County Connection’s Board of Directors recently authorized a pilot program to grow mobility management in Contra Costa County in partnership with Senior Helpline Services to better align and optimize regional and local transit resources to community mobility needs.
The concept of mobility management, which offers a full range of well synchronized mobility services within a community, is a growing trend in the public transportation sector. Senior Helpline Services will spearhead cooperative regional transportation planning by first developing an inventory of available services from transportation entities, expand and standardize travel training, expand transportation information and referral programs, and develop a coordinated vehicle maintenance program.
“Mobility management starts with the creation of partnerships to best integrate transportation roles and functions among formerly independent transportation organizations. We are excited to have Senior Helpline Services act to more strategically coordinate intercommunity transit services,” said A.G. (Al) Dessayer, County Connection Board Chair and Town of Moraga Town Council appointed representative. “Through Elaine Welch, Senior Helpline Services’ Executive Director, this pilot program will develop projects, programs, and functions identified in County Connection’s Mobility Management Plan.”
This 18-month pilot program to implement mobility management in Contra Costa County will be funded through County Connection’s $100,000 New Freedom grant, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority’s $96,000 New Freedom grant, and Measure J sales tax revenues. The program will provide people with services outside of County Connection’s ADA services and help prepare the agency for the anticipated demand for customized delivery of transportation options.
“As part of the program, we will be collecting information from many non-traditional forms of transportation services including carpooling/vanpooling, volunteer drivers, travel training, travel vouchers for riders, and real-time demand response services,” says Senior Helpline Services Executive Director Elaine Welch. “From there, we will create a network of diverse transportation services, including County Connection, that are efficiently coordinated, enabling customers to make better travel decisions, and resulting in a better range of mobility services within our community.”
The County Connection Board of Directors agreement with Senior Helpline Services calls for the launch of the pilot program to begin immediately.
