PUBLIC NOTICE RURAL AREAS PROGRAM (5311) ENHANCED MOBILITY OF SENIORS & INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES PROGRAM (5310) TRANSPORTATION BUS AND BUS FACILITIES (5339) FUNDS APPLICATIONS   The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) is soliciting applications for the following Federal Transit Administration (FTA) formula grant transportation programs through the Public Transit Division. These funds will be made available based upon the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act federal appropriations. MDOT will also, to the greatest extent utilize any available older 5311 Moving Ahead for Progress in 21st Century (MAP-21) funds to fund projects Section 5311 Rural Areas program Eligible applicants include State and local governmental authorities, Indian Tribes, private non-profit organizations, and private operators of public transportation services under special contractual arrangements. Although an applicant's proposal may target specific client groups, services for the general public must be included. Applicants are reminded that participation in a local coordinated planning process must also be clearly documented. Consequently, projects must be derived from an approved local Human Service Public Transportation Coordination Plan. This program funds general public, job access and reverse commute and certain intercity bus transportation services in areas with less than 50,000 in population. Approximately $20,000,000 in FTA funds are expected to be available for capital, operating, planning and administration expenses that may support general public, job access and reverse commute and intercity transportation services. A job access and reverse commute project is defined as a transportation project that may provide planning, capital and/or operating costs of services designed to transport welfare recipients and eligible low-income individuals to and from jobs and activities related to their employment. This may include projects that involve trips to and from urbanized areas or rural areas to suburban employment locations. Intercity transportation services may include rural and small urban areas. Eligible intercity bus activities include planning and marketing for intercity bus transportation, capital, some operating cost and coordination of rural connections between rural transit projects and intercity carriers. 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program (Rural, Small and Large Urbanized Area) This program provides funds for private non-profit organizations to implement services that: 1) Serve the special needs of transit-dependent populations beyond traditional public transportation service, where public transportation is insufficient, inappropriate, or unavailable; 2) Exceeds the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 3) Improve access to fixed route service and decrease reliance on complementary paratransit; 4) or provide alternatives to public transportation Capital and operating awards will be provided from approximately $3,000,000 in federal funds made available for rural (Less than 50,000 in population) and small urban areas (50,000 - 199,999 in population), City of Jackson Urbanized Area (Over 200,000 in population) by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Eligible applicants include private non-profit organizations or public bodies that coordinate services for seniors and individuals with disabilities. Applicants must document that they can provide the local match required for all capital and operating costs. Local match funds may be derived from state, local or certain other federal funds. Projects must be included in a locally developed coordinated plan. Bus and Bus Facilities (5339) Buses and Bus Facilities program, which makes funding available to states, designated recipients and local governmental entities to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related equipment and to construct bus-related facilities including technological changes or innovations to modify low- or no- emission vehicles or facilities. Capital awards will be provided from approximately $4,000,000 in federal funds for eligible 5310 and 5311 applicants based on rating criteria in the two programs. It is the policy of the MDOT and the FTA that no persons or groups shall, on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or disability be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. The Public Transit Division will host a 5310, 5311, 5339 Application Workshop at the Jackson Medical Mall Foundation Convention Center, 350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave. in Jackson, MS on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. All attendees are requested to register for the workshop on or before Friday, November 21, 2025. The registration form is located on the MDOT website at https://mdot.ms.gov/portal/intermodal_planning/#c1288. Registration forms may be submitted via email to lfloyd@mdot.ms.gov, faxed or mailed to the below address and number. The workshop will begin at 9:00 a.m. The workshop will include discussions of each formula grant program as well as the local coordinated planning requirements. Applicants wishing to apply for funding via this announcement must be registered in the Public Transit Division’s Grants Management System (GMS). Instructions will be provided during the grant application workshop on how to apply for funding in the GMS. Attendance at the workshop is mandatory for new potential applicants. All grant applications for funding must be received in our office on or before 3:00 p.m. on February 6, 2026. For more information about these programs and the respective application process, please contact Shirley Wilson, Director, Public Transit Division, Mississippi Department of Transportation at P. 0. Box 1850, Mail Code 61-01, Jackson, MS 39215-1850 or by telephone at (601) 359-7800, FAX at (601) 359-7777, or by email at swilson@mdot.ms.gov. 11/14, 11/17, 11/19/2025 #11829683