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Welcome to the November 2019 issue of the
MassMobility newsletter.
This month's issue highlights four new local and regional efforts to help individuals access key destinations - including grocery stores on Cape Ann, restaurant jobs in Burlington, and medical appointments in Greater Lowell - to promote the well-being of older adults, people with disabilities, and low-income individuals. Two of these new services have launched shuttles, while the two other programs are subsidizing rides on Transportation Network Company services.
Read on to learn about these approaches, as well as a recent federal summit on mobility, new online training available to staff of aging and disability service providers, and more news news about transportation for older adults, people with disabilities, and low-income individuals in Massachusetts.
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Federal government holds mobility summit, announces funding
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On October 29, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) hosted an
Access and Mobility for All Summit
to highlight upcoming federal initiatives, including
Mobility for All pilot funding
open to state Departments of Transportation and transit authorities that are direct recipients of federal funds. FTA also provided updates on blended funding, cost allocation, and a contest promoting accessible design of autonomous vehicles. In addition, t
he federal Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM) released an updated
strategic plan
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For more information about the funding opportunity, register for a webinar from the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center on November 21 or an FTA webinar on December 3.
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Staff training on transportation now available online
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This two-part training consists of videos and supplemental links. The first video provides an introduction to the types of transportation available in urban, suburban, and rural communities, as well as tools to find local options, support for using transportation options, and resources to support safe driving. The second video highlights strategies organizations can use to expand mobility options - with examples of creative approaches underway in different regions of Massachusetts.
MassMobility created this training in order to implement one of the recommendations of the
Governor's Council to Address Aging in Massachusetts. Please share these new resources with new hires, staff looking to learn more about transportation options and strategies for enhancing mobility, and anyone else.
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New transportation service promotes nutrition for low-income seniors on Cape Ann
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Older adults on Cape Ann have a new option for transportation to access healthy food and physical activity: Cape Ann Seniors on the GO. A project of
Cape Ann Mass in Motion
, the service launched in Essex, Gloucester, and Manchester in October, and began operating in Rockport on November 5. It connects senior housing complexes to grocery stores, farmers' markets, food pantries, and age-friendly walking locations. Cape Ann Seniors on the GO is a free service open to residents of senior housing in the four participating municipalities.
When Jennifer Donnelly began working as Cape Ann Mass in Motion's Grant Coordinator in 2018, she soon realized that in order to improve health, she was going to have to address transportation and access barriers. She worked closely with the
Age and Dementia Friendly Cape Ann initiative, which identified transportation as a top priority. Donnelly surveyed residents of the region's senior housing facilities, and 60 percent of respondents said that free transportation would definitely help them access healthier food. In addition to the survey, she attended resident meetings in Gloucester and brought City Councilors with her to hear directly from the older adults.
Residents, housing authority staff, and city officials were supportive, so Donnelly pursued the idea. In May, she received an
Efficiency and Regionalization grant to pilot a regional transportation service. Addison Gilbert Hospital and Beverly Hospital also pledged to help fund a pilot. To develop a strong service, Donnelly partnered with existing operators. The
Cape Ann Transit Authority (CATA) operates the Gloucester and Rockport service. "CATA is excited to partner with Cape Ann Mass in Motion on their new initiative, Cape Ann Seniors on the GO! Transportation for seniors and persons with disabilities is a vital service within any community. CATA is looking forward to the success of this program," shares CATA Administrator Felicia Webb. The
Manchester Council on Aging (COA) operates the service in Essex and Manchester, building on the transportation they were already providing within town.
Donnelly expects the pilot will have benefits beyond nutrition, such as addressing isolation: "They're riding the bus as a group, so there's the opportunity to talk with friends and neighbors," she explains. Gloucester and Rockport residents should call CATA to book rides, while Essex and Manchester residents should contact the Manchester COA. The current pilot is funded through June 2020.
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Restaurant Express connects workers to jobs
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The
Middlesex3 Restaurant Express
launched on October 1 to connect workers in Lowell to restaurant jobs in Burlington. While some workers could get to Burlington jobs by Lowell Regional Transit Authority bus, the last bus left Burlington at 8pm - causing second or third shift workers to scramble to arrange transportation home, and discouraging others from even applying for the jobs. The Restaurant Express runs from 2pm to 2am seven days a week, with the last run leaving Burlington at 1:20am.
