The Federal Transit Administration published a list of public transportation operators in large urbanized areas, with populations equal to or greater than 200,000 that are eligible to receive operating assistance in Fiscal Year 2013, pursuant to MAP-21.

The list of eligible operators is shown in FTA’s Apportionment Table #3A, “FTA FY 2013 Section 5307 Operating Assistance Special Rule Operator Caps.” Eligible operators are public entities that operate fixed-route bus service with 100 or fewer buses in maximum peak hour service. This provision does not affect the continued availability of operating assistance for public transportation operators in urbanized areas with populations between 50,000 and 199,999.

Apportionment Table #3A includes a maximum dollar amount that an eligible agency may use for operating assistance. This amount is based on the number of vehicles in operation, the Section 5307 apportionment to the urbanized area and the relative share of public transportation in the urbanized area represented by the operator’s fixed-route bus service.

As required under Section 5307, any use of program funds, including operating assistance, requires that funds be allocated by the designated recipient for Section 5307 in the urbanized area, in coordination with the MPO and the metropolitan planning process. If allocated, FTA operating assistance requires a 50% local match.

The amounts available are subject to the continuing resolution and represent approximately half of an anticipated full-year amount.