Introduction

In 2020, the NADTC awarded Innovations in Accessible Mobility Grants to expand access to accessible transportation options to support community living and improve the lives of older adults and people with disabilities. Grants of up to $30,000 were awarded to ten communities who had seven months to implement a project to develop  new transportation approaches targeted to older adults and people with disabilities all while grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. These projects also sought to maximize the utilization of Section 5310 and other federal funding investments.

Grants of up to $30,000 were awarded.

Together, the ten NADTC grantees implemented a variety of innovative approaches. They engaged in efforts to sustain their work after the grant ended, including obtaining new funding and building support in their communities to continue the services started during the grant. Innovations including:

2020 NADTC Grantees

Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens

Location: Cedar Bluff, VA
Project Service Area: Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell and Tazewell counties.
Population Served: Older adults and people with disabilities
Project Highlights:

• Addressed transportation gaps to get to medical appointments and increased access to health care for older adults and people with disabilities residing in four-county service area.
• Provided 975 trips to 107 riders to chronic care (e.g., dialysis and cancer treatment) and other medical appointments.
• Achieved goal to improve the availability of transportation to medical appointments by 85%.

Capacity Builders

Location: Farmington, NM

Capacity Builders, Farmington, NM – 2020 Grantee

Project Service Area: San Juan County
Population Served: Older adults and people with disabilities living in rural and tribal areas of San Juan County.
Project Highlights:

• Provided easy access to safe, reliable transportation services to older adults and those living with a disability in San Juan County.
• Employed a smartphone app, along with training and vouchers to support use of the app and empower older adults and individuals with disabilities to take charge of their transportation needs.
• Provided 1,170 rides to 129 riders who were older adults, persons with a disability or members of a Native American Tribe.

The City of Talladega, AL

NADTC Photo Gallery

Location: Talladega, AL
Project Service Area: City of Talladega
Population Served: Older adults and people with specific disabilities
Project Highlights:

• Provided after hours transportation older adults and persons with disabilities, as well as those who attend the Alabama School for the Deaf and Blind.
• The program served 21 riders and was the first ever transportation service to offer after hours service to the citizens of the City.

Community Action Program Belknap- Merrimack Counties, Inc.

Location: Concord, NH
Project Service Area: Mid-State Region of New Hampshire
Population Served: Older adults and people with disabilities
Project Highlights:

• Developed a cohesive marketing and branding plan for the newly merged Concord Area Transit and Rural Transportation Service.
• Updated bus wraps, driver uniforms, signage, and brochures to ensure the systems were easily recognizable.
• Increased ridership by 13.5% once new branding and marketing materials were used.

Horizon Health

Mitchell County Transportation, Bakersville, NC

Location: Pierz, MN
Project Service Area: Morrison County
Population Served: Adults under age 60 with disabilities.
Project Highlights:

• Utilized volunteer drivers to provide essential transportation to individuals with chronic conditions.
• Developed and implemented a robust marketing plan using radio ads and social media to recruit drivers and promote the service to riders.

• Provided 164 rides to critical care appointments and other essential destinations like the grocery store and pharmacy.
• Surpassed goal of 40% of riders stating their willingness to contribute to the ongoing cost of this program.

Laurens County Disabilities & Special Needs Board

Location: Laurens, SC
Project Service Area: Laurens County
Population Served: Older adults and people with disabilities
Project Highlights:

• Developed a marketing flyer to be distributed county wide, which included a survey link to gather information from potential riders.
• Create partnerships with human services and community providers to connect people with disabilities to working opportunities, using transit.
• During the grant period, this grantee struggled to meet their ridership goals, due to COVID and competing transit agencies in nearby counties.

Mountain Rides Transportation Authority

Mountain Rides, Ketchum, ID – 2020 Grantee

Location: Ketchum, ID
Project Service Area: South-Central, ID
Population Served: Older adults, people with disabilities and low-income individuals
Project Highlights:

• Established a new fixed-route non-emergency medical transportation bus service that connected the rural communities in south-central Idaho to essential services in Twin Falls.
• Developed service routes and schedules with the input of an advisory committee.
• Increased fixed-route services by 56% or 164 miles to connect 9 rural and semi-rural communities to the urban City of Twin Falls.
• Received over $118,000 in funding from partners to sustain the service.

Molly’s Angels

Molly’s Angel’s, Napa, CA – 2020 Grantee

Location: Napa, CA
Project Service Area: Napa County
Population Served: Older adults and people with disabilities
Project Highlights:

• Increased the awareness of Molly’s Angels available services, conducting outreach and marketing to area senior centers and residential facilities.
• Increased ridership to older adults and people with disabilities, achieving 98% of their target goal and gaining 29 new clients.
• Became subcontractor as a regional NEMT provider.
• During this grant period, the grantee endured two wildfires, closing their office, but also assisted with emergency evacuation of residential facilities.

San Juan County Islands Shuttle

Location: Friday Harbor, WA
Project Service Area: Rural San Juan County
Population Served: Older adults, people with disabilities and low income residents of San Juan County
Project Highlights:

• Expanded availability of shuttle hours to allow older adults and people with disabilities to access services and events for an additional four hours daily.
• Successfully provided 468 deliveries of meals and goods to older adults and people with disabilities at home due to the pandemic.
• Provide 235 rides to individuals utilizing the shuttle service during extended hours.

Thrive Allen County

Thrive Allen County, Iola, KS – 2020 Grantee

Location: Iola, KS
Project Service Area: Allen County, KS
Population Served: Older adults, people with disabilities and low-income individuals
Project Highlights:

• Implemented a new non-emergency medical transportation service, including a wheelchair accessible van.
• Applied for sustaining funding from the Kansas DOT and received support from the Allen County Regional Hospital and Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas.
• Provided an average of 93 rides per month which was a 365% increase from when they started.

Innovations in Accessible Mobility Grantee Presentations:

As part of their final project, each grantee presented a summary of their project. The presentations were done in two parts.
Part I presenters included:

• Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens, Cedar Bluff, VA
• Molly’s Angels, Napa, CA
• San Juan County Islands Shuttle, Friday Harbor, WA
• Mountain Rides Transportation Authority, Ketchum, ID

Grantee Final Presentations Part I

Part II presenters included:

• Capacity Builders, Farmington, NM
• Community Action Program Belknap-Merrimack Counties, Inc., Concord, NH
• Horizon Health, Inc., Pierz, MN
• Thrive Allen County, Iola, KS

Grantee Final Presentations Part II

Additional Documents:

Summary of 2020 Grant Innovations

Highlights of 2020 Grant Innovations

Thrive Allen County – Planning to Implementation