Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Independent Living Center Route topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Independent Living Center asks transit committee for route deviation to serve new office
Summary
The Independent Living Center said it plans to relocate to a larger ground‑floor space and asked the Public Transportation Committee to allow a longer rider-initiated deviation or other accommodation to serve clients with disabilities; committee members requested legal review, ridership data and agency coordination before changing the fixed route.
Speaker 3 presented a request from the Independent Living Center to adjust local transit routing after the organization said it must move from its longtime building because of mold and needs a larger office. "We're looking on taking over the bottom floor," Speaker 3 said, noting the move would help outreach and permit more on‑site services.
The center, which Speaker 3 described as serving "people and seniors and individuals with disabilities," asked for a rider‑initiated deviation so staff and clients could reach the new location across from the Greenport Town Garage (the former Oakham building). Speaker 3 said only one staff member might use the stop multiple times a week while some clients would need service only occasionally.
Committee members framed the request against existing policy and operational limits. Speaker 5 summarized federal and ADA guidance the transit agency follows, saying the system's deviation standard is a three‑quarter mile radius and that deviations must be available to all riders. "The standard that we put on that to be in compliance with ADA ... is that 3 quarter of a mile for anyone," Speaker 5 said.
Members raised scheduling and equity concerns: longer or additional deviations can slow a fixed shopping shuttle used by about 80 riders a day and complicate driver instructions. Speakers recommended staff check contract terms, procurement rules and ADA Title II obligations with the staff attorney and explore alternatives such as dial‑a‑ride providers or other agency transport that already serve the area. Speaker 6 suggested convening other departments (Office for the Aging, Department of Social Services, health care consortium) to identify options before altering the fixed route.
The committee did not take a formal vote on the route change. Instead, members asked staff to gather ridership data for the proposed pickup locations, confirm legal constraints with the county attorney, and report back with options — including limited scheduled days or a rider‑call system — in time to meet the center's proposed February 1 move if feasible.
