The Innovations in Accessible Mobility grant opportunity is intended to support program innovations and approaches that increase accessible transportation options for older adults and people with disabilities living in the community and maximize the utilization of Section 5310 and other federal funding investments. The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC) announced the award of $300,000 in competitive grants to six communities in five states – Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio and Virginia – to develop and test practical and sustainable innovations for increasing accessible transportation. One hundred and thirty organizations representing thirty-seven states and two Tribal nations competed for these FTA cooperative agreement funds, which are managed by the NADTC. Grantees received up to $50,000 each to expand mobility opportunities that enable older adults and people with disabilities to better connect to employment, health care and other needed community services.
Grantees included:
- Area Agency on Aging 1-B in Southfield, MI will develop and implement travel training (not currently available in the area) to accompany its current mobility management and one-call services (myride2).
- Berkshire Regional Planning Commission in Pittsfield, MA will offer medical transportation to more remote areas and create a central scheduling hub and an app for drivers.
- City of Hernando in Hernando, MS will create a model for combining transportation services and nutrition services through expansion of transportation on Saturdays and to currently unserved destinations.
- Mountain Empire Older Citizens in Big Stone Gap, VA will create a one-call system and recruit and train passenger attendants to educate and assist riders.
- Peace Village/Cancer Justice Institute in Cincinnati, OH will create a mobility navigator/cancer care navigator “hub” to schedule and coordinate rides for cancer treatment and screening.
- Senior Transportation Connection in Cleveland, OH will offer evening and weekend, consumer-directed, accessible transportation to senior and residents with disabilities.