Partners in Progress: CCAM-TAC’s Role in Supporting ICAM Innovation

The Federal Transit Administration’s Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility (ICAM) program invests in projects that improve coordination, expand access, and test solutions that other communities can replicate. ICAM funding focuses on capital activities – including mobility management – that help agencies modernize systems, strengthen partnerships, and better serve riders who rely on accessible transportation.

Since the program’s launch in 2016, ICAM has supported projects that bring together transportation, human services, health care and other community partners to address mobility challenges.  Five rounds of funding have been awarded, and with a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) expected soon, agencies will once again have the opportunity to propose innovative, coordinated mobility strategies in their communities.

ICAM funds can be used for capital expenditures that appear in a region’s Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) or State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP). Eligible capital activities are defined in 49 U.S.C 5302. ICAM-funded projects often include:

• Shared scheduling and dispatch platforms that help agencies coordinate trips more efficiently
• Integrated fare payment systems that simplify the rider experience
• Travel navigators and mobility managers who help people understand and use available services
• Partnerships with health care providers to reduce missed appointments
• One-call/one-click centers that make information easier to find

With coordination being a central focus of the grant, building collaborative partnerships is key. Agencies can use the CCAM Program Inventory to find partners for their projects. Determine each partner agency’s role and formalize those partnerships with MOUs or letters of support. This will strengthen the project and help sustain it moving forward.

Writing a grant can feel daunting, but you can use FTA’s Competitive Grant Preparation Checklist to help prepare your application.  Additional grant application resources can also be found on this webpage.

To help grantees bring these ideas to life, FTA partners with the Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility Technical Assistance Center (CCAM-TAC). While the grantees complete the work on the ground, CCAM-TAC provides support, tools, and connections that help agencies strengthen their projects, collect robust data and learn from one another.

The newest These Roads We Share video – Partners in Progress: CCAM-TAC’s Role in Supporting ICAM Innovation – highlights the heart of this work, illustrating why coordinated access matters and how ICAM projects can transform the way communities connect people to services. The video reinforces a central truth: no single agency can meet every mobility need alone.