Short Range Transit Plan 2008-2013 - Omnitrans

IBI GROUP
SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN REPORT
OMNITRANS COMPREHENSIVE OPERATIONAL ASSESSMENT
& SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN
Income
Low-income persons were identified by the number of persons below the federal standard for poverty.
Many of the people that fall under the poverty line do not have adequate personal transportation and thus
rely on public transit for their everyday transportation. Consequently, it is important to understand where
persons in poverty reside within the Omnitrans service area.
Thresholds for poverty are adjusted every year to account for changes in the Consumer Price Index. The
Department of Health and Human Services updates the poverty guidelines annually and releases these
guidelines in the Federal Register.
Poverty, as defined by the U.S. Census
Poverty is determined by comparing the family’s income to a set of weighted average thresholds for a
given family size. If a family’s total income is less than the threshold for the family’s size composition, the
family and everyone in it is considered poor. If a person is not living with anyone related by birth,
marriage, or adoption, the person’s own income is compared with his or her poverty threshold as an
“unrelated individual.” It is important to note that poverty status was determined for everyone except
those in institutions, military group quarters, or college dormitories, and unrelated individuals under 15
years old. Figure 4-3 shows the Poverty Thresholds (Annual Dollar Amounts) by size of family and
number of related children under 18 years old in 1999.
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