Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
JULY 16, 2025
Subject
SUBJECT: COORDINATED PUBLIC TRANSIT - HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION PLAN
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
ADOPT the locally developed 2025-2028 Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan (“Coordinated Plan” or “Plan”) for Los Angeles County (Attachment A), as required under the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program.
Issue
ISSUE
Metro serves as the designated recipient of FTA Section 5310 funds for the urbanized areas of Los Angeles County and is responsible for their planning, programming, and oversight. Approximately $10.5 million is received annually and awarded to eligible subrecipients every two to three years through a combination of formula-based allocations and competitive solicitation processes.
In accordance with federal requirements, all projects funded through the Section 5310 Program must be included in a locally developed, board adopted, Coordinated Plan. To maintain compliance and continue administering Section 5310 funds in Los Angeles County, the Plan must be updated every four years to align with the planning cycles of metropolitan transportation plans.
The updated 2025-2028 Coordinated Plan under consideration, allows Metro to fulfill its role as the designated recipient of Section 5310 funds in Los Angeles County and supports the continued administration, programming, and oversight of Section 5310 funded projects throughout the region. Upon adoption, all Section 5310 funded projects are required to align with the goals and priorities established in the Plan over the next four years.
Background
BACKGROUND
In accordance with Federal transit law (49 U.S.C. § 5310) and the FTA Circular 9070.1H, the Coordinated Plan must be developed and approved through a participatory process that involves seniors, individuals with disabilities, public, private, and nonprofit transportation and human services providers, and other relevant community members. The purpose of the Plan is to identify the transportation needs of seniors (age 65 and older) and individuals with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs (referred to as “target populations”), develop strategies to address those needs, and prioritize transportation projects and programs for implementation and funding. The 2025-2028 Coordinated Plan is an update to the 2021-2024 Coordinated Plan, which was adopted by the Metro Board in June 2021.
A growing share of Los Angeles County’s residents are seniors and individuals with disabilities. Many of these individuals are not effectively served by traditional fixed-route public transit. Human services transportation providers help bridge the gap by offering specialized services, such as paratransit and demand-responsive transportation, designed to meet the unique mobility needs of these populations.
Addressing the transportation needs of target populations requires cost-effective and impactful investments. The highest priority initiatives identified in this Plan are designed not only to improve mobility, but also to support broader regional transportation goals.
The Plan does the following:
• Outlines existing transportation services provided for target populations
• Assesses current and future transportation service gaps for target populations
• Identifies projects and programs to improve, expand, and address the gaps in services for target populations
• Prioritizes projects and programs based on input from target populations to promote greater independence, social connection, and economic participation
• Allows Metro to fulfill its responsibilities as the designated recipient for Section 5310 funds in LA County
Discussion
DISCUSSION
As Los Angeles County’s Section 5310 designated recipient and administrator, Metro’s Countywide Planning and Development department initiated the development of the 2025-2028 Coordinated Plan Update in September 2024. This effort entailed a comprehensive, community driven planning process to identify strategies, initiatives, and projects that enhance the safety and efficiency of transportation options for target populations.
The 2025-2028 Coordinated Plan is a locally developed plan shaped by the input of seniors, individuals with disabilities, and the transit and human service providers that serve them. Its development is anchored in demographic analysis and a comprehensive assessment of service gaps across Los Angeles County. The Plan provides a framework for addressing the region-wide mobility needs of target populations, by providing implementable strategies, initiatives, and projects that promote greater independence, social connection, and economic participation for Los Angeles County communities.
The Coordinated Plan provides an assessment of the current transportation landscape and incorporates both public transit and human services transportation. It identifies future projects and programs aimed at improving and expanding mobility options for target populations across the County. The Plan outlines a clear set of goals and objectives that ensure alignment with the identified needs and priorities of the target populations. A key outcome of the Plan is a prioritized list of projects and programs, developed through community input, that directly address existing service gaps and unmet mobility needs.
