JOLIET – Will County will receive a second Regional Transportation Authority grant of approximately $500,000 to fund the cooperative efforts of county government and local townships in Eastern Will County.
The grant seeks to expand and improve transit services available to the disabled, seniors and low-income residents. The total project budget is $892,000, which is a combination of federal funds and local match dollars.
“I am very proud to announce that the RTA has awarded Will County another grant to expand services in Eastern Will County and allow us to take our previous planning efforts and put them into action,” Will County Executive Larry Walsh said.
“These funds will also pay for a staff position in my office who will be dedicated to promoting additional cost savings, facilitating this type of collaboration throughout the county, and creating a long-term sustainability plan for these efforts.”
This new grant funding builds upon a $100,000 RTA funded Coordinated Paratransit Study begun in 2008 that created an inventory of all the Paratransit and dial-a-ride services in Will County, identified gaps in services and the needs that remained unmet, and recommended a number of next steps for the County and its local partners should take to expand and improve transit services.
As part of this previous study, a steering committee comprised of township and municipal leaders, social service agencies, and residents helped guide the effort forward.
“This successful grant could not have happened without the leadership of people like Washington Township Supervisor Bob Howard and others in Eastern Will County,” said Walsh. “They know there is a need for these services and they have worked cooperatively with my Chief of Staff Nick Palmer to identify solutions to these transportation challenges. I am most proud that we aren’t just planning, but actively moving forward with the recommendations of the previous study.”
“Many of our residents need a ride to get to work, school, medical appointments, or just to the store and would not be able to do that without these services,” said Will County Board Member and Washington Township Supervisor Bob Howard. “When the Southland Senior Services Center closed in December 2010, my fellow township leaders and I banned together and we addressed this crisis together. I commend them all for stepping up and getting this done.”
Previously Southland Senior Services in Monee provided transit services with the assistance of PACE. In December 2010, the agency closed its doors abruptly due to financial difficulties. This resulted in the real possibility that transit services for eastern Will County residents could have stopped. As a result, Will County, and Washington, Monee, Crete, Will, Peotone, and Green Garden townships met with PACE and the RTA and mapped out a plan to work more closely together to keep the buses running.
“My primary concerns have always been taking care of our senior citizens and our veterans,” said Gerry Curran, Supervisor of Crete Township.
“I think our representatives in Springfield and Washington, D.C., could learn a lot from us here in Will County. Working together to solve a crisis is what the people of our area want.“
“I want to make sure our residents with disabilities have a way to get to work or to medical care,” said Donna Dettbarn, supervisor of Monee Township. “This grant funding, and the funds that the townships have been able to contribute to this effort are a good use of our funds. We are allowing our residents to be productive working members of our community, and also address their medical and basic needs.”
The 2008 Coordinated Paratransit Study involved steering committee members from across Will County that included Will County Board Chairman Jim Moustis, Township Supervisors, and the Will-Grundy Center for Independent Living and Cornerstone Services. In addition, Will County’s representative on the RTA board, JD Ross, and staff representatives from PACE and METRA also participated in the study.
Both grants were awarded by the RTA and are part of the Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) and New Freedom (NF) allocations of the federal transportation funding programs. Next steps for the Will County effort include formation of a permanent Paratransit Coordination Council and hiring of the grant funded mobility manager.
These actions are expected to occur in the spring of 2012.
# As Reported by Morris Daily Herald | Feb 17, 2012
# http://www.morrisdailyherald.com/2012/02/17/from-planning-to-action/abrhecu/
No comments:
Post a Comment