National Online Dialogue on Veterans' Transportation Browse Recent ideas

What is the greatest challenge that transportation providers face in establishing partnerships with VA Centers, MSOs and VSOs? What resources could be developed to help transportation prviders overcome these challenges?

There is a great deal of diversity within the the veteran and military community. For instance, the needs of WWII and Vietnam veterans and their families may be different than those of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families. What can transportation providers and transit agencies do to ensure that they are meeting the needs of all veterans, service members and their families? Are there generational differences... more »

In working with the hundreds of communities we reach, the major message we hear is the power of coalitions. With the FTA's new Veterans Community Living Initiative, we have the opportunity to expand these coalitions to ensure that organizations serving veterans and military famiies have a seat at the planning table. Ideally, this would also include direct representation by veterans, their families and service members... more »

Transportation is always cited as a top concern. Yet all programs and initatives offer capital funding, which is not always the problem for transportion systems. Operating funding is one of our top obstacles to facilitate providing transportation for Veterans. Municipal boundries between urban and rural areas also need to be less restrictive.

Living in a rural community, we find the greatest challege our veterans face is finding transportation to the services they need. There is public transportation in only one city. We developed a program to provide volunteer transportation, yet it receives no funding. We rely soley on donations and grants. Rural transportation is a serious issue in allowing our veterans to access medical services, mental health services,... more »

The National Resource Directory lists and describes a very large and diverse number of transportation options for veterans and/or wounded warriors. My organization talks to people every day who do not know this government directory web site even exists.

Check it out. All kinds of sources for transportation help. Thanks.

To provide continuity for rural veterans for transportation to appointments from local community as well as hospital settings. A shuttle service within the VISN catchment area, assistance with transportation outside of the VISN and transportation within communities during periods or in places local transportation does not operate ig. shelter pick up/drop off, bus terminals to and from recovery related events or local... more »

Many people learn to use public transportation with the assistance of a travel trainer. What information to travel trainers need to know to bettr service members of the military community and their families?

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 »

How are veterans and/or military families dealing with transportation where there is no such thing as public transportation?

We should look into educating those on Military bases through participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program events. These events help members prior to and after deployments. They serve as a one stop information session for these persons and the family members as well. Including parents, friends, partners, etc.

I'm wondering if Armedzilla is an appropriate venue on which to let people know about and encourage participation in the Veterans Online Dialogue: Strengthening Transportation Choices So We Can Serve Those Who Have Served Their Country

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?

Military reimburses military personnel (and other government employees) when they use public transit to travel to and from work. Why are local military installations allowed to "opt out" (or basically ignore) the Presidential Executive Order? I live in a community where the military installation has done nothing about the Mass Transit Benefit Program by setting up a system to communicate the advantages and encourage... more »

It is so sad when the VA Claims process takes so long that just the system itself causes veterans to become homeless when they can no longer work. They have their own built in delays when they are reviewing claims, they call for an exam, then see later they need another exam, and so on. This type of process by "not looking at the whole claim" causes unnecessary delays. I have waited over 2 years now, and still very... more »