Ride In 55

Ride in 55: West Virginia Transportation Caucuses

Beckley -Solutions/Suggestions

Communication and Coordinated Planning Process - flyers, bulleted list of information on all the transportation providers in the area, needs to be user friendly, not just internet; talks between agencies who want to coordinate resources, fuel, maintenance; need a person (mobility manager) to oversee coordination, could be funded in part by each agency

Need to make sure everyone understands the importance of transportation, always need funding, transportation always needs subsidized

Make sure services meet needs
Need to know what each agency/organization does in order to coordinate
Open doors by taking away "categories" of people, can only provide transportation to a specific demographic group

Use school buses, church vehicles
Use ARRA funds to expand services, to "purchase" services
Programs and services need to cross county lines, would help if Feds recognized/supported a regional approach

Central dispatching, call one number that would coordinate transportation for the individual, gets beyond categorizing riders

Some barriers are perceived, not real such as some insurance/liability issues
Partnership agreements with agencies to get around the liability issues, get clarification on coverage, input from state insurance

Use JARC funds to develop program to fund purchase of cars for individuals
Mandate statewide and regional coordination

The West Virginia Transportation Caucuses are funded by the Medicaid Infrastructure Grant to Support the Competitive Employment of People with Disabilities, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - CFDA #1QACMS30059. The lead agency is the West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services. This program is managed by the Center for Excellence in Disabilities (CED).