JAMICĂ C. ASHLEY
Staff Writer
TARBORO —
How many seniors need a ride?
The North Carolina Department of Transportation knows that this number is higher than anyone wants to admit to and is ready to provide funding to help seniors get wherever it is they need to go.
But no one has asked for the money.
Miriam Perry is the director of public transportation for the state and during a presentation to local seniors at the E.L. Roberson Center, she shed light on resources available to help them get around.
"Transportation determines so much of our lives," Perry said. "The Department of Transportation has money available for transportation but for the past two years we haven't been able to give that money away."
On Time Transit pulled the program together with the help of Senior Citizen Coordinator Morgan Whitehurst.
Whitehurst explained that On Time Transit had spoken with Perry on the matter and then approached her, asking the best venue to reach the most seniors.
Perry explained that there are 99 public transportation systems across the state including Tar River Transit but the problem could lie in those systems not knowing that a need exists that is not being met.
"You have to let them know that we have transportation needs that are not being met," Perry told the seniors. "Not everyone has a couple of cars in the driveway or when they forget something at the grocery store can jump in their car and go get it.
"We estimate that on average, transportation systems like Tar River Transit put 20,000-25,000 miles a year on a vehicle," continued Perry. "I love calls saying that a three-year-old vehicle has 100,000 miles on it."
Edgecombe County Commissioner Chairman Leonard Wiggins said that funds to help seniors get around the county is definitely something the county will look at.
"We are always interested in ways to bring money into the county," Wiggins said.
Wiggins added that staff will look into the funds.
The New Freedom program for people with disabilities, The Job Access and Reverse Commute for employment and employment services and Federal Procurement for the improved mobility for the elderly and disabled provide money to government agencies, non-profit organizations or private transportation providers to help provide transportation for the elderly and disabled.
The funding does come with strings, Perry added.
The funds have to be used to buy vans, buses, radios for drivers, cameras for the vehicles or wheelchair lifts, among other things.
"Anything it takes for someone to get a vehicle on the road," she said.
Perry added that this also includes maintaining the vehicle, paying the salary of drivers, gas and the salaries of those who coordinate the transportation.
"We want to be able to transport people where they want to go, when they want to go," said Perry. "Some communities provide taxi vouchers to the elderly and disable."
Kinston, Perry pointed out, implemented a taxi voucher program where seniors are distributed on a weekly basis to provide a ride to those in need.
The funding for the program in Kinston is divided up by the state DOT, the city and the rider. The state DOT pays half, the city provides a quarter of the costs while the rider provides the other quarter.
The taxi providers turn in their collected vouchers on Thursday to the city finance office and are paid with checks on Friday, Perry explained.
The funds provided by the state and federal government does not have to used only to provide vouchers for taxi rides but can also be used for gas vouchers, bus passes and train vouchers or passes.
Parry said that some areas even use the funding to reimburse Red Cross volunteers who provide rides to the elderly or disabled.
A portion of the money used to support these programs comes from the gas tax and the transit trust fund.
"When we call for grant applications in November, I want to see one from Tarboro," said Perry.
Many seniors in the audience were disappointed that the town has not implemented a shuttle system for Main Street since it was first mentioned in the 1960s or 970s and that a similar program is not already in place.
Perry said that she would be more than happy to provide a presentation to the Tarboro Town Council or Edgecombe County Board of Commissioners on the money that is available and how to go about securing it.
"We have the money and would love to write a grant to Tarboro for transportation."
