department of transportation.

Trans 6.02(2) (2) “Eligible applicant” means a local public body or federally recognized American Indian tribal governing body.

Trans 6.02(2m) (2m) “Eligible project cost” means an expense that an eligible applicant incurs in the operation or capitalization of a public transportation service for which it is eligible to receive federal section 5311 funds.

Trans 6.02(3) (3) “Eligible public transportation service” means a public transportation service operating or designed to operate in rural or small urban areas.

Trans 6.02(4) (4) “Federal section 5311 funds” means all funds appropriated to the state for use in the federal program for public transportation projects in small urban, rural and intercity areas.

Trans 6.02(4m) (4m) “Federal section 5307 funds” has the meaning given in s. Trans 8.02 (4).

Trans 6.02(5) (5) “Intercity bus service” means regularly scheduled bus service for the general public that operates over routes connecting 2 or more urbanized areas and serving rural or small urban areas, or both.

Trans 6.02(5g) (5g) “Job access and reverse commute project” means a transportation project to finance planning, capital, or operating costs that support the development and maintenance of transportation services designed to transport welfare recipients and low-income individuals to and from jobs and employment-related activities, including transportation projects that facilitate the provision of public transportation services from rural and urbanized areas to suburban employment locations.

Trans 6.02(5r) (5r) “Local contribution” means operating deficit less federal and state operating assistance received.

Trans 6.02(6) (6) “Local public body” means one the following:

Trans 6.02(6)(a) (a) A county or a municipality as defined in s. 59.001 (3), Stats., or an agency thereof.

Trans 6.02(6)(b) (b) A transit or transportation commission or authority, or a public corporation established by law or by interstate compact to provide mass transportation services and facilities.

Trans 6.02(6)(c) (c) Two or more of any such bodies acting jointly under ss. 66.0301 to 66.0303, Stats.

Trans 6.02(6m) (6m) “Low-income individual” means an individual whose family income is at or below 150 percent of the poverty line, as that term is defined in section 673 (2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act, 42 USC 9902 (2), including any revision required by that section.

Trans 6.02(7) (7) “Operating deficit” means the difference between the costs of operating an eligible public transportation service and the revenues derived therefrom. User subsidies such as transportation stamps are not considered to be operating project costs for purposes of this chapter.

Trans 6.02(7m) (7m) “Operating project cost” means a cost accruing to a public transportation service by virtue of its operations, including a cost to subsidize fares paid by individuals with disabilities for transportation within the urban area of the eligible applicant, or its maintenance activities.

Trans 6.02(8) (8) “Private provider” means a privately owned (for-profit or nonprofit) entity that provides public transportation service.

Trans 6.02(8m) (8m) “Project” means operation of a public transportation service or subsystem thereof during a project year, or purchase of capital equipment for use in a service or subsystem thereof.

Trans 6.02(9) (9) “Project year” means a calendar year.

Trans 6.02(10) (10) “Public transportation service” means a passenger transportation service that is provided to the general public on a regular and continuing basis by a public agency or private firm, and that is authorized by the office of the department secretary under ch. 194, Stats., unless exempt under s. 85.20 (5), Stats., or under ch. 194, Stats. The service may be provided by bus, rail, shared-ride taxicab or other conveyance. The service may constitute an entire public transit system or may be an individual route or a segment of a route provided by a common carrier of passengers. A transportation service provided exclusively for a subgroup of the general public is not considered to be a “public transportation service” for purposes of this chapter, unless it is part of an overall public transit service.

Trans 6.02(10m) (10m) “Rural area” means an area that has not been designated as an “urban area” by the U.S. bureau of the census.

Trans 6.02(11) (11) “Small urban area” means any area that includes a city or village having a population of at least 2,500, but not more than 49,999. The department shall determine the population of a city or village within a small urban area using the most recent estimates prepared by the department of administration.

Trans 6.02(12) (12) “Station revenues” means those revenues which are derived from the operation of a public transportation facility. Such revenues include concessions, storage rentals, parking, office space rental, and other miscellaneous sources.

