HSTC Overview

The Greater Dayton Region is very automobile-dependent. The vast majority of trips for work, recreation, education or essential errands are made in a privately-owned car. If you are able to drive and own a dependable car, our Region is pretty easy to navigate. The traffic isn't too bad, and for most people, the commutes are reasonable. But if you are a non-driving senior or a person with a disability who doesn't drive, getting around can be a challenge. The same is true for a person without a reliable car who needs to find a job or needs to get back and forth to that job. As a matter of fact, reliable transportation is the second biggest barrier (behind childcare) for many people entering the workforce.

There are options for non-drivers. If an individual lives near a bus line, and can use standard bus service, there are many destinations that are accessible. Many organizations also provide specialized transportation, usually in the form of small vans, for people with special transportation needs. The problem is that providing transportation in a Region that continues to "spread out" is complicated and expensive. Many suburban neighborhoods and destinations are not accessible by fixed route bus and are isolated from shopping, doctors and other essential services. As more seniors “age in place” in car-dependent neighborhoods, the transportation challenge will grow.

Often, different vehicles from different agencies may start out in one suburb and end up at the same hospital across town. Sometimes, each of these vans has only one passenger. In addition, many non-profit agencies spend their limited resources on vehicles for "their" clients. While these vehicles may be essential several times a week, they may also sit, unused, much of the time. There are a lot of inefficiencies and overlaps built into the current system for providing transportation to people who can't or shouldn't drive. Addressing these challenges takes dialogue and planning.

To make better use of the limited transportation funds available to non-profits and governments, and to make more transportation available to those who need it, our Region is beginning a Human Services Transportation Coordination planning process. 

The 2012 Update of the plan identified six Regional Human Services Transportation Priorities.  While there are many gaps in transportation services that need to be addressed and improvements that can be made, six areas have emerged that deserve specific attention over the next four–year-period and beyond:

1. the increasing demand for dialysis-related transportation and transportation for other repetitive medical treatments such as chemotherapy and physical rehabilitation;
2. the aging of the Region’s population and the growing transportation needs of seniors who limit or stop driving, or those who should do so;
3. the need for people with disabilities, the elderly and people of low income to be able to access employment, medical, educational and shopping destinations in an efficient manner, including trips that cross jurisdictional boundaries;
4.  the need to complete essential sidewalks, curb cuts and other elements of the pedestrian infrastructure, especially along fixed and flex-route transit lines in order to make transit more accessible and appealing to the target populations;
5. the growing number of low-income residents who need transportation to jobs, medical appointments and other activities, and the fact that more of these low income individuals are living in suburban and rural settings with limited transportation options;
6. and an overarching emphasis on coordination among agencies, funders and users, to ensure cost-effective use of the Region’s transportation assets.  Coordination should be emphasized to combine clients of various agencies on single vehicles, and to coordinate operations such as dispatching, maintenance, and driver training.  (see Appendix D)  Coordination will be encouraged and rewarded in all funding governed by this plan.