5 votes
Para transit is a limited option in Putnam County NY. Only about one-third of the county is covered by fixed route public transit making that the area also covered by Para. The county provides the minimum coverage required by law, 3/4 mile from the fixed route. I would like to see Para requirements expanded beyond the 3/4 limit along with regional connections to surrounding counties.
5 votes
Thanks to Secretary LaHood and the U.S. DOT team for their focus on improving transportation options for our active armed forces, military veterans, and their families. In reading the comments posted to date I am especially interested in the ones that involve public transportation and am further informed by this specific input from across America. The American Public Transportation Association and its members knows ...more »
Thanks to Secretary LaHood and the U.S. DOT team for their focus on improving transportation options for our active armed forces, military veterans, and their families. In reading the comments posted to date I am especially interested in the ones that involve public transportation and am further informed by this specific input from across America. The American Public Transportation Association and its members knows that public transportation can make a difference in so many ways, and we will be pleased to work with U.S. DOT, with the U.S. Department of Labor and with veterans organizations across the country to enhance this endeavor. APTA is committed to helping coordinate the services and programs that get veterans to work and school, and also help connect them with new opportunities in the workforce and in their communities. We are also working with the Department of Labor and other groups to highlight specific employment opportunities at public transportation organizations across the country. Comments have been very helpful. Please keep the comments coming! Michael Melaniphy, President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association
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11 votes
Many older adults can use public transportation if they have someone to accompany them. With help from volunteer escort, older person can go to medical appointments, run errands. This idea can be easily adapted to veterans traveling to medical appointments. Recommendation: Encourage the creation of volunteer escort programs; encourage transit providers to give free ride to escort/assistant. This kind of program exists ...more »
Many older adults can use public transportation if they have someone to accompany them. With help from volunteer escort, older person can go to medical appointments, run errands. This idea can be easily adapted to veterans traveling to medical appointments.
Recommendation: Encourage the creation of volunteer escort programs; encourage transit providers to give free ride to escort/assistant. This kind of program exists in both urban and rural areas.
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18 votes
i just read that Regional Valley Transit in Idaho has donated a wheelchair-accessible bus to Parma Senior Center. The Center will use the bus to provide transportation for two primary activities, one of which will be transportation to the Veterans Medical Center.
Is this a model of partnership (public transit and senior center) that it would be helpful to replicate in other communities?
27 votes
We should discuss how to provide public transportation to all Veterans (at no cost to the Veteran), with fares reimbursed to the transit agencies by the Federal Government. To accomplish this, I suggest we redesign the VA ID Card so that the Federal Government can reimburse Public Transit agencies for providing transit services to all military Veterans. From a policy standpoint, it would be ideal if the reimbursement ...more »
We should discuss how to provide public transportation to all Veterans (at no cost to the Veteran), with fares reimbursed to the transit agencies by the Federal Government. To accomplish this, I suggest we redesign the VA ID Card so that the Federal Government can reimburse Public Transit agencies for providing transit services to all military Veterans.
From a policy standpoint, it would be ideal if the reimbursement could be used by Transit Agencies for either operating costs or capital expeditures.
Providing national public transit service benefits to all registered Veterans nationwide would allow many Veterans the opportunity to remain independent and improve their quality of life, especially as many Veterans struggle with transportation issues and reduced mobility due to their military service or age.
One useful by-product of this policy would be that it would yield data which Transit Agencies and the DOT could utilize to identify patterns of use and areas of need, in order to allocate resources more efficiently.
Additionally, this federal policy can be implemented with little or no initial cost as it utilizes existing public transit systems nationwide. In fact, the only start-up costs would involve developing new VA ID Cards with similar features to the ID Cards for Active or Retired Military. Another minor cost would involve RFID card readers at vending machines or on vehicles.
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