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Committee highlights small, demand‑response transport providers in monitoring report
Summary
Committee members praised Better Together’s client‑centered, demand‑response transportation and discussed inviting the provider — and Amberlight, a local aging support program — to present at a future meeting; members emphasized the role these providers play beyond transportation.
During the May 27 meeting, the Buncombe County advisory committee reviewed monitoring reports that spotlighted two small, local service providers: Better Together, a demand‑response transportation operator, and Amberlight, a community aging support program.
Committee members praised Better Together’s approach: an accessible van, one‑on‑one assistance for riders who need help getting to and from destinations, and local data collection on trip purpose and locations. Members described the provider as “connective tissue” in the community that can identify safety or health issues among clients while providing rides to medical and social services. Because Better Together is a small operator (one driver/one van model), staff said the provider could not scale up quickly enough to spend certain earmarked funds within the May–June closing window.
Members also discussed Amberlight’s outreach in local aging centers and its respite, grief‑support and end‑of‑life planning services. Several members suggested inviting representatives from Better Together and Amberlight to present to the committee at a future meeting so the committee can better understand operations and monitor program outcomes.
Next steps: staff will follow up with both providers about a possible presentation at the June meeting and incorporate monitoring observations into next year’s provider oversight schedule.
