For purposes of
this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
1. “Department” means the state department of transportation.
2. “Federal aid” means any federal grants, loans, or other federal assistance whether or not state or local funds are required to match or
contribute toward the costs of the program for which the aid is available.
3. “Private aid” means any grants, loans, or other assistance available from nonprofit corporations, foundations, and all private or nongovernmental
sources, whether or not state or local funds are required to match or contribute toward the costs of the program for which
the aid is available.
4. “Public transit system” means an urban or regional transit system providing transit services accessible to the general public and receiving federal,
state or local tax support.
5. “Regional transit system” means a public transit system serving one county or all or part of a multicounty area whose boundaries correspond to the
same boundaries as those of the regional planning areas designated by the governor except as agreed upon by the county and
the department. Each county, through the county board of supervisors, within the region shall be responsible for determining
the service and funding within its own county. However, the administration and overhead support services for the regional
transit system shall be consolidated into one existing or new agency to be mutually agreed upon by the participating members.
6. “Transportation” means the movement of individuals in a four or more wheeled motorized vehicle designed to carry passengers, including a car,
van, or bus, between one geographic point and another geographic point. “Transportation” does not include emergency or incidental transportation or transportation conducted by the department of health and human
services at its institutions.
7. “Transportation disadvantaged persons” means persons with physical or mental disabilities, persons who are determined by the department to be economically disadvantaged
and other persons or groups determined by the department to be disadvantaged in terms of the transportation services that
are available to them.
8. “Urban transit system” means a system designated by the department in which motor buses are operated primarily upon the streets of cities for the
transportation of passengers who present themselves for transportation without discrimination up to the limit of the capacity
of each motor bus. “Urban transit system” also includes motor buses operated upon the streets of adjoining cities, whether interstate or intrastate for the transportation
of passengers without discrimination up to the limit of the capacity of each motor bus. A privately chartered bus service
or interurban carrier subject to the jurisdiction of the state department of transportation is not an urban transit system.
324A.2 Technical assistance.
The department shall, at the request of a state agency, political subdivision, or public transit system or organization affected
by
this chapter, provide to them the following technical transportation assistance:
1. An evaluation of existing public transit systems, including but not limited to an evaluation of rolling stock, the costs of
operation including the costs of fuel, maintenance and personnel and the development of common management and operating systems
and procedures.
2. An analysis of existing urban and rural transit system services provided for transportation disadvantaged persons and the
service needs of transportation disadvantaged persons, including an evaluation of specialized equipment required to meet the
service needs of transportation disadvantaged persons.
324A.3 Fiscal and service plan.
The department shall at the request of a political subdivision, or public and private providers of transportation services
affected by
this chapter assist the providers in the development of a fiscal and service plan which may be used by them to coordinate and consolidate
all forms of urban and rural transportation services except public school transportation, including but not limited to, the
following:
1. Senior citizen transportation.
2. Head start transportation.
3. Services for persons with disabilities.
4. Cab companies.
5. Common carriers.
6. Transportation services provided by private nonprofit agencies to their clients or the general public.
324A.4 Federal, state, local, and private aid — report.
1. The department shall compile and maintain current information on the use of federal, state, local, and private aid affecting
urban and rural public transit programs. Public, private, and private nonprofit organizations applying for or receiving federal,
state, or local aid for providing transit services shall annually report to the department the costs of their transportation
programs, depicting funds used for public transit programs and such other information as the department may require prior
to receiving any federal or state funds or any aid from a political subdivision of the state. The report shall list all of
the funding sources of the organization along with the listing of funds expended by that organization during the preceding
fiscal year. The department, in cooperation with the regional planning agencies as the responsible agency for annual updating
the regional transit development programs, shall compile this information annually. A state agency or organization administering
funds for transit services is required to submit all funding requests through the regional and state clearinghouse and the
department. An organization, state agency, political subdivision, or public transit system, except public school transportation,
receiving federal, state, or local aid to provide or contract for public transit services or transportation to the general
public and specific client groups, must coordinate and consolidate funding and resulting service, to the maximum extent possible,
with the urban or regional transit system.
2. a. Upon request, the department shall provide assistance to political subdivisions, state agencies, and organizations affected
by this chapter for federal aid applications for urban and rural transit system program aid. The department, in cooperation with the regional
planning agencies, shall maintain current information reflecting the amount of federal, state, and local aid received by the
public and private nonprofit organizations providing public transit services and the purpose for which the aid is received.
The department shall biennially prepare a report to be submitted to the general assembly and the governor prior to December
15 of even-numbered years. The report shall recommend methods to increase transportation coordination and improve the efficiency
of federal, state, and local government programs used to finance public transit services and may address other topics as appropriate.
The department of health and human services and the officers and agents of the other affected state and local government units
shall provide input as requested by the department. b. The department shall use the following criteria to adopt rules to determine compliance with and exceptions to subsection 1: (1) Elimination of duplicative and inefficient administrative costs, policies, and management.
(2) Utilization of resources for transportation services effectively and efficiently.
(3) Elimination of duplicative and inefficient transportation services.
(4) Development of transportation services which meet the needs of the general public and insure services adequate to the needs
of transportation disadvantaged persons.
(5) Protection of the rights of private enterprise public transit providers.
(6) Coordination of planning for transportation services at the urban and regional level by all agencies or organizations receiving
public funds that are purchasing or providing transportation services.
(7) Management of equipment and facilities purchased with public funds so that efficient and routine maintenance and replacement
is accomplished.
(8) Training of transit management, drivers, and maintenance personnel to provide safe, efficient, and economical transportation
services.
c. Eligibility to receive or expend federal, state, or local funds for transportation services by all agencies or organizations
purchasing or providing these services shall be contingent upon compliance with these criteria as determined by the department.
3. The department shall receive and distribute federal aid to public transit systems unless precluded by federal statute; however,
the department shall not retain or redirect any portion of funds received by the department for a particular public transit
system except that the department may redirect unused funds after a project is completed in order to prevent the lapse of
funds. The department may designate the public transit systems as the direct recipients of federal aid.
324A.6A Public transit infrastructure grant fund.
A public transit infrastructure grant fund is established within the department. Moneys in the fund shall be awarded to public
transit systems within the state for construction and infrastructure projects that meet the definition of
“vertical infrastructure” in
section 8.57, subsection 3, paragraph
“c”. The fund shall consist of appropriations made to the fund and transfers of interest, earnings, and moneys from other funds
as provided by law. In awarding grant assistance, the office of public transit within the department shall, by rule, specify
certain criteria that must be included in a grant application, which shall include but not be limited to information on the
feasibility of completion of an individual infrastructure project. Notwithstanding
section 8.33, moneys in the public transit infrastructure grant fund shall not revert to the fund from which they are appropriated but
shall remain available indefinitely for expenditure under
this section.