The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC) awarded $490,000 in implementation grants to communities in seven states – Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Rhode Island to implement innovative projects for equitable and accessible transportation to meet the needs of vulnerable and underserved populations, especially older adults and people with disabilities from diverse communities. Each grantee received up to $70,000 under the NADTC 2022 Equity and Accessibility Implementation grant to implement a project which addresses a need identified in the planning phase. These grants were completed at the end of July, 2023. Each grantee provided a final presentation, describing the outcomes and impact of their project. A description of each grantee and their project as well as the final presentation recording and powerpoint can be found below.
Grantees include:
- Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut in North Haven, CT, will recruit and train volunteers to accompany diverse riders, specifically African American, Hispanic and White older adults and individuals with disabilities living in underserved areas of New Haven County, and who currently face transportation barriers related to accessibility, language and avoidance around travel.
- Colonie Senior Service Centers, Inc. in Albany, NY, will utilize the vehicles and registration process that are already a part of their transportation department to expand services in the City of Watervliet and the Village of Menands, two communities with a high percentage of diverse individuals to increase access to transportation for diverse older adults and individuals with disabilities.
- HIRTA Public Transit in Urbandale, IA, will create an online portal that will enable rides to be scheduled in 99 languages. They will also work to establish relationships with third party providers to expand service days and hours for diverse older adults and people with disabilities.
- North Central New Mexico Economic Development District in Santa Fe, NM, in partnership with historically marginalized communities will develop and implement a volunteer driver program, develop a website and brochure of area transportation options, and hold technology education workshops to teach the use of smart phones and other devices to access transportation information and therefore address social isolation.
- Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments in Colorado Springs, CO, will develop and implement an on-demand transportation program for serving under-represented groups who depend on specialized transit services and will create a comprehensive mobility guide intended to provide a road map of transportation options available to communities across the region.
- Rhode Island College Foundation-Age Friendly RI in Providence, RI, will partner with Looking Upwards, a nonprofit service organization, to pilot a vehicle sharing program which will expand transportation services to the residents living in Newport’s North End, a historically underserved area. At the conclusion of the pilot, they plan to expand the program to the other underserved communities.
- Ride Connection, Inc. in Portland, OR, will expand and increase the availability of rides that will support the transportation needs of diverse communities. Through the work of an Inclusive Programs and Partnerships Coordinator, the project will cultivate partnerships with culturally specific organizations, providing technical assistance and program management to enhance mobility options for diverse older adults and people with disabilities.