On August 17, 2026, GoRaleigh and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) will open a call for projects for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program (49 U.S.C. 5310), or Section 5310 Program, for the Raleigh Urban Area. The Section 5310 Program provides grants to assist non-profit organizations, private operators, and public agencies providing coordinated transportation services that are planned, designed and carried out to meet the mobility needs of elderly persons and persons with disabilities.
As the designated recipient for Section 5310 federal funding for the Raleigh area, GoRaleigh is facilitating the Call for Projects application process. CAMPO reviews the Section 5310 grant applications and approves the awards which are then submitted by GoRaleigh to the FTA for funding.
The upcoming Call for Projects will provide funding for eligible applicants for projects that are scheduled to occur within a two-year period from October 1, 2027 to September 30, 2029. There is $1.9M available to fund eligible projects and grants administration in the current grant cycle. The Call for Projects will open on August 17, 2026 and all applications will be due to GoRaleigh no later than September 14, 2026 at 5:00 PM EDT.
Note that all disbursements under the new program cycle are dependent upon a successfully executed grant agreement with the FTA.
Section 5310 Grant Engagement Opportunities - New Options Added this Year![1]
For this year’s grant cycle, GoRaleigh and CAMPO are providing enhanced resources and learning opportunities for grant applicants, including holding an expanded grant webinar prior to the call and providing Office Hours during the grant application period.
Grant Application Webinar - Interested parties are invited to attend a grant application webinar on August 10, 2026 from 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm.
Coming soon - Recorded Presentation - The grant webinar will be recorded and posted here by August 17.
Office Hours - Prospective applicants are encouraged to sign up to attend office hours to have specific questions answered and get help with preparing applications. Time slots are available on Tuesdays and Fridays between August 18 and September 4, and on Thursday September 10. A drop-in session will be held on Tuesday, Sep 8, 2026 from 1:00 - 4:00 pm - information will be posted here on the drop-in session once details are available.
- Visit the booking page to reserve your Office Hour slot!
Coming soon - Application and Applicant Resources Toolkit - Information will be posted to this site at the opening of the call of project including the Section 5310 application, templates, examples and other resources to support applicants.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
If you have questions about the Section 5310 program, please contact Tierra M. Hobley at tierra.hobley@raleighnc.gov or call 919-996-4287.
Section 5310 Program Details and Eligibility Requirements
Section 5310 funds can be used for capital and operating expenses to support non-profit organizations, private operators and public agencies providing transportation services to meet the specific needs of elderly persons and persons with disabilities. Requirements are further detailed in the Section 5310 Program Management Plan (PMP). All projects must either have their origin or destination within the Raleigh Urban Area to qualify for Section 5310 Urban Area funds; an origin or destination in a rural area is permitted as long as either the origin or destination occurs within the urban area.
At least 55 percent of the funds given annually (“apportioned”) to any rural, small urbanized, or large urbanized area must be used for public transportation “capital” projects that are planned, designed, and carried out to meet the specific needs of elderly persons and persons with disabilities. These are referred to as “traditional capital projects.” Elderly persons and persons with disabilities must be the primary benefactors of the proposed projects to qualify for Section 5310 project funds; simply benefitting these groups among others is not sufficient.
Eligible projects for the required 55 percent of traditional capital projects include mobility management, the capital cost of contracting for transit services for elderly persons and persons with disabilities and other specialized shared-ride transportation services. Buying rolling stock for or acquiring Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) complementary paratransit service may also both qualify as eligible capital expenses when public transportation is insufficient, unavailable, or inappropriate, provided these projects are carried out by eligible subrecipients and these projects are included in the area’s Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan. Refer to Section 7.1 - Traditional Capital Expenses of the PMP for details.
In addition to the required minimum 55 percent of traditional capital projects, up to 45 percent of an area’s apportionment may be utilized for additional public transportation projects that accomplish one or more of the following:
a. Exceed the ADA minimum requirements,
b. Improve access to fixed-route service and decrease reliance by persons with disabilities on ADA-complementary paratransit service, or
c. Provide alternatives to public transportation that assist elderly persons and persons with disabilities with transportation.
Section 5310 funds will only be allocated for projects that meet the specific needs of seniors and individuals with disabilities to be eligible. Refer to section 7 - Eligible Projects in the PMP for further details.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Tierra M. Hobley
Fiscal Analyst- Grants
City of Raleigh
Department of Transportation - GoRaleigh
4104 Poole Road, Raleigh, NC 27610
(p) 919-996-4287
Tierra.Hobley@raleighnc.gov