COMMUTER AND TRANSIT BUS PRIVATE CARRIER PANDEMIC RELIEF AND JOBS PROGRAM

Application closed March 29th, 2022

The Commuter and Transit Bus Private Carrier Pandemic Relief and Jobs Program is a non-recurring grant program to help commuter and transit bus transportation companies alleviate the revenue loss resultant from the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing them to retain or create jobs. Helping the state’s private carrier industry will both benefit New Jerseyans who rely on the state’s commuter bus services as well as the residents employed by the private carrier companies.
To receive funding, applicants must meet all eligibility criteria described below. The eligibility criteria are non-discretionary and program funds will be allocated based on a predefined formula to ensure the program can be efficiently administered.

PROGRAM DETAILS

The Program will provide a one-time grant to eligible commuter and transit bus private carriers that operated as essential service providers in New Jersey during the COVID-19 pandemic and experienced significant revenue loss due to reduced ridership. To comply with the duplication of benefits provisions within the Stafford Act and as outlined in Executive Order No. 267, Program grants will only reimburse revenue losses that have not been addressed through any other funding sources (i.e., “unmet need”).

ELIGIBILTY

To be eligible, an applicant must, demonstrated in a manner acceptable to the Authority:

Have been in business prior to February 15, 2020;

Be a for-profit business (non-profits are excluded from the Program based on other required criteria); public agencies, authorities, or government entities are not eligible;
Be registered to do business in and operating in the state of New Jersey, as evidenced by a current New Jersey Tax Clearance Certificate;
Provide fixed route bus service (MB) or commuter bus (CB) service as defined in the Federal Transit Administration’s December 22, 2021, National Transit Database (NTD) Glossary. Other services, including but not limited to those provided by charter buses, school buses, municipal shuttles, vanpool, and on-demand bus services, are not eligible;
Have reported Vehicle Revenue Miles for fixed route bus service (MB) or commuter bus service (CB) greater than 0 in New Jersey directly to the NTD, as recorded in Annual Data Tables 2020 Service, or through NJ Transit as a private carrier in 2020;
Demonstrate revenue losses in the state of New Jersey in 2020 due to the pandemic (calculated as the difference between each applicant company’s 2020 revenues reported in New Jersey and 2019 revenues reported in New Jersey) that has not been fully addressed by other public or private relief funding sources;
Self-certify best effort not to furlough or lay off any individual from the time of application through six months after the end of the declared state of emergency. Applicants that have already furloughed or laid off workers from the time of application must make a best-effort pledge to re-hire those workers as soon as possible. Any material breach of its best effort certification may result in the NJEDA seeking repayment of the grant;
Satisfy the Authority’s debarment/disqualification review and not have any defaults or outstanding obligations to the Authority; and
Be in good standing with the following sister agencies: New Jersey Department of Labor, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Department of Taxation, and New Jersey Transit.

FUNDING AMOUNTS

Grants will be allocated to eligible applicants using a predefined formula, consisting of a flat award amount and a share of the remaining program funds proportional to the applicant’s total vehicle revenue miles, capped at unmet need.

Each approved applicant will be eligible for a flat grant amount that is intended to equitably address base overhead costs that are independent of revenue miles operated, for example, the cost of vehicle maintenance, employee salaries, and garage depots for buses.

The remainder of the funds will be allocated based on each eligible applicant’s proportional share of the total vehicle revenue miles in New Jersey for 2020 for all eligible applicants, as reported in the NTD directly or through NJ Transit as a private carrier. This methodology is being used to account for additional variable revenue losses and cost increases associated with volume of service maintained during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The maximum award, inclusive of the flat amount and pro-rata allocation, will not exceed the applicant’s unmet need. For this Program, as aligned with duplication of benefits requirements, unmet need is defined as 2020 New Jersey revenue losses (calculated as the difference between each applicant company’s 2020 revenues reported in New Jersey and 2019 revenues reported in New Jersey), less any other public or private COVID-19 relief funds that a company received for 2020.

Public or private funds that companies may have received include, but are not limited to, Federal or State loans and grants – such as Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services (CERTS) grants, forgivable portions of Payroll Protection loans, and Economic Injury Disaster grants – and insurance payouts. As such, this funding allocation design will comply with duplication of benefits provisions within EO 267 and the Stafford Act, as required by the funding source.

Any funding, flat amount or pro-rata share, that is reduced by the lost revenue award cap, or a duplication of benefit reduction will be re-allocated to the pro-rata pool to be disbursed to other eligible applicants.

MORE INFORMATION

An affidavit must be completed by all businesses that are applying for, been awarded and/or receiving any assistance funded by the Commuter and Transit Bus Private Carrier Pandemic Relief and Jobs Program being offered by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA). The information within this affidavit will provide the NJEDA with vital information for processing the application required by the Stafford Act Section 312 on Duplication of Benefits.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The NJEDA believes that diversity, equity, and inclusion are inherent to creating a stronger and fairer New Jersey economy. The Program, outlined by the State legislature, has a tightly defined purpose targeted to provide support to private carrier companies. To support NJEDA’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, the application will include voluntary disclosures about applicant company demographic data and request a diversity, equity, and inclusion plan for their organization.

CONDITIONS OF FUNDING

Applicants will have the right to appeal the Authority’s determination of eligibility and award amount. Appeals must be filed within the timeframe set in the declination letter (which must be at least 3 business days but no longer than 10 business days). Due to the proportional distribution of funds, all funds will be held from assignation until all appeals are resolved, after which funds will be disbursed.

Permit the use by NJEDA of applicant, and information that is provided in the application and audit process, and that is not otherwise prohibited by law, for case studies and to support the development of future versions of this program, or future alternative programs.

KEY DEFINITIONS

The Program will use the definitions of the following terms quoted from the Federal Transit Administration in the NTD Glossary.

Federal Transit Administration (2021, December 22). National Transit Database (NTD) Glossary. United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 22, 2022 from https://www.transit.dot.gov/ntd/national-transit-database-ntd-glossary

What is a Fixed Route service?
- Services provided on a repetitive, fixed schedule basis along a specific route with vehicles stopping to pick up and deliver passengers to specific locations; each fixed route trip serves the same origins and destinations, such as rail and bus (MB); unlike demand responsive (DR) and vanpool (VP) services. Can be found in: A-10, A-20, S-10
- For the purposes of the Program, eligible applicants need to provide a fixed route service by bus (MB).
What is a Commuter Bus Service?
- Local fixed-route bus transportation primarily connecting outlying areas with a central city. Characterized by a motorcoach (aka over-the-road bus), multiple trip tickets, multiple stops in outlying areas, limited stops in the central city, and at least five miles of closed-door service.
What is a charter service?
- A vehicle hired for exclusive use that does not operate over a regular route, on a regular schedule and is not available to the general public.
What are vehicle revenue miles?
- The miles that vehicles are scheduled to or actually travel while in revenue service.
  - Vehicle revenue miles include:
    - Layover / recovery time.
  - Vehicle revenue miles exclude:
    - Deadhead;
    - Operator training;
    - Vehicle maintenance testing; and
    - Other non-revenue uses of vehicles.
- For purposes of the Program, Vehicle Revenue Miles reported to the NTD, as recorded in Annual Data Tables 2020 Service, or through NJ Transit as a private carrier in 2020, will be used in the calculation for the pro-rata allocation of funding.

Apply here Board memorandum Program Specifications Frequently asked Questions

QUESTIONS

For more information or to ask a specific question please send an email to busrelief@njeda.com and a team member will reach out to you.