Improving Health and Opportunities: Job Connections for Working Communities
Local civic, business, and elected leaders face a tough dilemma. The elimination of JARC (Job Access and Reverse Commute) has led to service cuts that are crucial to connecting citizens to jobs, health care, school and other essential destinations. MAP-21 missed a major opportunity to fund the once authorized JARC, leading to a handful of states and localities develop innovative ways to supplement true job connections.
In Washington State, flexible and cost-effective, vanpools have become an increasingly popular mode of transit. Ben Franklin Transit (BFT), a privately operated municipal vanpool company located in Southeast Washington, has filled a significant gap in fixed route coverage in 12 cities, 8 counties and two states. A combination of user fees and local & state dollars support the system that serves a diverse mix of riders. Through direct partnerships with major area-employers, vanpooling subsidies are offered to offset the cost of transportation for riders.
How did BFT get started? What results are being seen by riders and employers in Southeast Washington? Read the original T4America case study here: http://bit.ly/1P0Rf0J.
The Monongahela Valley is home to 13 of the 15 poorest communities in Allegheny County, PA. These communities once heavily relied transit to access now non-existent manufacturing jobs. The elimination of JARC led to systemwide cuts by the Port Authority and left many with 4 to 7 mile commutes before reaching their Port Authority bus stop. In 2013, the Pennsylvania legislature raised significant new revenues for transportation statewide through the passage of Act 89, which enabled Heritage Community Initiatives, a human services non-profit, to restore and operate the service, now known as Heritage Community Transportation. 97% of riders on the important link would have no other way to get to work.
What prompted the state legislature to raise additional funding for transit? For more information about Heritage Community Transportation’s work and for the extended T4America case study click here: http://bit.ly/1IBaiJE
Look out of for more regional case studies on Improving Health and Opportunities over the next couple of weeks. Interested in more transportation equity news and trends? Contact Alicia Orosco, for more information at alicia.orosco@t4america.org.