RCTC approves $366,317 Measure A amendment for specialized transit services
Summary
The commission approved Amendment No. 3 to the Measure A specialized transit program, allocating $366,317 to three nonprofits—Kindful Restoration, Voices for Children and Forest Folk—to fund operations and vehicle needs; staff will supply agency‑level service counts on request.
The Western Riverside County Programs and Projects Committee approved Amendment No. 3 to the Measure A specialized transit program, adding $366,317 to awards for three nonprofit providers serving persons with disabilities, seniors, veterans, low‑income residents and other vulnerable populations.
Monica Morales of the Multimodal Services Department said Measure A specialized transit was first approved by voters in 1989 and reauthorized in 2009. She told commissioners the program funds services that typically fall outside fixed‑route transit and that RCTC maintains monthly tracking of trips, unique individuals served, miles and service hours for each agency.
Amendment No. 3 includes: $292,400 for Kindful Restoration (operating funds of $227,400 and $32,500 for vehicle replacement plus $32,500 for expanded ADA‑compliant vehicle service); $36,617 in additional operating funds for Voices for Children (which provides mileage reimbursement to volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates for children in foster care); and $37,300 in operating funds for Forest Folk to expand use of a second vehicle that had previously been approved as a replacement/back‑up.
Morales said the commission had previously approved 22 applications totaling just over $11.2 million and that, before this amendment, roughly $970,000 remained available for programming; after Amendment No. 3 the remaining balance for programming is just over $600,000. Morales noted she did not have agency‑level counts in the packet but that RCTC tracks and will provide data on how many individual people each agency serves.
Commission members asked about how the agencies’ service counts and funding allocations are determined. Morales explained funding decisions consider an agency’s service area and operational needs as well as total trips and hours, not strictly a per‑trip payment formula. Eastvale’s member asked specifically whether Forest Folk’s second vehicle was a replacement or expansion; Morales clarified prior approvals covered replacement vehicles and the new request provides operating funds to put the second vehicle into active service rather than using it only as a backup.
A motion to approve staff recommendations was seconded and passed by roll‑call vote.
Staff requested authorization for the Chair or Executive Director to sign and execute the award agreements; commissioners approved that authorization as part of the package.
