New Jersey Administrative Code
Title 16 - TRANSPORTATION
Chapter 78 - SENIOR CITIZEN AND DISABLED RESIDENT TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE ACT PROGRAM GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES
Subchapter 1 - GENERAL OVERVIEW
Section 16:78-1.2 - Definitions

The following words and terms, as used in this chapter, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

"Accessible" means a service, vehicle, or facility that can be used by all individuals including, but not limited to, those who cannot negotiate steps or who can negotiate steps only with great difficulty, as well as those with visual and hearing impairments. Such a service or facility shall be considered accessible if it complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 12101 et seq., the New Jersey Barrier Free Code, N.J.A.C. 5:23-7, and any other applicable laws, rules, or regulations defining standards for accessibility.

"Board" means the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Transit Corporation.

"Consumers" means senior citizens or people with disabilities. In addition, for purposes of meeting the 51 percent minimum requirement for consumers on local senior citizen and people with disabilities advisory committees, parents or legal guardian of minors with disabilities, and non-professional advocates for developmentally or emotionally disabled persons will be considered consumers.

"Coordinated Human Service Transportation Plan" (CHSTP) means a county-developed, coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan, developed and approved through a process that includes participation by seniors, individuals with disabilities, representatives of public, private, and nonprofit transportation and human services providers, and other members of the public utilizing transportation services, which is intended to identify the transportation needs of individuals with disabilities, older adults, and people with low income, provide strategies for meeting these needs, and prioritize transportation services for funding and implementation, as defined at 49 U.S.C. § 5310.

"Corporation" means the New Jersey Transit Corporation.

"Demand responsive service" means a transportation mode in which a vehicle operates on demand to a variety of different origins and destinations.

"Designated recipient" means a governmental agency or other agency designated by the county to receive program funds.

"Eligible counties" means counties, or the recipient designated by a county, submitting a proposal meeting the program guidelines.

"Feeder service" means transportation that provides a connecting service to or from private or public transportation services including, but not limited to, rail, bus, light rail, ferry, or park and rides.

"Fixed route service" means a transportation mode in which a vehicle operates on a regular basis along a predetermined route, according to a schedule.

"General administration" means the management activities necessary to implement the purpose and objectives of the Senior Citizen and Disabled Resident Transportation Assistance Program. The audit required pursuant to this chapter may be funded as one of the management activities.

"Geographic region" means one of the following regions of the State: the Northern Region encompassing the counties of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, and Warren; the Central Region encompassing the counties of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset, and Union; and the Southern Region encompassing the counties of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem.

"Local fare subsidy" means an arrangement in which the county or the designated recipient contracts with private and/or public operators of public transportation to reduce the fare to senior citizens and people with disabilities.

"New Jersey Transit Senior Citizens and Disabled Residents Transportation Advisory Committee," "SCDRTAC," or "Committee" means a committee representing senior citizens, people with disabilities and other interested parties, and advocacy groups representing senior citizens and people with disabilities and other interested parties.

"People with disabilities" means any individual who, by reason of illness, injury, age, congenital malfunction, or other permanent or temporary incapacity or disability, are unable without special facilities or special planning or design to utilize mass transportation facilities and services as effectively as persons who are not so affected.

"Private ride" means a program whereby the county or the designated recipient reimburses an individual or volunteer who provides transportation to senior citizens and people with disabilities on an incidental and non-commercial basis.

"Route deviation service" means a transportation mode in which a vehicle operates on a regular basis along a predetermined route, according to a schedule but will deviate off the set route for customers that request a deviation.

"SCDRTAP" or "program" means the Senior Citizen and Disabled Resident Transportation Assistance Program.

"Senior citizen" means any individual who is 60 years of age or older.

"Shared ride subsidy" means an arrangement in which the county or the designated recipient contracts with a shared rides operator and/or transportation networking company, as defined in the Transportation Network Company Safety and Regulatory Act of 2017, to reduce its fare to senior citizens and people with disabilities.

"Stakeholder group" means a group of representatives of public, private, and non-profit transportation and human services providers, and members of the public who are directly impacted by community transportation.

"State of emergency" means a situation in which a government is empowered to perform actions or impose policies that it would normally not be permitted to undertake. A government can declare such a state during a natural disaster, civil unrest, armed conflict, medical pandemic or epidemic, or other biosecurity risk.

"Subscription service" means trips provided to riders who make trips on a repeated or recurring basis, such as to school, work, religious services, or dialysis treatment. Subscription service is scheduled once for an ongoing basis.

"Taxi fare subsidy" means an arrangement in which the county or designated recipient contracts with a taxi operator to reduce its fare to senior citizens and people with disabilities.

"Technical assistance" means those activities of NJ TRANSIT, or its representatives, including third-party contractors designed to assist the counties or the designated recipients in planning, organizing, implementing, operating, monitoring, and evaluating existing and future transportation services. The result of technical assistance activities is improvement of the efficiency, effectiveness, and safety of transportation provided to the senior citizens and people with disabilities.

"User side subsidy" means a program in which the county or the designated recipient makes tickets available to senior citizens and people with disabilities to purchase transportation at reduced rates.