Illinois Statutes Chapter 20. Executive Branch § 3968/5. Findings; purpose

§ 5. Findings; purpose. The General Assembly finds that safe, reliable, and convenient transportation to and from (i) work and related destinations such as child care and education, (ii) medical appointments and related destinations such as a pharmacy, and (iii) ancillary services necessary to the health, well-being, and independence of the family such as grocery shopping, adult day services, and pharmacy related services are extremely important in the ability to find and retain employment and insure the continued independence and well-being of all citizens of Illinois, particularly in the lower income sectors of the economy. For many people, these transportation needs are not met by existing mass transit. In a national survey by the University of Illinois at Chicago of over 500 riders of 23 federally funded community transportation projects under the Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) program across the nation, 68% of riders indicated that they would not be able to reach their employment without this service. Furthermore, the national evaluation of the JARC program by the General Accounting Office illustrates that 65% of all projects have extended existing fixed routes by schedule or location as well as created connections to existing services. This creates a need for innovative transportation to work strategies that fit within local circumstances in Illinois. Many localities around Illinois do not have the resources or the expertise to develop and support innovative transportation options. Localities need access to technical assistance both in designing programs and in accessing various sources of State and federal funds. Illinois also leaves substantial federal transportation funds unclaimed because of the failure to put forward projects to use the funds. Thus, Illinois would benefit from an Interagency Coordinating Committee to set priorities for improving access to transportation for the transportation disadvantaged. The General Accounting Office has found in its evaluation that interagency collaboration has informed transit agencies of how to better serve low-income communities by knowing where jobs are located and a system of supports are found. Illinois would also benefit from a unified State process to apply for federal transportation assistance for innovative transportation to work projects and strategies and for identifying the matching funds necessary to access that federal assistance. The purpose of this Act is to establish the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Transportation.