Coordinated Plan’s Goals and Objectives
Five goals and objectives (consistent with the previous 2021-2024 Coordinated Plan) are included, which were refined and finalized through the outreach and engagement process. These goals were developed in collaboration with Community Based Organizations (CBOs) through focus group meetings. The CBO engagement helped shape the Plan’s purpose, identify future funding needs, and was augmented with broader community input received throughout the process. The outreach consisted of groups representative of the county’s diverse geographic area, key populations, including seniors, individuals with disabilities, and those who rely on public or specialized transportation. These goals include:
• Goal 1: Fund Mobility Options - Sustain, fund, and continue to expand public, private, and other transportation services in LA County to enhance safety, efficiency, independence, and economic participation for target populations
• Goal 2: Address Mobility Gaps - Improve coordination between public transportation and human services transportation to address mobility gaps, ensuring target populations have safer and more efficient transportation options
• Goal 3: Provide Support Services - Provide support services to target populations to improve access, awareness, and ease of travel
• Goal 4: Promote and Improve Information Portals - Promote, improve, and expand information portals on mobility options
• Goal 5: Enhance Performance Monitoring Systems - Enhance customer feedback and accountable performance monitoring to ensure benefits are directly received by target populations
Priorities for Implementation
An updated prioritized list of projects and programs is included in the Plan, developed to address the mobility, safety, and efficiency of transportation options for target populations. This list is intended to address existing service gaps and unmet needs, guide Metro in evaluating applications for Section 5310 funding, and identify projects and programs that are supported by target populations.
This prioritization ensures that available resources are directed toward projects with the greatest potential impact. By aligning project selection with the Plan’s priorities, Metro can enhance the effectiveness of Section 5310 investments and ensure compliance with federal requirements.
The prioritized list of project and program types is organized by rank as follows:
• Priority1:
o Capacity and service level improvements and expansion
o Multi-language format guides
o Street improvement projects for access to stops and stations
o Consolidate multi-city agency resources
o Travel training programs
• Priority 2:
o Vehicle and fleet expansion and replacement
o Ongoing programs to serve same-day transportation
o Programs to serve intercounty and multi-city trips
o Social media to promote mobility options
o Real-time transit information
o Promote senior-friendly vehicle operator training
• Priority 3:
o Ongoing dial-a-ride services
o Fare integration among operators
o Performance monitoring and reporting programs
o Ongoing door-to-door or door-through-door transportation
o Mileage reimbursement programs
• Priority 4:
o Travel escorts and volunteer aides
o Find-a-ride trip planner
o Mobility management for target groups at transit centers
o Subsidized vanpool/carshare programs
o Subsidies and voucher-based programs
Community Engagement Process
To inform the development of the 2025-2028 Coordinated Plan, Metro conducted extensive outreach and engagement efforts to ensure the voices of seniors, individuals with disabilities, public, private, and nonprofit service providers, CBOs, and other stakeholders were incorporated into the planning process.
Focus Group Meetings
Metro held five focus group meetings to share insights and discuss critical transportation challenges and needs for the Plan’s target populations. In total, 106 participants representing 65 agencies and organizations from across Los Angeles County participated. Spanish and American Sign Language interpretation, call-in access, and translated materials were provided to ensure event accessibility.
Key topics discussed during the focus groups included: accessibility and infrastructure; service availability and reliability; safety and security; and communications and outreach. The above topics touched on the need for improved physical infrastructure (sidewalks, pathways, bus shelters), service hours and the lack of same day on-demand service, safety on Metro buses and rail, difficulty accessing service information and the lack of wayfinding for visually impaired individuals. Additionally, focus group insights emphasized geographic disparities, and service gaps.
Needs Assessment Surveys
Two needs assessment surveys were conducted on existing and future transportation needs.
The public opinion survey received 267 responses and targeted seniors and individuals with disabilities. Common themes described in the survey included affordability, safety, reliability, and accessibility. The survey highlighted areas for improvement in LA County’s transit and paratransit systems, regarding safety, reliability, and the challenges faced by seniors and individuals with disabilities. Positive aspects like affordability and courteous staff were noted, however, concerns and barriers to travel were emphasized. Targeted investments and educational campaigns are vital to address these unique travel challenges. The insights provide a foundation for future grant funding and planning decisions.