The Middlesex3 Transportation Management Agency (TMA) developed the shuttle with public and private partners. After hearing for many years that restaurants in Burlington were having trouble recruiting enough workers, Middlesex3 worked with the Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce to convene a planning meeting where restaurant representatives identified their transportation needs and shift times. Middlesex3 used this information to being to shape the schedule. State Senator Cindy Friedman and State Representative Ken Gordon secured an earmark to fund a pilot run of the shuttle from October through January.
The shuttle was free to riders for the month of October and now costs $150 each month for a seat. Employers can buy seats to offer to their employees, or can work with employees to help them pay for the seat. Currently, the shuttle is only open to restaurant workers, though Middlesex3 is considering opening it up to other retail establishments.
To promote the job opportunities the shuttle opens up, Middlesex3 offered a
job fair in Lowell on October 30. Approximately 20 restaurants - mostly from Burlington, plus a few from Lowell - attended and highlighted their job openings to a crowd of about 60 jobseekers. Middlesex3 collaborated with workforce development partners in Lowell to publicize the forum. "Some of the people who attended the forum applied and got jobs, and are now riding the shuttle," shares TMA Director Erin Kokinda. "Walking away from the job fair, I felt like we were able to do something great."
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When the area's needs assessment found that transportation barriers were preventing older residents of the Merrimack Valley from accessing medical care,
Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley and North Shore
(ESMV/NS) decided to do something for people not well served by existing options. They contracted with Circulation, a Massachusetts company that has created a healthcare-oriented platform for summoning trips on Uber, Lyft, or private providers. With funding from Lowell General Hospital,
ESMV/NS
launched CareRide as a six-month pilot in late June. While they originally hoped to provide 150 trips through the pilot, they have already doubled that, hitting 300 rides earlier this month.
The pilot serves older adults in Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Dunstable, Lowell, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro, and Westford and is referral-based. Lowell General Hospital doctors and social workers, as well as staff of Councils on Aging, Senior Centers, and ESMV/NS can refer an individual to the program. Trips are subsidized, with riders paying $4 each way for local trips and $10-$20 for long-distance rides. Most rides are booked through Lyft,
but CareRide's digital platform also offers wheelchair-accessible vans.
Before booking a trip, the Program Coordinator talks to the individual to find out if any other options could help them, such as the MassHealth PT-1 program or public transit. If not, the Program Coordinator explains how CareRide works and books the ride for the consumer. "Our Program Coordinator is a strong asset to the program. She spends so much time
with our consumers, going through all the options and making sure they know how to use the service. The human connection is so important," explains Martha Leen, Community Programs Director at ESMV/NS.
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National grant supports Lyft pilot in Brookline
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Brookline is currently piloting subsidized Lyft rides for customers of the town's taxi voucher program, thanks to funding from the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and Lyft, which selected Brookline as one of only three communities across the country to receive a grant. Brookline has traditionally offered half-off taxi rides to low- and moderate-income residents over age 60. However, taxi availability has dropped precipitously: five years ago, approximately 130 taxis served Brookline, but today, that number is only 15 - leaving a gap in service. This pilot is one of a number of ways the town is looking at filling that gap. All participants - including those enrolled in the pilot - still have access to the traditional taxi voucher program.
Before launching the pilot, TRIPPS - the Brookline COA's transportation initiative - surveyed taxi voucher participants to find out if they would be interested in using Lyft, if they had access to the smartphone technology and payment options that Lyft uses, and what other forms of transportation they used. TRIPPS offered a coupon book to anyone who returned the survey, which yielded a high response rate of 62 percent. Through the survey, TRIPPS identified 25 participants who were interested and had access to a smartphone, and invited them to enroll. Pilot participants pay $2 for a Lyft ride, and then receive a $10 subsidy on four trips per month.
The pilot launched in September with
training. Brookline's TRIPPS program offered a group session on how to use Lyft, and then provided ongoing support to help participants practice using the app. This support led to a higher-than-usual usage rate, with more participants actually using Lyft than in other pilots. "Training is key," notes TRIPPS Specialist Maria Foster. "It requires time and effort, but people can learn how to do it - and you can use volunteers to train and support them."
TRIPPS is also using this grant to support its ride-hailing workshops. Councils on Aging and Senior Centers that are interested in having TRIPPS deliver its workshop on how to use Uber and Lyft can
contact TRIPPS to request a free, two-part workshop for older adults.
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The Massachusetts Councils on Aging (MCOA) is accepting applications for Director of Member Services through December 4. This position currently includes oversight of MCOA's transportation projects.
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| Are you on Twitter? If so, follow us @MassMobility for links to community transportation resources relevant to organizations and agencies here in Massachusetts. If you aren't on Twitter, you can still see our posts online at twitter.com/MassMobility/. |
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