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Elder Care reports rising transit ridership, building expansion plan and meal-program strain
Summary
Elder Care presented its annual update to the commission, reporting increased public-transit ridership, a $550,000 bus purchase last year, expansion design grant progress and persistent funding and staffing challenges in the senior meal program.
Elder Care and Dickinson Public Transit presented their annual update to the Dickinson commission on May 20, reporting increasing ridership, recent fleet investments and ongoing financial pressure on the senior meals program.
Colleen Radakowski, executive director of Elder Care and Dickinson Public Transit, said the agency added four buses in the prior year at a cost of about $550,000 and has two vans under procurement. Ridership is rising and work trips now make up the largest share of one‑way trips; the agency introduced Ecolane routing software and a rider app that allows payment and real‑time vehicle tracking.
Radakowski described operating details: the service runs Monday–Saturday 6 a.m.–6 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; in‑town one‑way fares are $4 and Bismarck round trips are $75 when pre‑scheduled. The transit program has expanded Bismarck runs to Tuesdays and Thursdays.
On meals, Elder Care provided more than 81,000 meals in 2024 but has faced funding shortfalls and staffing challenges. Radakowski said the program “took a big loss last year” of about $120,000 and that she anticipates a smaller shortfall this year (she estimated about $16,000). To preserve service, Elder Care reduced frozen weekend meals from two to one and trimmed the mom’s‑meals delivery from seven to six days; some meal sites have closed because staff could not be found.
Radakowski also described progress on a planned 9,000‑square‑foot expansion to the public transit building. The project has a $200,000 design grant secured from NDDOT and the city has provided a $50,000 local match for the conceptual design; the next steps are design, grant applications for construction and then construction procurement.
Radakowski closed by thanking the city for partnership and asked the commission for continued support as the agency pursues design and funding for the building expansion and works to stabilize the meal program.
