Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Box Elder resident urges council to address lack of transportation for residents with disabilities
Summary
Jackie Owen told the Box Elder City Council the city lacks paratransit-style transportation for people with disabilities and asked for a timeline; staff said they would follow up but no action was taken tonight.
Jackie Owen, a Box Elder resident, urged the City Council to create transportation services for residents with disabilities, saying her 34-year-old son is unable to find rides to work at Black Hills Works or to medical appointments.
"Box Elder is currently without any transportation services for the disabled," Owen said, adding that neighboring communities such as Piedmont, Hill City, Sturgis and Rapid City contract for ride services that can transport residents to jobs and appointments. She told the council she had posted about the issue on Facebook and received community feedback supporting the need.
The mayor acknowledged Owen's remarks and said staff would contact her with follow-up information but that the council would not discuss or act on the item during this meeting. The chair noted the matter had been reviewed previously by the MTO (metropolitan transportation organization) and could be revisited.
Why this matters: accessible transportation affects adults with disabilities, including veterans, and will become a larger issue as Box Elder grows. Residents who need paratransit-style services said other nearby municipalities already have such contracts.
Council action and next steps: No formal motion or direction was taken during the meeting; staff committed to follow up with the commenter about available options and timelines. The council did not set a date for further consideration during the meeting.
