(1) PURPOSE. The purpose of this section is to promote the conservation of energy, reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, enhance the efficient use of existing transportation systems, and enhance the success of welfare-to-work programs by providing efficient and effective transportation services that link low-income workers with jobs, training centers, and child care facilities, by planning and promoting demand management and ride-sharing programs, and by providing technical and financial assistance to public and private organizations for job access and employment transportation assistance programs and for the development and implementation of demand management and ridesharing programs. (2) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Demand management” means policies and programs designed to reduce the number of automobile trips, especially during peak hours of traffic congestion, including policies and programs designed to do any of the following: 1. Promote the reduction of unnecessary single-occupancy automobile trips. 2. Promote alternatives to automobile travel, such as biking and walking. 3. Encourage the use of high-occupancy modes of travel, such as ride sharing and all forms of public transportation. 4. Increase the convenience of alternatives to single-occupancy automobile trips, such as appropriate land-use planning and preferential parking privileges for car and van pools. (ag) “Job access and employment transportation assistance” means policies and programs that are directed at resolving the transportation needs of low-income workers and recipients of public assistance with respect to transportation to-and-from jobs, including welfare-to-work programs, and activities related to their employment. (b) “Ride sharing” means the use of a single motor vehicle by 2 or more persons for the purpose of commuting to and from their places of employment or attendance at postsecondary institutions, and includes commuting by means of a car pool or a van pool. (br) “Transportation employment and mobility” means policies and programs that encompass demand management, ride sharing, and job access and employment transportation assistance. (3) ADMINISTRATION. (a) The department of transportation shall be the lead state agency in demand management and ridesharing activities and shall collaborate with the department of workforce development in job access and employment transportation assistance programs. The department of transportation shall have all powers necessary to develop and implement a state transportation employment and mobility program that includes the coordination of demand management, ride-sharing, and job access and employment transportation assistance activities in this state; the promotion and marketing of demand management, ridesharing, and job access and employment transportation assistance activities; the dissemination of technical information; the provision of technical and financial assistance to public and private organizations for the planning, development, and implementation of demand management, ride-sharing, and job access and employment transportation assistance programs; and the development and distribution of computer and manual ride-matching systems. (b) The department may apply for and receive federal grants on its own behalf or as requested on behalf of other private and public organizations. (c) The department may administer a program for the distribution of any federal funds for ride sharing, demand management, and job access and employment transportation assistance that are made available to the state. (d) The department may award grants from the appropriation under s. 20.395 (1) (bs) to public and private organizations for the development and implementation of demand management, ridesharing, and job access and employment transportation assistance programs. As a condition of obtaining a grant under this paragraph, a public or private organization may be required to provide matching funds at any percentage. For demand management and ride-sharing purposes, the department shall give priority in the awarding of grants to those programs that provide the greatest reduction in automobile trips, especially during peak hours of traffic congestion. The department shall have all powers necessary and convenient to implement this paragraph, including the following powers: 1. To promulgate, by rule, procedures and criteria for the review and award of grants under this paragraph. 2. To receive and review applications for grants and to prescribe the form, nature and extent of the information which shall be contained in applications. 3. To audit and inspect the records of grant recipients. 4. To require reports from grant recipients as needed. (4) CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION. (a) Except as provided in par. (b), a record containing any of the following information collected under this section relating to any applicant for ride-sharing services shall be kept confidential and may not be inspected or copied under s. 19.35 (1): 1. Residential address and phone number. 2. The time of beginning and ending work. 3. Current mode of commuting between home and workplace. 4. Type of ride-sharing service information requested. (b) Paragraph (a) does not prohibit the disclosure of the information to the extent necessary to administer the ride-sharing program nor, if requested under s. 49.22 (2m), does it prohibit disclosure of the name or address of a person or of his or her employer to the department of children and families or a county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5). (c) Any person who willfully discloses or who, under false pretenses, willfully requests or obtains information in violation of par. (a) may be required to forfeit not more than $500 for each violation. This paragraph does not apply to information disclosed, requested or obtained to the extent necessary to administer the ride-sharing program or, if requested under s. 49.22 (2m), to the department of children and families or a county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5).
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