Projects & Funding
NCST Community & State Projects
Working with communities throughout the United States, the NCST identifies effective and creative approaches for addressing the challenges that impact transportation services for older Americans. Whether from a rural, suburban or urban setting, the NCST strives to bring together the aging, human service, and transportation providers to create solutions. Our work supports the full “family” of older adult transportation services, including programs using volunteers both to driver and to accompany older adults to their destinations, travel training and orientation promoting increased use of public transit, older driver safety, education for caregivers, coordinated planning efforts and much, much more.
The Center has a strong commitment to promoting innovations at the community level and has provided funding and technical assistance to support a number of specific projects across the U.S. These include:
Each of these projects is described below along with links to more detailed information and documents.
In June 2009 NCST selected nine organizations through a competitive application process for participation in a training opportunity sponsored by the National Center for Senior Transportation in partnership with the Small Urban & Rural Transit Center located within the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute at North Dakota State University. Participants clarified their organization’s goals and priorities and constructed up to a three-year operating and capital budget projection for their agency. This training provided a plan which will offer a launching point for the organization’s decision making processes.
In the fall of 2007, the NCST selected five communities to receive technical assistance to support United We Ride (UWR) senior transportation coalition building. These communities received technical assistance for one year to support the development or expansion of their coalitions.
Grants were awarded to eight community organizations in spring 2008. The grants range from $35,000 to $90,000. In addition to financial support, the sites will also receive 24 months of tailored technical assistance.
In September of 2008, the NCST awarded grants and short-term technical assistance to 11 community organizations to help increase and improve transportation services for older adults in their communities. Each project was awarded $10,000 and four months of tailored technical assistance.
The NCST, in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), solicited proposals from states to develop and implement statewide plans on older-driver safety that include linkages to alternative transportation systems.
In February 2009, the NCST awarded five grants of $3,000 for currently enrolled university students to conduct a project related to older adult transportation. Through this program, the NCST hopes to expand upon current transportation and mobility-related projects to benefit older adults and transportation service delivery networks.
Questions Contact the NCST at ncst@easterseals.com or 866.528.6278 with any questions or for more information. |