City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: SEPTEMBER 2, 2026
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER
FROM: LEAH RILEY, DIRECTOR, TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of a Resolution to Support an Application for the Federal Transit Administration Fiscal Year 2026 Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility Program.
BODY
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ISSUE: Should the City seek grant funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to replace six aging human services and accessible vehicles with a coordinated fleet serving the Departments of Transportation and Environmental Services (T&ES), Community and Human Services (DCHS), and Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities (RPCA)?
RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council:
1. Adopt the resolution (Attachment 1) to approve an application to the FTA for Fiscal Year 2026 Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility Program funding for up to $1,000,000; and
2. Authorize the City Manager or his designee to submit the proposal to FTA and enter into any necessary agreements with FTA to accept the funds.
BACKGROUND: The FTA's Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility (ICAM) Program is a competitive grant program that funds innovative capital projects designed to improve coordination of public transportation and non-emergency medical transportation for older adults, people with disabilities, and individuals with low incomes, with the goal of building partnerships among health, transportation, and other service providers. Eligible project types include mobility management, coordination technology, and vehicle investments that improve access to health care, employment, education, and community services. For fiscal year 2026, FTA is offering approximately $12 million in competitive grants under the ICAM Program.
DISCUSSION: The City currently operates six vehicles supporting human services transportation funded through the Older Americans Act and RPCA transportation for adaptive recreation programming: one 22-passenger body-on-chassis (BOC) bus with lift; one 12-passenger transit van; one 8-passenger transit van with lift; and three 28-passenger medium duty BOCs with lifts.
The FTA provides thresholds for age or mileage by vehicle class before a vehicle is eligible for replacement with FTA funds. The City uses a points-based system based on age, maintenance cost, and other variables that provide guidelines for replacement of vehicles. All vehicles proposed to be replaced will meet the FTA requirements by 2028 or sooner. The City’s fleet replacement standards call for these vehicles to be replaced between 2028 to 2033. Of the six vehicles to be replaced with this grant, only one is compatible with paratransit operations. The other vehicles are not ADA compliant, do not have a side entry lift, or are too large to navigate routes needed for paratransit trips.
The City proposes to replace the existing six-vehicle fleet with a combination of low-floor, wheelchair-accessible buses capable of supporting ADA paratransit service and Older Americans Act-funded transportation, and larger-capacity vehicles meeting the City's school bus safety standards to support RPCA adaptive recreation transportation, including summer camp field trips.
Award announcements are expected no later than March 2027. Should the grant be awarded, T&ES will work with DCHS and RPCA to finalize the specific vehicle scope, configuration, and allocation across programs, ensuring the fleet meets program needs throughout each vehicle's useful life, and is flexible enough to serve multiple programs. Vehicles scoped and ordered after announcement can be expected to be delivered in the second or third quarter of fiscal year 2028.
This vehicle procurement supports Goal 2 of the City's Age-Friendly Plan for a Livable Community 2026-2029, adopted by City Council on March 19, 2026: promote frequent, reliable, and accessible transportation for the older adult community in Alexandria. T&ES and DCHS are jointly working toward this goal, whose final action item calls for a unified citywide approach to human services transportation by 2028. A shared fleet serving all transportation programs for older adults is a component of meeting that goal.
FISCAL IMPACT: The estimated total project cost is approximately $1,000,000, based on current market pricing for low-floor accessible buses (~$170,000) and larger-capacity vehicles meeting school bus safety standards (~$160,000). The grant requires a 15% local match, or $150,000, which would be funded by City general funds planned for vehicle replacements that are scheduled over the next several fiscal years (through fiscal year 2028 when the new vehicles would be purchased). This reflects the enhanced federal share of up to 85 percent permitted under 49 U.S.C. 5323(i) for vehicle acquisitions made to comply with or maintain compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, rather than the program's standard 80/20 cost share.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution
2. Letters of Support
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, P.E., Deputy City Manager
Hillary Orr, Deputy Director, T&ES
Katye North, Division Chief, Mobility Services, T&ES
Owen Albrecht, Senior Manager, Accessible Transportation Programs, T&ES
Christopher Moore, Division Chief, Aging and Adult Services, DCHS
Ashley Johnson, Long Term Care Coordinator, DCHS
Tammie Jones, Bus Driver Supervisor, DCHS