ME-2024-006
Project Grant
Overview
Grant Description
Application purpose: A community based transportation model for low income and underserved communities in rural Maine through an innovative ride-cost management and AI-based dispatch transit system.
The project will benefit two public transit agencies located in rural Maine: Penquis Community Action Agency (PENQUIS) and Kennebec Valley Community Action Agency (KVCAP).
PENQUIS operates in Penobscot and Piscataquis counties. KVCAP operates in Somerset and Kennebec counties.
With over 35 years of experience, PENQUIS Transportation Services is the Maine DOT regional transportation provider for Penobscot and Piscataquis counties and the MaineCare non-emergency medical transportation broker for Penobscot, Piscataquis, Kennebec, and Somerset counties.
KVCAP is the Maine DOT regional transportation provider for Kennebec and Somerset counties.
Activities performed: PENQUIS is seeking to bolster ridership and optimize the cost of managing transportation operations via a community-based transportation model that will allow institutions to manage low-cost rides using existing resources in the region and by automating its dispatch operations with an artificial intelligence dispatch and fare card system that will utilize data from the field (driver apps, consumer apps, text/voice notification systems) in real-time and provide operational efficiencies through optimization and which will allow PENQUIS and its partner KVCAP to expand its services to expand non-Medicaid rides through community-based transportation.
Expected outcomes: Current dispatch systems are cumbersome and require time-consuming reporting and queries for users to share information with other departments.
Reporting delays in the current vehicle location can vary between 30 seconds to several minutes.
As a result, dispatching decisions are difficult to make because by the time the information is received by the dispatcher, the vehicle has already left the location.
Currently, dispatchers, even though presented with vehicle tracking displays and messaging capabilities with drivers via tablets, still rely primarily on radios because of the immediacy they provide.
While the radio helps dispatchers perform their job, opportunities to provide improved productivity gains and additional client services offered by the proposed automated AI-dispatch system are missed.
Chief among the misses is the available time for planning and assessment of operations.
With instant alerts, dispatchers can respond in a timely manner.
They can communicate with multiple drivers via chat, which can be converted intelligently to speech at the drivers' end if the message is received while they are driving (and vice versa).
With intelligent monitoring, the systems IAS will apprise the dispatchers of impending challenges e.g. weather and traffic delays, passenger no-shows.
Because dispatchers are freed from the need to assess/deal with transactional performance and statistical data, they can focus on assessing individual driver performance or regional performance.
The other direct benefits of implementing this project to the rider are:
Institutions can access and use a community-based transportation system.
Increased mobility options for transportation beyond those currently provided.
Greater availability of transportation for under and un-banked populations and populations without access to mobile data.
Increased availability of low-cost public transportation for all citizens of the region for social education, employment, and low-income housing, thereby providing greater economic opportunities to the residents within the region.
Improved health of riders due to carbon emission reductions.
Intended beneficiaries: Riders of the system plus organizations such as health care systems, places of work, and local businesses which provide services, jobs, and goods to riders getting to their facilities.
Subrecipient activities: None.
The project will benefit two public transit agencies located in rural Maine: Penquis Community Action Agency (PENQUIS) and Kennebec Valley Community Action Agency (KVCAP).
PENQUIS operates in Penobscot and Piscataquis counties. KVCAP operates in Somerset and Kennebec counties.
With over 35 years of experience, PENQUIS Transportation Services is the Maine DOT regional transportation provider for Penobscot and Piscataquis counties and the MaineCare non-emergency medical transportation broker for Penobscot, Piscataquis, Kennebec, and Somerset counties.
KVCAP is the Maine DOT regional transportation provider for Kennebec and Somerset counties.
Activities performed: PENQUIS is seeking to bolster ridership and optimize the cost of managing transportation operations via a community-based transportation model that will allow institutions to manage low-cost rides using existing resources in the region and by automating its dispatch operations with an artificial intelligence dispatch and fare card system that will utilize data from the field (driver apps, consumer apps, text/voice notification systems) in real-time and provide operational efficiencies through optimization and which will allow PENQUIS and its partner KVCAP to expand its services to expand non-Medicaid rides through community-based transportation.
