Press Releases

For Immediate Release

MTC Awards $5 Million to Help Low Income Residents Access Jobs

CONTACT:

Marjorie Blackwell
510.464.7884

Deidre Heitman
510.817.3272

OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 20, 2000...The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) today approved awarding a total of $5 million over the next three years to a dozen projects designed to help low-income Bay Area residents travel to jobs and necessary support services, such as child-care centers. The federal funds allocated through MTC's Low-Income Flexible Transportation (LIFT) program will be used to initiate and increase transportation services primarily for participants in California's welfare-to-work program (CalWORKS).

"For families transitioning off of welfare or struggling to make ends meet in entry-level jobs, getting to and from work and other essential destinations can be a tough road," said MTC Chair James Beall. "By funding effective programs and services, we can make a significant impact on the ability of low-income workers to obtain and retain employment."

Among the dozen projects that will receive funds are van services in Sonoma and Santa Clara counties that transport children from school to after-school programs while their parents are at work; extended "owl" bus services to low-income residential areas, including those located on two former military bases -- Alameda Point and Treasure Island -- to enable late-night shift workers to travel to and from jobs; "guaranteed ride home" services for transit-dependent workers who have an emergency at home or school that requires immediate transportation; and transportation for teenagers in foster homes to centers for learning independent living when they turn 18.

According to Roy Redlich, a planner-analyst with the Sonoma County Human Services Department, "We hear from welfare-to-work participants all the time that child care, transportation and housing are their three biggest problems. While we've solved some of the child-care problems, transportation and housing are still major obstacles."

One of the new LIFT projects will directly benefit both employers and workers. Rerouted Golden Gate Transit buses will travel across the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge between Richmond, which has Contra Costa County's highest concentration of CalWORKS participants, and the San Rafael area of Marin County, which has a shortage of entry-level employees. Bus service also will be increased to accommodate those working at night.

"MTC received 12 applications for LIFT funding from the nine Bay Area counties, and all of them met the selection criteria," said MTC Planner and LIFT Project Manager Deidre Heitman. "Our review team, consisting of members of MTC's Regional Welfare to Work Transportation Working Group and MTC staff, recommended funding all 12 projects, but a few projects received less than requested in order to stay within the $5 million budget." All LIFT grants will be matched dollar-for-dollar with local funding, bringing the total allocation for projects to $10 million.

MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

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