WAKE FOREST PUBLIC TRANSIT PLAN
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AND PARTNERSHIPS To implement the expanded transit services, the Town will need to continue partnerships with regional transit operators and seek funding programs. Operating the transit service with a paid fare system can also allow the Town to offset some of the cost to provide the services. The project team recommends several potential funding opportunities and partnerships. IMPLEMENTATION PARTNERSHIPS The project team recommends that the Town of Wake Forest partner with a local transit provider, such as GoRaleigh, GoTriangle, or other, to operate the East and West loops. This is consistent with ongoing operations for the WFL (operated by GoRaleigh); therefore allowing the Town to negotiate with GoRaleigh to operate the East and West loops under similar contract terms. Cost estimates in this Plan for both circulator operating costs are based on assumptions using the existing contract. For the microtransit service, the project team recommends the Town partner with a third party microtransit operator, such as Via, or a transportation network company such as Uber or Lyft. These third party operators provide a turnkey operation. Turnkey operation is advantageous, especially when implementing a new microtransit service, because the operator provides all aspects of the service – vehicles, IT, operations management, drivers, etc. COMMUNITY FUNDING AREA PROGRAM (CFAP) The Community Funding Area Program (CFAP) was created as a result of the Wake County Transit Plan to provide financial support to eligible organizations to accelerate public transportation services and programs. The Town of Wake Forest is among 11 eligible Community Funding Areas but must participate in a competitive process to receive funding for planning, capital, and/or operating expenses. The CFAP requires all projects provide a minimum funding match of 50% of the total project costs. The matching requirement is the same for operating, capital, and planning projects. There are no restrictions on the funding source used to match CFAP resources. The Town may use federal, state, or local funding sources (local property tax, sales tax, fees, other revenues, etc.) to meet the CFAP match requirements. The Town should note that accepting funds from federal or state programs have separate application processes and reporting requirements that are in addition to the CFAP. The application process renews annually. A representative of the Town must attend an applicant training session that provides an overview of procedures and addresses issues that are relevant to the upcoming call for projects. A representative of the Town must also attend a pre-submittal application review meeting during which CAMPO staff will advise the Town on application completeness. CFAP funds can be used for operational costs, bus stops and amenities, and projects that provide access to bus stops. Currently, $420,000 from CFAP is provided annually for the operating costs of the WFL. In any year, no single municipality may have greater than 30% of the CFAP allocation in that year, and currently the cap is $550,000. Therefore, the Town is only eligible to receive an additional $130,000 from CFAP.
LOCALLY ADMINISTERED PROJECTS PROGRAM (LAPP) The Locally Administered Projects Program (LAPP) is a competitive capital funding program managed by CAMPO. Projects are funded using various federal funding sources and require a minimum 20% local match. CAMPO member jurisdictions including the Town are eligible to apply for these funds. Projects are scored
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