	Background

Transportation-disadvantaged populations, including those that cannot  provide their own transportation due to age, disability, or income  constraints, may face challenges in accessing transportation, such as  lack of access to public transportation or a private vehicle. DOT and HHS formed the Coordinating Council on Human Services  Transportation (Coordinating Council) in 1986 to improve the efficiency  and effectiveness of human service transportation by coordinating  related programs at the federal level and promoting the maximum feasible  coordination at the state and local levels. 1). Thirty- one of these programs are administered by HHS. Transportation is not the primary mission for the vast majority of the  programs we identified. Except for the 7 DOT programs, where all funds  are used to support public transportation, the remaining 73 programs we  identified primarily provide a variety of human services, such as job  training, employment, education, medical care, or other services, which  incorporate transportation as an eligible program expense to ensure  participants can access a service. Federal Spending

Total spending on transportation services for the transportation  disadvantaged remains unknown because, in many cases, federal  departments do not separately track spending for these services. However, total expenditures and obligations for the 28 programs that do  track or estimate transportation spending were at least $11.8 billion in  fiscal year 2010 (see table 1). Federal Coordination Efforts Are Led by an Interagency Council, but Key Challenges Remain

		Coordinating Council

The interagency Coordinating Council, chaired by DOT, has been  charged with leading governmentwide transportation coordination efforts  since 2003. The Coordinating Council undertook a number of activities  through its United We Ride initiative, largely between 2003 and 2007. However, according to DOT officials, more recent Coordinating  identifies agency roles and responsibilities, measurable outcomes, or  required follow-up. We have  previously reported that defining and articulating a common outcome,  agreeing on agency roles and responsibilities, and reinforcing agency  accountability through agency plans and reports are important  elements for agencies to enhance and sustain collaborative efforts. State and Local Efforts Include Transportation Planning and Service Coordination, but Challenges Continue

		State and Local Transportation Coordination Efforts

State and local officials in the five states we selected used a variety of  coordinated planning and service efforts to serve the transportation  disadvantaged. State coordinating bodies can  help to facilitate collaboration between federal, state, and local agencies  by providing a venue for agencies to discuss and resolve transportation  issues to better coordinate transportation activities related to the provision  of human services and enhance services for transportation- disadvantaged populations. In addition to state coordinating councils,  efforts include regional and local planning, one-call centers, mobility  managers, and vehicle sharing (see table 3). Challenges to State and Local Efforts

State and local entities’ efforts to coordinate services for the  transportation disadvantaged are not without challenges. According to  officials, challenges include insufficient federal leadership, changes to  state legislation and policies, and limited financial resources in the face of  growing unmet needs. Recommendations for Executive Action

To promote and enhance federal, state, and local coordination activities,  we recommend that the Secretary of Transportation, as the chair of the  Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility, and the Secretaries of the  Departments of Agriculture, Education, Health and Human Services,  Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, and Veterans Affairs,  as member agencies of the Coordinating Council, should meet and take  the following actions:
Complete and publish a strategic plan for the Coordinating Council,  which should, among other things, clearly outline agency roles and  responsibilities and articulate a strategy to help strengthen  interagency collaboration and communication. Report on the progress of Coordinating Council recommendations  made as part of its 2005 Report to the President on Implementation of  Executive Order 13330 and develop a plan to address any  outstanding recommendations, including the development of a cost- sharing policy endorsed by the Coordinating Council and the actions  taken by member agencies to increase federal program grantee  participation in locally developed, coordinated planning processes. In commenting on  a draft of this report, Education and VA generally agreed with our  conclusions and recommendations. HHS, HUD, and  DOT neither agreed nor disagreed with the report and provided technical  comments. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

To identify federal programs that provide funding for transportation  services for the transportation disadvantaged, we examined prior GAO  work on the topic, conducted an online search of the Catalog of Federal  Domestic Assistance, and requested program information from federal  agency officials for the programs identified.
Why GAO Did This Study

Millions of Americans are unable to provide their own transportation or have difficulty accessing public transportation. Such transportation-disadvantaged individuals may include those who are elderly, have disabilities, or have low incomes. The Departments of Education, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor (DOL), Transportation (DOT), Veterans Affairs (VA), and other federal agencies may provide funds to state and local entities to help these individuals access human service programs. As requested, GAO examined (1) federal programs that may fund transportation services for the transportation disadvantaged; (2) federal coordination efforts undertaken since 2003; and (3) coordination at the state and local levels. GAO analyzed information from the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance; interviewed federal officials; and interviewed state and local officials in five states, chosen based on a variety of characteristics, including geographic diversity.

What GAO Found

Eighty federal programs are authorized to fund transportation services for the transportation disadvantaged, but transportation is not the primary mission of most of the programs GAO identified. Of these, the Department of Transportation administers 7 programs that support public transportation. The remaining 73 programs are administered by 7 other federal agencies and provide a variety of human services, such as job training, education, or medical care, which incorporate transportation as an eligible expense in support of program goals. Total federal spending on transportation services for the transportation disadvantaged remains unknown because, in many cases, federal departments do not separately track spending for these services. However, total funding for the 28 programs that do track or estimate transportation spending, including obligations and expenditures, was at least $11.8 billion in fiscal year 2010.
The interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility, which the Secretary of Transportation chairs, has led governmentwide transportation coordination efforts since 2003. The Coordinating Council has undertaken a number of activities through its United We Ride initiative aimed at improving coordination at the federal level and providing assistance for state and local coordination. For example, its 2005 Report to the President on Human Service Transportation Coordination outlined collective and individual department actions and recommendations to decrease duplication, enhance efficiencies, and simplify access for consumers. Key challenges to federal interagency coordination efforts include a lack of activity at the leadership level of the Coordinating Council in recent yearsthe Coordinating Council leadership has not met since 2008and the absence of key guidance documents for furthering agency coordination efforts. For example, the Coordinating Council lacks a strategic plan that contains agency roles and responsibilities, measurable outcomes, or required follow-up. GAO has previously reported that defining and articulating a common outcome and reinforcing agency accountability through agency plans and reports are important elements for agencies to enhance and sustain collaborative efforts.
State and local officials GAO interviewed use a variety of planning and service coordination efforts to serve the transportation disadvantaged. Efforts include state coordinating councils, regional and local planning, one-call centers, mobility managers, and vehicle sharing. For example, state coordinating councils provide a forum for federal, state, and local agencies to discuss and resolve problems related to the provision of transportation services to the transportation disadvantaged. In other examples, one-call centers can provide clients with transportation program information and referrals for appropriate service providers and mobility managers may serve many functionsas policy coordinators, operations service brokers, and customer travel navigators. However, state and local governments face several challenges in coordinating these servicesincluding insufficient federal leadership, changes to state legislation and policies that may hamper coordination efforts, and limited financial resources in the face of growing disadvantaged populations.

What GAO Recommends

To promote and enhance federal, state, and local coordination activities, the Secretary of Transportation and the Coordinating Council should meet to (1) complete and publish a strategic plan; and (2) report on progress of recommendations made by the Council in its 2005 Report to the President and develop a plan to address outstanding recommendations. Education and VA agreed with GAOs recommendations. HHS, DOL, DOT, and other federal agencies neither agreed nor disagreed with the report. Technical comments were incorporated as appropriate.