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Delaware County approves wheelchair-accessible vehicle for Veterans Service Commission after officials cite sharp rise in transports
Summary
The Delaware County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved Resolution 25-27 to purchase or lease a wheelchair-accessible vehicle for the Veterans Service Commission after commissioners heard that wheelchair trips and total transports have risen substantially, straining existing vehicles and staff.
The Delaware County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 16 approved Resolution 25-27, authorizing the purchase or lease of a wheelchair-accessible vehicle for the Delaware County Veterans Service Commission to respond to rising demand for veteran transportation.
Commissioners heard a presentation from Brian Gallagher of the Delaware County Veterans Service Commission and Andrew Apostolic, the commission’s transportation manager, explaining that the program’s demand has grown year over year and that wheelchair trips are the fastest-growing segment. "So what you have in front of you is for another wheelchair vehicle," Gallagher told the commissioners.
Apostolic said the commission has seen a roughly 25% overall increase in transportation service compared with prior reporting years and a 65% increase in wheelchair trips. "It's 65% increase from year over year," he said. He added the program now operates six drivers and five vehicles, that the county added two vehicles in the past year and that each new vehicle carried about 10,000 miles in its first year of service.
Apostolic described the program’s use of Delaware County Transit for trips that are short and wholly inside Delaware County, and said the county staff fills gaps when regional transit service cannot meet multi-stop trips or trips that start or end outside the county. "From a fiscal responsibility standpoint... it's about $250 to send 1 veteran down and back to the VA," Apostolic said, explaining why the Veterans Service Commission often provides direct trips rather than relying on the transit provider for long VA runs.
Commissioners asked for clarification on driver status and service patterns. Apostolic said the drivers are part-time permanent employees and confirmed that the drivers are veterans. He also said the program sometimes must have a driver sign in at medical facilities so a veteran will receive care and be discharged; he cited recent instances in which a veteran would have been turned away without a county driver present.
The board voted 3-0 to approve the resolution. The action funds or permits acquisition of a wheelchair-accessible vehicle intended to increase the fleet’s capacity to meet demand and reduce the county’s per-trip costs for VA transports.
The presentation and vote were part of the regular Delaware County Board of Commissioners meeting on Jan. 16, 2025. No additional conditions or amendments to Resolution 25-27 were recorded in the transcript.
