Welfare Reform: Job Access Program Improves Local Service Coordination, but Evaluation Should Be Completed

According to a program official, the FTA provided its evaluation of the Job Access program in a report to the Congress dated October 2002, but did not actually deliver the report until May 2003.

As part of its evaluation of the Job Access Program, the FTA included an assessment of the effectiveness of the program and reported on the collaboration fostered among social service and employment agencies and transportation providers. This evaluation relied, in part, on GAO's survey of Job Access grantees and case studies that were included in its report to congressional committees. However, FTA did not report on the financial sustainability of grantee services after the end of Job Access funding.

FTA has implemented this recommendation to the extent it is able to do so. According to a program official, FTA has raised the issue of using WIA funds as a match for Job Access grants with the Department of Labor during meetings of the Federal Interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility. DOL's position is that the WIA program is geared to individual participants and grants cannot be given to agencies as a match for other funding that would purchase capital equipment to establish a transportation service such as a van-pool or new bus service. WIA funds can be used for individuals to buy a ticket for a vanpool service or a new bus line, but that is the extent of the transportation commitment. Because DOL has taken this position, FTA has advised states administering the Job Access program that their grantees could allow WIA participants to purchase transportation service and thereby obtain additional operating funds. Since DOT has taken action to the extent that it is able, we consider this recommendation to have been implemented.