Trans 6.02(13) (13) “Through revenue” means revenue derived from passengers whose trips begin and end outside an eligible project route but whose route of travel includes the eligible project route.

Trans 6.02(14) (14) “Urbanized area” means an area of the state so defined by the U.S. bureau of the census.

Trans 6.02(14m) (14m) “Useful life” means a minimum time period, specified by the department, during which an asset is expected to remain in suitable operating condition for continued use in its intended capacity.

Trans 6.02(15) (15) “User-side subsidy” means a program whereby users of a transit service are permitted to purchase transportation vouchers at prices substantially below the fares charged by the transit provider, or are given ride vouchers free of charge. Users may exchange these vouchers for transportation services, and the provider may then redeem them for the full fare.

Trans 6.02(16) (16) “Welfare recipient” means an individual who has received assistance under a State or tribal program funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act, 42 USC 601 et seq., at any time during the previous three-year period.

Trans 6.02 History History: Cr. Register, April, 1984, No. 340, eff. 5-1-84; emerg. am. (2), renum. (8) to (13) to be (9) to (14), cr. (8), eff. 2-12-85; emerg. am. (2), renum. (8) to (13) to be (9) to (14), cr. (8) eff. 6-5-85; am. (2), Register, November, 1985, No. 359, eff. 12-1-85; cr. (4m), Register, December, 1987, No. 384, eff. 1-1-88; am. (10), renum. (12) and (13) to be (13) and (14), cr. (12), Register, October, 1989, No. 406, eff. 11-1-89; am. (10), Register, December, 1989, No. 408, eff. 1-1-90; renum. (5) to (14) to be (6) to (15), cr. (5), Register, January, 1993, No. 445, eff. 2-1-93; CR 18-065: renum. (1) to (1) (intro.) and am., cr. (1) (a), (b), (1g), (1r), am. (2), cr. (2m), am. (3) to (5), cr. (5g), (5r), renum. (6) to (6) (intro.) and am., cr. (6) (a) to (c), (6m), am. (7), cr. (7m), am. (8), cr. (8m), am. (10), cr. (10m), am. (12), (14), cr. (14m), am. (15), cr. (16) Register October 2020 No. 778, eff. 11-1-20; correction in (1g) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register October 2020 No. 778; CR 22-048: am. (2) Register July 2023 No. 811, eff. 8-1-23.

Trans 6.03 Trans 6.03 Federal share of project costs.

Trans 6.03(1) (1) The federal share of an eligible public transportation service’s operating project costs shall not exceed 50% of its operating deficit, except for projects where the department uses capital cost of contracting procedures to determine the service’s reimbursement amount. On applicable projects, the capital cost of contracting reimbursement rate shall be based on allowances specified in federal transit law or guidance. The following operating revenues and expenses shall be used to establish the project operating deficit:

Trans 6.03(1)(a) (a) Operating revenues shall consist of all passenger revenue derived from the project service, including the portion of through revenue attributed to eligible project routes, station revenues derived from the project service and any unrestricted federal, state or local funds received as a result of providing the project service that are not used to match federal section 5311 funds. Operating revenues also may include income generated through approved job access and reverse commute type projects, consistent with 49 USC 5311.

Trans 6.03 Note Note: Charter, package delivery, and package express operating expenses and revenues for all applicants are assumed to be equal and, therefore, shall not have any net financial effect on the project.

Trans 6.03(1)(b) (b) Eligible operating costs are those transportation and overhead expenses associated with the provision of public transportation service including labor, fringe benefits, materials and supplies, utilities, insurance, purchased transportation service, license fees and certain lease expenses. They also may include other expenses associated with approved job access and reverse commute type projects, consistent with 49 USC 5311. The following are not eligible project costs:

Trans 6.03(1)(b)1. 1. Depreciation and amortization for publicly owned facilities and equipment;

Trans 6.03(1)(b)2. 2. Expenses that are offset or that will be offset by means that include, but are not limited to, cash discounts or refunds, tax rebates including fuel tax rebates, insurance proceeds or resale proceeds;