Expected outcomes: Current dispatch systems are cumbersome and require time-consuming reporting and queries for users to share information with other departments.
Reporting delays in the current vehicle location can vary between 30 seconds to several minutes.
As a result, dispatching decisions are difficult to make because by the time the information is received by the dispatcher, the vehicle has already left the location.
Currently, dispatchers, even though presented with vehicle tracking displays and messaging capabilities with drivers via tablets, still rely primarily on radios because of the immediacy they provide.
While the radio helps dispatchers perform their job, opportunities to provide improved productivity gains and additional client services offered by the proposed automated AI-dispatch system are missed.
Chief among the misses is the available time for planning and assessment of operations.
With instant alerts, dispatchers can respond in a timely manner.
They can communicate with multiple drivers via chat, which can be converted intelligently to speech at the drivers' end if the message is received while they are driving (and vice versa).
With intelligent monitoring, the systems IAS will apprise the dispatchers of impending challenges e.g. weather and traffic delays, passenger no-shows.
Because dispatchers are freed from the need to assess/deal with transactional performance and statistical data, they can focus on assessing individual driver performance or regional performance.
The other direct benefits of implementing this project to the rider are:
Institutions can access and use a community-based transportation system.
Increased mobility options for transportation beyond those currently provided.
Greater availability of transportation for under and un-banked populations and populations without access to mobile data.
Increased availability of low-cost public transportation for all citizens of the region for social education, employment, and low-income housing, thereby providing greater economic opportunities to the residents within the region.
Improved health of riders due to carbon emission reductions.
Intended beneficiaries: Riders of the system plus organizations such as health care systems, places of work, and local businesses which provide services, jobs, and goods to riders getting to their facilities.
Subrecipient activities: None.
Funding Goals
THE AREAS OF PERSISTENT POVERTY PROGRAM PROVIDES FUNDING FOR PLANNING ENGINEERING OR DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL OR FINANCING PLANS FOR PROJECTS ELIGIBLE UNDER CHAPTER 53 OF TITLE 49 UNITED STATES CODE TO ASSIST AREAS OF PERSISTENT POVERTY. THIS PROGRAMS GOALS ARE TO SUPPORT TIMELY AND EFFICIENT INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION FOR SAFETY ECONOMIC STRENGTH AND GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS EQUITY CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY.
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding Agency
Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Maine
United States
Geographic Scope
State-Wide
Maine Department Of Transportation was awarded
Project Grant ME-2024-006
worth $650,462
from the FTA Office of Budget and Policy in July 2024 with work to be completed primarily in Maine United States.
The grant
has a duration of 1 year 5 months and
was awarded through assistance program 20.505 Metropolitan Transportation Planning and State and Non-Metropolitan Planning and Research.
$72,274 (10.0%) of this Project Grant was funded by non-federal sources.
The Project Grant was awarded through grant opportunity FY 2023 Competitive Funding Opportunity: Areas of Persistent Poverty Program.
Status
(Ongoing)
Last Modified 7/29/24
Period of Performance
7/23/24
Start Date
12/31/25
End Date
Funding Split
$650.5K
Federal Obligation
$72.3K
Non-Federal Obligation
$722.7K
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Subgrant Awards
Disclosed subgrants for ME-2024-006
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
ME-2024-006
SAI Number
ME-2024-006-00-20.505
Award ID URI
SAI EXEMPT
Awardee Classifications
State Government
Awarding Office
691384 REGION 1 VOLPE NATIONAL TSC
Funding Office
693JJ8 OFFICE OF BUDGET AND POLICY(TBP)
Awardee UEI
MP59EXMVEMJ7
Awardee CAGE
3Q8Z3
Performance District
ME-02
Senators
Susan Collins
Angus King
Angus King
Modified: 7/29/24