In the 2005 Report to the President, Human Service
Transportation Coordination, Executive Order 13330,
the Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility
stated in their conclusion that: "Successfully
coordinating human service transportation is essential
to greater economic independence, healthy living,
and an improved quality of life for millions of
Americans."
Despite everyone's best effort, many individuals
fall through the cracks in the transportation
system. The cracks occur because:
- The rider does not know how or is unable
to access available transportation resources
- The transportation resources are not coordinated
- There are no available transportation resources
Many elderly, disabled, and low-income individuals
face significant challenges in accessing transportation.
For example, some of these challenges include:
- Sixteen percent of respondents over age
75 reported not having a drivers license in
2001, and 25 percent of the respondents had
not driven at least once in the last month
according to an AARP survey.2 Elderly people
are also more likely to have difficulty accessing
traditional public transportation due to physical
ailments.
- Thirty percent of respondents with disabilities
reported difficulty in accessing transportation,
compared to 10 percent of respondents without
a disability, according to a 2000 survey by
the National Organization on Disabilities.
- Low-income households are less likely to
own a car than other households due to the
prohibitive cost of purchasing, insuring and
maintaining a car, and public transportation
may not provide sufficient options for their
needs. Over 90 percent of public assistance
recipients do not own a car.
- An increasingly diverse population creates
language and cultural barriers.
- Access to information on transportation
is difficult. Most agencies will provide referrals
to public transit, but may be unaware of other
options or unable to coordinate and advise
riders of additional resources.
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