2024 Rural Community Innovations: Transportation Planning Grant
2024 Rural Community Innovations: Transportation Planning Grant
Introduction
The 2024 NADTC Rural Community Innovations Transportation Planning Grant program awarded funds to 12 rural communities to support planning efforts to expand accessible transportation. The selected organizations received grants of up to $35,000 to engage in planning activities that identified transportation barriers, addressed current and future needs, established multisector partnerships and actively involved older adults and people with disabilities. At the end of the 10 month funding period, 11 of the 12 grantees developed a written plan to guide the implementation of strategies co-developed by the community to increase the availability of accessible transportation services in their rural community. The summaries below offer insights into each project’s specific goals and outcomes.
2024 Grantees
Aroostook Area Agency on Aging – Presque Isle, ME
Aroostook Area Agency on Aging aspired to delve deeper into transportation-related needs and connect its target populations with vital services, despite long travel distances and challenging winter conditions. Outcomes of the planning process included gathering feedback on a new collaborative project to provide non-emergency medical transportation and setting as next steps a county-wide summit to form collaborations.
Grantee Profile – Aroostook AAA
Final Presentation from Aroostook AAA
Benzie Transportation Authority – Beulah, MI
Benzie Transportation Authority planned to improve non-emergency medical transportation and community access. The authority has expanded its Health Rides to five days a week and extended Saturday hours, with Sunday service, same-day scheduling for rides and expanded trip types expected by 2027. Additional drivers, dispatch services and four new vehicles are planned to support this expansion.
Final Presentation from Benzie Transportation Authority
Cortland County Planning Department – Cortland, NY
The Cortland County Planning Department sought to assess the target audience’s current needs and identify underutilized resources and solutions for increasing access to transportation. Cortland plans to centralize access to mobility information and provide public education, expand medical and essential rides, identify volunteer drivers, enhance first-mile and last-mile services and improve accessibility, walkability and bikeability.
Grantee Profile – Cortland County
Final Presentation from Cortland County Planning Department
Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) – Greenfield, MA
FRCOG developed a plan to identify unmet transportation needs and determine the steps to expand its Access micro transit system. FRCOG identified two towns as potential candidates for Access service expansion and proceeded to finalize cost data and get buy-in from town stakeholders. Based on outreach findings, FRTA will promote the new program and offer travel trainings to older adults.
Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow (LIFTT) – Billings and Glendive, MT
LIFTT developed a plan to increase access to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible transportation, enabling access to education, health care, employment and community across 18 rural counties. LIFTT is integrating planning data into a strategic roadmap, creating a multimedia marketing campaign for its services, planning a new transportation facility, coordinating with local transit providers, launching pilot routes with ADA-accessible vans and securing funding.
Penquis C.A.P., Inc. – Bangor, ME
Penquis C.A.P, Inc. developed a transportation plan that aims to reduce transportation barriers so that members of the target population can be healthy, safe and connected to their community. Penquis used the input received from its outreach efforts during the planning grant to hire four more drivers, increase service to the region and educate community members on using available transportation options.
Final Presentation from Penquis C.A.P., Inc.
Project Amistad – El Paso, TX
Project Amistad collaborated with the regional transportation planning committee to improve transportation services, especially access to medical appointments and social trips to improve mental health, for older adults and people with disabilities across a remote area. Extensive outreach led to community trust-building and collaboration. Amistad’s next steps include applying for transportation funding, advocating for local infrastructure changes and continuing to engage partners and community members.
Grantee Profile – Project Amistad
Final Presentation from Project Amistad
Snohomish County Transportation Coalition (Snotrac) – Everett, WA
Snotrac identified solutions to increase transportation access for members of the target population in remote communities with limited public transit options. Snotrac outreach yielded extensive recommendations, from improving city pedestrian and bicycle networks to piloting microtransit, advocating for Amtrak stops and community vans, providing travel training at the senior center, strengthening trail access and more.
Final Presentation from Snotrac
Southwest Georgia Regional Commission (SWGRC) – Camilla, GA
SWGRC developed a strategy to increase access to and frequency of rides on public transit services for the target population. The commission’s engagement effort connected regional agencies, revealed unknown transportation barriers and created work groups with partners to implement five goals: increase awareness of services, community participation and transit funding; discover and work with other providers like local nonprofits; envelope aging and disability transportation planning in local plans.
Southwest Missouri Council of Governments (SMCOG) – Springfield, MO
SMCOG initiated a planning process to identify the county’s transportation gaps and barriers. Innovative, interactive engagement approaches yielded key data. Resulting goals included expanding transit service availability and efficiency, as well as increasing visibility of current transit services. The county will add the surfaced needs to Missouri Department of Transportation funding considerations.
The Arc Chemung-Schuyler – Watkins Glen, NY
The Arc sought to explore transportation solutions for cross-county and regional trips; develop complete transportation options and enable people with limited mobility options to travel more freely. Primary needs identified include expanded service hours, shorter routes and no fares. The Arc is testing weekend service, a shorter route and fare-free rides, with expanded Dial-a-Ride services to be tested when funding allows. To promote the pilots, The Arc is distributing in-person community engagement packets.
Grantee Profile – The Arc Chemung-Schuyler
Final Presentation from The Arc Chemung-Schuyler
2024 Rural Planning Grants Final Presentations and Summary
2024 Rural Planning Grants Final Presentations – All PowerPoint Slides
2024 Rural Planning Grants Key Learnings and Final Report