Grantees Highlight Innovative Transportation Programs at Capitol Hill Briefing

• By: USAging
• On: 12/13/2019 11:17:57
• In: Program Update

After introductions from NATDC staff, the briefing kicked off with remarks from ACL's Lance Robertson, Assistant Secretary for Aging, and representing Senate Committee on Aging Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) was Sarah Khasawinah. Then recipients of NADTC's 2019 Transportation Innovations grants provided an overview of the projects they developed to increase accessible transportation options for older adults and people with disabilities by removing barriers and expanding mobility options.

Grantees deployed a variety of approaches to accomplish their goals, including:

• Making connections to healthy food;
• Expanding the availability of transportation in remote rural areas;
• Implementing a centralized one-call/one-click transportation information center; and
• Adapting a shared ride coordinated volunteer transportation program to offer medical rides in an unserved area.

 
The briefing also featured the debut of a video highlighting the importance of the grants to the lives of older adults and people with disabilities using these services. Grantees making presentations included:

• Alex Gordon, North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization, Fort Collins, CO
• Regan McManus, Director, INCOG Area Agency on Aging, Tulsa, OK
• Zoe Miller, Greater Portland Council of Governments, Portland, ME
• Mitch LaRosa, Shared Mobility, Buffalo, NY
• Briana Smith, Capacity Builders, Farmington, NM

Does your AAA have a transportation program? Resources from NADTC's Every Ride Counts campaign include materials your agency can use—and customize with your contact information—to promote your transportation programs in your community. And stay tuned for information on the next round of NADTC grant funding that will be announced in 2020.