rabbittransit was awarded an Inclusive Planning Impact Grant, one of eight being distributed throughout the country this year through an initiative known as Transit Planning4All. Now in its fourth year for inclusive transportation planning projects, there were 50 applications submitted nationwide. rabbittransit was among 17 finalists to ultimately be awarded one of the top spots. Other grantees included those from South Burlington, VT; Washington, D.C.; Evanston, IL; Alice, TX; Flagstaff, AZ; Seattle, WA; and Ypsilanti, MI.
rabbittransit’s grant totaled $62,375 and will be used to advance a project known as “3P Ride: More People, More Places, More Possibilities.” The goal of the project is to become inclusive in the design and implementation of public transportation systems, empowering people with disabilities and older adults who are actively involved in the process. The project’s other main focus will seek to increase hours and days of service available to target populations by leveraging private and public resources, making transit service available to more people.
Spearheading the effort is Dianna Benaknin, former Director of the York Area Agency on Aging, who serves as project manager of the initiative. “We’re incredibly excited to have been chosen as one of the winning recipients,” comments Benaknin, “We believe our ‘3P Ride’ project will help identify some innovative solutions for our residents and their mobility needs.”
Currently, a Core Planning Team has been formed with 23 individuals from the York community inclusive of older adults and people with disabilities, as well as representatives of organizations that serve both populations. There are six separate work groups that have been created to help advance the 3P:Ride agenda. The work groups are comprised of Core Planning Team members and are open to the public. The work group areas consist of Survey Tools, Process and Questions; Focus Groups; Public Education, Awareness and Transportation Training; Resource Identification; Volunteer Resources; and Outcomes and Output Measures. Those interested in participating in a work group should contact rabbittransit at 1-800-632-9063 or email [email protected].
The grant opportunity was funded by the U.S. Administration for Community Living and Managed in Partnership with the Federal Transit Administration, administered by the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA).
