Soledad, CA Transportation Update For Seniors

1.

Tom Hicks said on 7/17/12 - 03:28PM

I read your recent blog article this morning about the problem with senior transportation in Monterey County. Further, I agree that there are current and many future challenges ahead in addressing this problem. In a needs assessment conduct earlier this year by the Area Agency on Aging, senior transportation was the #2 concern countywide, and the #1 concern in the south county cities. Here at MST, we have been anticipating this need for many years and have developed several programs in response. One such program is the Senior Taxi Voucher Program. In partnership with several Monterey County cities, including Monterey, Seaside, Sand City, Carmel, Del Rey Oaks and Salinas , MST offers taxi vouchers to seniors for short local trips that are better served by taxi than by MST fixed-route coaches. With these vouchers, seniors can travel to nearby doctors, pharmacies, groceries, shopping outlets, etc2, for three dollars (each way). They can also take companions with them at no charge as long as all are traveling together. In addition to the MST RIDES program, which serves persons with disabilities, MST has purchased several accessible taxis and is leasing them considerably below market rate to local taxi companies who also accept MST vouchers. Before this year, there were no accessible taxis available in the county to transport seniors who rely on wheelchairs or scooters to get around. MST also operates a Senior Shuttle on the Monterey Peninsula with another planned for Salinas later this year. The routes and time tables for this shuttle were determined by soliciting feedback from seniors regarding where and when they want to travel. The current shuttle serves senior housing complexes and meal programs, shopping centers, and the Monterey Sports Center. The routes and time tables for the Salinas Senior Shuttle will be similarly determined. Even with these recent advances in senior transportation, and MST s considerable success in procuring federal grant funding for senior transportation programs, much work remains to be done, especially in developing resources in the south county cities. Additionally, MST, along with cities and senior advocacy groups, need to work together to assure that community planners put transportation accessibility at or near the top of all new housing and redevelopment projects. Seniors can learn more about MST s special transportation programs by calling (888) 678-2871, by emailing us at mobility@mst.org, or by visiting our mobility pages at http://www.mst.org/mobility. 1 Salinas expects to begin distributing vouchers to seniors by late summer or early fall. 2 There are no restrictions on the purpose of a trip.