Article 4.5. Claims For Community Transit Services of California Public Utilities Code >> Division 10. >> Part 11. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 4.5.

(a) Claims may be filed with the transportation planning agency by claimants for community transit services, including such services for those, such as the disabled, who cannot use conventional transit services.
  (b) For purposes of this article, "community transit services" means transportation services which link intracommunity origins and destinations.

(a) Claims, for purposes of this article, shall be filed in the same manner as claims are filed for purposes of Article 4 (commencing with Section 99260).
  (b) The transportation planning agencies shall adopt criteria, rules, and regulations for the evaluation of claims filed under this article and the determination of the cost effectiveness of the proposed community transit services to be provided under the claims.
  (c) Prior to approving a claim filed under this article, the transportation planning agency shall make all of the following findings:
  (1) That the proposed community transit service is responding to a transportation need currently not being met in the community of the claimant.
  (2) That the service shall be integrated with existing transit services, if appropriate.
  (3) That the claimant has prepared an estimate of revenues, operating costs, and patronage.
  (4) That the claimant is in compliance with Section 99268.3, 99268.4, 99268.5, or 99268.9, whichever is applicable to it, or with regional, countywide, or county subarea performance criteria, local match requirements, or fare recovery ratios adopted by resolution of the transportation planning agency or the county transportation commission for any or all types of community transit services.
  (A) In adopting the performance criteria, local match requirements, or fare recovery ratios, the transportation planning agency or the county transportation commission may adopt the criteria of Section 99268.3, 99268.4, 99268.5, or 99268.9, or any combination or all of them.
  (B) If a transportation planning agency or county transportation commission has adopted performance criteria, local match requirements, or fare recovery ratios, the rules and regulations of the agency or commission apply, and Sections 99205.7 and 99241, subdivision (a) of Section 99247, and Section 99268.8 do not apply.
  (5) That the claimant is in compliance with Sections 99155 and 99155.5.
  (d) A transportation planning agency or county transportation commission shall allocate no funds to a claimant not in compliance with Sections 99155 and 99155. 5.

Each claimant receiving funds allocated for purposes of this article shall submit an annual certified fiscal audit pursuant to Section 99245.

Claimants may contract on the basis of competitive bidding to provide community transit services.