National Efforts

National Efforts in Community Transportation

Mark Your Calendars for the CTAA Expo 2006

The Community Transportation Association of America Expo 2006 will be held June 3–9 in Orlando, Florida, at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center. The Expo will bring together individuals to network, learn about new technology, share innovative ideas, build skills, and help shape the future of community transportation, organizers say. To read more about the Expo and to register, visit the CTAA Web site.

Survey finds transportation options needed for aging Americans

Results of a survey conducted by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) found that 82 percent of Americans aged 65 or older worry that they will be stranded and unable to get around when they can no longer drive. The survey also found that even when public transportation alternatives are available, many seniors do not regularly use them.

New resource for creating transportation directory

A tool for creating a community transportation options directory customized for a specific community is now available for download on the United We Ride Web site.

Using the electronic template and supporting materials, a community can put together a directory listing all the local transportation options available for individuals with special travel needs. The template is designed for information to be easily input and adapted, resulting in a ready-to-print electronic document.

The directory package includes instructions for use, a "Drop-in-the-Facts" guide, transportation information source suggestions, a program profile, two options for a preface, and partner logos.

FTA seeks proposals for senior transportation initiative

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is soliciting proposals from national nonprofit organizations for a cooperative agreement to develop and implement a National Technical Assistance Center for Senior Transportation. The center's goal is to help local communities and states provide and expand transportation services for older adults.

AARP fact sheet examines aging population

The AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) Public Policy Institute has released a fact sheet titled Community Mobility Options: The Older Person's Interest. The publication points out that America's rapidly aging population has many implications for our current transportation system and goes on to describe:

• the importance of transportation alternatives for older persons
• how private vehicles are used by older persons
• the physical, financial, and community design barriers to independent mobility
• strategies for extending the years of independent mobility

View "Community Mobility Options: The Older Person's Interest" at the TRB Web site.

Council gives recommendations to president

The Federal Interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM) has released its Report to the President, which describes how human service transportation should be coordinated in order to meet fundamental needs in today's society. In addition, the report lists CCAM members' action plans and offers five recommendations to President Bush.

The CCAM was established by an Executive Order on Human Service Transportation and is made up of senior leadership from 10 federal departments and agencies.

The full report can be viewed online at www.unitedweride.gov/1_ENG_HTML.htm.

United We Ride

United We Ride is a new five-part initiative sponsored by the United States Department of Transportation with its partners at the departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Education. The United We Ride program recognizes that the key to using community-based transportation services more efficiently is coordination. The goal is to break down barriers between programs and set the stage for local partnerships that generate common-sense solutions and deliver first-rate performance for everyone who needs transportation.

USDOT establishes technology-based initiative

The USDOT's Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) program has announced the creation of nine "new generation" initiatives, based on findings from a multiyear management review. Among these is Mobility Service for All Americans, which will focus on improving transportation services for the elderly and disadvantaged.

Head Start fact sheet explains new regulations

United We Ride, a national campaign launched by the Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility, has recently published a fact sheet on Head Start transportation. As the fact sheet states, organizations providing transportation services to Head Start children must "fully understand the regulatory requirements involved when committing to service provision."

North Dakota study examines fixed-route service

Providing transportation to elderly, disabled, and low-income residents is challenging everywhere, and especially so in small urban and rural areas where transit systems may offer primarily paratransit services.

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Coordinated Human Service Transportation: State Legislative Approaches

The Community Transportation Association of America, in cooperation with the National Conference of State Legislatures, has produced a report designed to provide a comprehensive look at state-level coordination of specialized transportation services. The report identifies and defines common approaches to state-level coordination of specialized transportation services, examines state coordination legislation and analyzes the effectiveness of various legislative mechanisms, and includes several recommendations for state legislators.

View Coordinated Human Service Transportation: State Legislative Approaches.