A little-noticed project in last year’s regional transportation referendum proposed a $17 million Mobility Management Call Center to improve services for older adults, persons with disabilities and residents with limited income. Once completed, according to the project description, it would match individuals with the “most efficient and least expensive travel option to suit their needs.”
The July 2012 referendum – and the call center project – were soundly rejected. But the underlying notion that regional challenges will require regional solutions to address the needs of those who can’t or don’t drive is still just as relevant now.
Consider these projections from the Atlanta Regional Commission, our area’s official planning organization:
• By 2030, 22 percent of the 20-county Greater Atlanta area is expected to be 60 years of age and over
• One-third of the residents in the region over age 55 are employed, and more than half plan to continue working in some capacity after retiring from their current jobs.
• Counties with little or no transit services for seniors are expected to have some of the highest increases in residents over 65 by the year 2040. For example, Clayton County will see a 150 percent rise, Henry County is predicted to see a 250 percent increase, and Fayette County’s older population is expected to jump by a staggering 450 percent
Given these estimates, it’s unrealistic to expect any single municipality, county or mass transit system to shoulder the costs of providing safe, affordable and convenient transportation for seniors and persons with disabilities who rightfully expect to lead active and fulfilling lifestyles.
Granted, MARTA is an important piece of the region’s transportation puzzle, especially for those with limited travel options. MARTA’s Mobility vehicles, which provide convenient service for those who have a disability, have averaged about 451,000 trips per year over the last three fiscal years. MARTA also provides a reduced fare of $1 for Medicaid-eligible customers over age 65 compared to the standard $2.50 fare for a one-way trip on our trains and fixed-route buses.
As with other transit systems that receive federal funding, MARTA must provide complementary paratransit service within the jurisdictions of DeKalb and Fulton counties and the city of Atlanta in which we operate. MARTA also provides connections, including paratransit, to our regional partners, such as Cobb Community Transit and Gwinnett County Transit.
MARTA is committed to upholding its obligations to all of our customers, regardless of their age or disability. To preserve these services while achieving fiscal sustainability, however, we must explore more cost-effective and efficient ways of doing business, one of which may include outsourcing our Mobility operations.
In the meantime, MARTA also supports the ongoing efforts of the ARC and other regional partners to offer additional services for the elderly and the disabled when possible. Moreover, we are also working to improve our regional transportation coordination and collaboration across jurisdictions.
Clearly, we still have a long way to go. But as metro Atlanta gets older, we can also grow wiser about working together now to create a seamlessly integrated regional transit network that will better serve all of us in the future.
Richard A. Krisak is MARTA’s chief operating officer.
