Area Agency on Aging outlines mobility-management work to connect seniors, disabled and low-income residents to transit

Randy Hutchinson, a representative of the Area Agency on Aging, told the Richland County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 13 that the agency’s mobility-management project aims to increase awareness of transportation needs and coordinate options for residents without regular access to a vehicle.

Hutchinson said the program promotes integrating transportation considerations into local and regional planning, builds local capacity for transportation services and helps individuals assess options such as Richland County Transit. “All mobility management activities point towards one goal and that is connecting customers to transportation options that are most responsive to their needs,” he said.

The presentation stressed outreach to seniors, people with disabilities and low-income residents. Hutchinson said a monthly bus pass priced at $25 allows unlimited rides for riders 65 and older, and he encouraged using fixed routes around new sidewalks, crosswalks and the Main Street project in Ontario. He described recent demonstration rides on the Ontario circulator and a trip for Ohio State University students to show campus users available transit.

Hutchinson said weather forced cancellation of a scheduled congregate meal and a planned demonstration ride for seniors on the day of the meeting. He said the program’s immediate work includes public education about transit routes and coordinating with local sidewalk and intersection projects around schools and senior centers.

The commissioners did not take formal action on the presentation; Hutchinson’s remarks were received for information and discussion.

Hutchinson left commissioners with the program’s focus: help older residents and those with disabilities or limited incomes identify affordable transportation options and ensure transportation is considered in local planning decisions.