$70K grant to increase transportation options for seniors, disabled and low-income residents

Collins photo courtesy / MEDILL DC, FLICKR; King photo Courtesy / U.S. Naval War College, FLICKR U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Angus King, I-Maine, announced that Greater Portland Council of Government has received $70,000 in federal funding for a pilot program to increase access to transportation for vulnerable populations in the Portland area.

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By Staff

Greater Portland Council of Government has received $70,000 in federal funding for a pilot program to increase access to transportation for vulnerable populations in the Portland area.

The grant, which was funded through the Federal Transit Administration’s Human Services Coordination Research program, will allow GPCOG to test Shopper Links, a city-wide weekly shopper shuttle service for older adults, people with disabilities and individuals with low incomes. The service would address the identified unmet need for free or low-cost door-to-door transportation to grocery stores.

U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Angus King, I-Maine, wrote to the Federal Transit Administration in support of GPCOG’s grant application.

“As one of the oldest and most rural states in the country, Maine faces significant challenges in providing access to transportation,” Collins and King said in a joint statement announcing the grant. “Access to transportation is a crucial factor in allowing senior and disabled Mainers to continue living in the comfort of their own homes and ensuring low-income individuals can reach essential services. GPCOG’s proposal will improve transportation options for these individuals and will have lasting benefits for years to come.”

Zoe Miller, senior project manager and public health specialist at GPCOG, said the pilot program seeks to remove transportation barriers for older adults and people with disabilities. She said free and low-cost door-to-door transportation would be introduced for those who need it most via a partnership with the Regional Transportation Program and stakeholders in South Portland.

“Lack of transportation access is a problem that affects the health and well-being of our most vulnerable community members — resulting in food insecurity and isolation,” she said. “We hope to take what we learn from the Shopper Links pilot project in South Portland and use it to expand options throughout the region.”

GPCOG has been leading recent efforts to establish a multi-sector collaboration to improve Mainers’ access to transportation throughout the state. Through its Mobility Solutions for Maine proposal, GPCOG is working to improve coordination and efficiency of its transportation network for vulnerable populations.

The project is the culmination of several years of partnership-building and goal-setting between the Maine Department of Transportation and stakeholder organizations that work on planning, human services, aging and disability, health care, public health, transportation and housing issues.