The Agency and Human Service Providers survey targeted transit agencies in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. In total, 62 responses were received, which mostly provided services such as door-to-door, dial-a-ride, curb-to-curb, door-through-door, and shared ride services. Many also offer supplemental services, including travel training, mobility management, referrals, and technological support (apps, booking rides, and managing services). Insights on the types of drivers used for their services, the composition of existing fleets, annual operating budgets, and future expense information was gathered. Agencies and human service providers highlighted mobility and technology barriers, such as same-day reservation/immediate needs trips for medical and essential shopping for their clients.
Draft Plan Public Comment Period
The Draft Plan was also circulated for a 30-day public review and comment period between April 28 and June 2, 2025. A virtual community meeting was hosted on May 21, 2025, to present the draft Plan, highlight preliminary findings, and collect public comments and feedback to shape revisions and help inform the final Plan. The meeting drew interest from a broad range of stakeholders, with over 20 different agencies and organizations across LA County registering to participate. Attendees engaged in meaningful dialogue, offering valuable feedback that contributed to Plan revisions. Spanish and American Sign Language interpretation, call-in access, and translated materials were provided to ensure event accessibility.
Additionally, the public was encouraged to provide comments by mail, email, or by leaving a voice message on a dedicated hotline, with feedback welcomed in any language to ensure broad participation. In total 21 public comments were received during the public comment period. Key themes included the need for more accessible, on-demand transportation options and improved inter-county transit, especially between Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties. Commenters also called for infrastructure upgrades like ADA-compliant sidewalks, clearer signage, and better bus stop amenities, highlighting areas such as San Fernando Road in Glendale and the 22nd Street Landing in San Pedro. Additional feedback emphasized the importance of regional coordination to address mobility gaps.
The public comment period and virtual community meeting was promoted via the project’s Metro website, social media, Metro Community Relations Regional Weekly Newsletters, and Metro’s The Source and El Pasajero blogs. The plan was also promoted on bus car cards installed on Metro buses throughout the County. Physical copies of the Plan were also made available at strategic locations throughout the County to allow the public to review.
CBO Partnership
To enhance community engagement efforts, Metro partnered with 11 CBOs to provide outreach support services including: Move LA, Service Center for Independent Life (SCIL), Advanced Healthcare Administrators, Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE), Bike LA, Streets Are For Everyone (SAFE), Public Matters, Designated Exceptional Services for Independence (DESI), the YMCA, Global Green and Long Beach Forward.
Two primary CBO partners, Move LA and the Service Center for Independent Life (SCIL), were responsible for the CBO roundtable facilitation, survey distribution and project awareness, focus group attendance and outreach, and distribution of the final plan document. The remaining CBO outreach support partners were responsible for disseminating information through social media posts and their community networks.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
Adoption of the Coordinated Plan will have no impact on the safety of Metro’s customers and employees.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Adoption of the Coordinated Plan will have no financial impact.
Impact to Budget
Preparation of the Coordinated Plan is a required administrative activity funded by the FTA Section 5310 program administration funds. No other Metro funds will be required. The FTA Section 5310 funds are not eligible for Metro’s bus and rail operating and capital expenditures.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
The 2025-2028 Coordinated Plan’s planning, engagement, and prioritization process aligned with and advanced Metro’s Equity Platform as it applied its core pillars, inclusive of Define and Measure, Listen and Learn, and Focus and Deliver.
Consistent with Define and Measure, the Plan used data-driven tools, including ZIP Code level demographic analysis and mapping of past Section 5310 investments, to identify areas with the greatest unmet mobility needs. These areas, including the Antelope Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, and parts of West Los Angeles, often align with Metro designated Equity Focus Communities, where concentrations of residents face mobility barriers. This analysis allowed Metro to better understand where the targeted investment of Section 5310 funds would have the most impact and supports future disparity assessments across the agency.
Through its outreach process, the Plan advanced Listen and Learn by including the voices of seniors, individuals with disabilities, and the organizations that serve them. Metro collaborated with 11 CBOs, conducted multiple focus groups, and distributed public surveys to gather meaningful feedback from stakeholders throughout the region. These efforts were designed to ensure participants felt heard, reflected, and respected, which are key principles of authentic community engagement as outlined in Metro’s Equity Platform.
