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Grant deadline looms for wheelchair lifts


If you've been thinking of adding wheelchair accessibility to your fleet, there may be money in it for you — the FTA is giving out grants, and the application deadline is April 15. The grants cover up to 90% of the cost of equipment and training. A total of $10,710,435 is available this year — $8,800,000 that was appropriated in fiscal year 2009, plus $1,910,435 in prior-year unused funds. That's an increase over last year's available funding.

According to the government, typical grants under this program range from $25,000 to $180,000, with most grants being less than $40,000, for lift equipment for a single vehicle. Eligible incremental capital costs include adding lifts, tie-downs, moveable seats, doors and training costs associated with using the features. Retrofits are also eligible. Accessibility equipment must meet Buy America standards. The FTA may even award funds for costs already incurred by applicants.

New coaches and retrofits are likely the best fits for these grants — the FTA will not fund the incremental costs of acquiring pre-owned accessible coaches, because it's difficult for the FTA to figure out if those coaches have already benefitted from FTA funding.

How to apply:

  • Get on the Internet and go to www.grants.gov
  • On the lefthand side of the page, click on "Find Grant Opportunities".
  • Use the "Basic Search" function and type in "wheelchair."
  • Click on "Capital and Training Assistance Program for Over-the-Road Bus Accessibility." Read carefully.
  • Make sure to get your grant in to your regional FTA office by April 15. Grants may be submitted directly through the www.grants.gov website.

Detailed information on compliance requirements, FTA regional-office contacts and more can be found at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-703.htm

Do I need a wheelchair lift?

  • If you're a large, fixed-route operator with gross revenues of at least $8.6 million, all of your coaches operated on fixed routes must be wheelchair-accessible by October 29, 2012. By now, 50 percent of your coaches operated on fixed routes should be accessible. Until the fixed-route fleet becomes fully accessible, you must provide accessible over-the-road bus service to passengers with disabilities on a 48-hour advance notice basis.

  • If you're a smaller fixed-route operator, you need to either have coaches equipped with wheelchair lifts or be able to provide equivalent service within 48 hours. There is no specified deadline for total fleet accessibility. As a smaller fixed-route operator, you may choose to comply with ADA regulations by ensuring that each new over-the-road coach purchased is accessible or provide equivalent service to passengers with disabilities.

  • "Demand-responsive" operators such as tour and charter operators must be able to provide wheelchair accessibility within 48 hours of notice. Small mixed-service operators must be able to provide such service until total accessibility is attained. However, such companies are not required to fundamentally alter reservation practices or displace other passengers in order to meet the requirements.

Fortune magazine once called disabled travelers the biggest untapped travel group in the United States, with about 10 million using wheelchairs. A 2002 study conducted by Open Doors Organization and Harris Interactive suggested that disabled travelers spent $13.6 billion a year on travel, taking 31.7 million trips in the U.S. in 2002. Websites like www.gimponthego.com can give you a good idea of the potential — and current resources — associated with this market. So even for operators who don't fall under a category that requires direct ownership of lift-equipped coaches, owning — and marketing — such equipment may be a great opportunity.

More help

The ABA has good tips and guidelines for putting together grants for the FTA, including sample grants, accessible at http://www.buses.org/adagrants.

General tips for writing grants

  1. Follow the instructions. It may seem obvious, but read the guidelines carefully and provide all information that is requested. Make your proposal fit the guidelines as closely as possible.
  2. Make sure your request is a good fit. Don't ask for funds that over-stretch the purpose of the grant.
  3. Be specific, and don't automatically ask for the maximum available funding. A budget number that shows real projected figures will look more credible than a high round number (i.e. a request for $18,307.46 may look better than one for $20,000).
  4. Get help if you need it. If you're unsure about how to write a grant, call upon others' expertise. Associations, agencies and friendly fellow operators are all good sources of tips and advice.
  5. If you need help writing about equipment specifications and the like, call your friendly manufacturer.
  6. Be clear and concise. Make it easy for the FTA to read and understand your request. Proofread it for errors.
  7. Keep a copy for your files.

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