The next application deadline for the Active Transportation Program (ATP) will be June 15, 2020 for Cycle 5, with projects awarded in 2021. The California Transportation Commission is currently holding workshops to get feedback and input on the ATP guidelines. “Branch” workshops will be held in locations where workshops haven’t been help before, and will be for input. “Central” workshops will be in more central locations and will include discussions and decisions on different aspects of the guidelines; there will also be a webinar and real-time chat function available. The schedule of workshops, as well as downloadable materials, is available on the CTC's ATP website under the 2021 ATP Cycle 5 header.
There are two key areas we are advocating for at this point in the guidelines process.
Regional definitions on Disadvantaged Communities. We believe that the regional DAC definitions have allowed areas with lesser need to qualify for DAC points, and do not allow for true comparability between all projects for the statewide competition, diminishing transparency and fairness. Regional DAC definitions are fundamentally different than the three existing DAC metrics (CalEnviroScreen, area median income, and free/reduced lunch eligibility), which can be calculated for any location in the state. We support eliminating the regional DACs for the statewide competition. If CTC believes a fourth metric is needed, we support the adoption of a fourth metric that can be calculated consistently across the state such as the Healthy Places Index or Housing and Transportation Affordability Index to factor in housing costs along with income.
We support the elimination of leveraging points in the Medium Infrastructure category, because it is challenging for lower-income communities to come up with matching funds. If CTC chooses to retain these points, they must be adjusted when an applicant qualifies as a DAC. These points should only be retained in the Large Infrastructure category.