The Plan embodies Focus and Deliver by directing future Section 5310 investments toward projects and programs that address the most critical transportation service gaps for the region’s most underserved populations. A prioritized list of project types was developed based on community input and service gap analysis to ensure that limited funding is allocated to initiatives with the greatest potential to improve mobility, safety, and independence for target populations. By aligning resources with demonstrated needs, Metro is actively working to eliminate disparities and expand access to opportunity.
By supporting these core pillars, the Coordinated Plan not only fulfills federal compliance requirements, but also supports Metro’s commitment to a transparent and community-driven approach to transportation planning and investments.
Vehicle_Miles_Traveled_Outcome
VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED OUTCOME
VMT and VMT per capita in Los Angeles County are lower than national averages, the lowest in the SCAG region, and on the lower end of VMT per capita statewide, with these declining VMT trends due in part to Metro’s significant investment in rail and bus transit.* Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets align with California’s statewide climate goals, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. To ensure continued progress, all Board items are assessed for their potential impact on VMT.
While the agency remains committed to reducing VMT through transit and multimodal investments, some projects may induce or increase personal vehicle travel. However, these individual projects aim to ensure the efficient and safe movement of people and goods.
This Board item will likely increase VMT in Los Angeles County, as it includes a planning and programming action that supports on-demand, door-to-door, and other demand-responsive transportation services for seniors and individuals with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs. These specialized transportation services often involve individualized routing and vehicle trips that may increase VMT. However, they provide critical mobility for populations who are not effectively served by fixed-route transit and fill essential transportation gaps. These services are vital for enhancing mobility, safety, and independence among some of the County’s most underserved residents.
Although this item may not directly contribute to the achievement of the Board-adopted VMT Reduction Targets, the VMT Targets were developed to account for the cumulative effect of a suite of programs and projects within the Metro region, which individually may induce or increase VMT. Additionally, Metro has a voter-approved mandate to deliver multimodal projects that enhance mobility while ensuring the efficient and safe movement of people and goods. The 2025-2028 Coordinated Plan reflects Metro’s responsibility to deliver programs and projects that balance the goal of reducing VMT with the necessity to provide transportation options that effectively serve all Los Angeles County residents.
*Based on population estimates from the United States Census and VMT estimates from Caltrans’ Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data between 2001-2019.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
Adoption of the Coordinated Plan supports the following goals of the Vision 2028 Strategic Plan:
Goal 1: Provide high-quality mobility options that enable people to spend less time traveling by developing goals and strategies to address gaps in existing transportation services.
Goal 3: Enhance communities and lives through mobility and access to opportunity by prioritizing projects and programs that will improve mobility for target populations.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board could choose not to adopt the 2025-2028 Coordinated Plan. However, staff do not recommend this alternative. Failure to adopt the Plan would result in non-compliance with federal transit law requirements under the FTA Section 5310 Program, rendering Metro ineligible to receive future Section 5310 funds. It would also prevent Metro from fulfilling its responsibilities as the designated recipient of Section 5310 funds for the urbanized areas within Los Angeles County.
Adoption of the Coordinated Plan is necessary to maintain program eligibility and ensure continued investment in projects that improve mobility for seniors and individuals with disabilities throughout the County.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Upon Board adoption of the 2025-2028 Coordinated Plan, staff will submit the final Plan to the FTA to ensure compliance. Staff will also begin the development of the next Section 5310 funding solicitation, ensuring alignment with the priorities identified in the Plan. Staff will return to the Board in Fall 2025 to seek approval to release the upcoming Section 5310 funding opportunity.
Attachment
ATTACHMENT
Attachment A - 2025-2028 Coordinated Plan
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Ruben Cervantes, Senior Manager, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 547-4323
Dustin Sifford, Principal Transportation Planner, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 922-4817
Anne Flores, Senior Director, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 922-4894
Isidro Panuco, Deputy Executive Officer, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 547-4372
Fanny Pan, Executive Officer, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 418-3433
Laurie Lombardi, Senior Executive Officer, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 418-3251
Nicole Ferrara, Deputy Chief Planning Officer, (213) 547-4322
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Ray Sosa, Chief Planning Officer, (213) 547-4274
