URBANDALE, Iowa – The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC) announced Friday that the Heart of Iowa Regional Transportation Agency (HIRTA) has received a second round of grant funds for addressing the needs of underserved populations and supporting the implementation of innovative programs.
In April HIRTA was awarded a planning grant up to $70,000 from the NADTC to help to meet the needs of underserved populations. Phase one focused on planning and has concluded, this new round of grant funds — up to $20,000 — focuses on implementation of identified solutions to service inequities.
During the planning grant, HIRTA gathered input from older adults, people with disabilities, and marginalized populations through surveys, focus groups, and a community meeting. It was determined common barriers are limited days and hours of service and barriers for people with limited English proficiency.
“As an individual who is blind, I need reliable transportation for access to every aspect of my life,” said one HIRTA rider. “I have and will continue to be a part of HIRTA’s efforts to improve transportation services, because accessible and good transportation is so important to me.”
HIRTA said it will work with a scheduling software vendor, Via, to implement an online portal where people can schedule transportation through a web browser, which can be translated into 99 languages.
HIRTA will establish partnerships with third-party providers, such as volunteer networks, local taxi providers and individuals interested in providing trips with their personal vehicles, which can be used to expand service days and hours.
“Life operates outside of HIRTA’s service hours,” said Julia Castillo, HIRTA’s executive director. “so it’s important to our communities to access needed services and live an active, fulfilling lifestyle. HIRTA has made great strides in being more inclusive, but we can do even better. Our communities have provided feedback on what they want to see implemented at HIRTA. This grant will allow us to make some of these changes and create a more inclusive environment for all.”
HIRTA said that it was thankful to the NADTC for the opportunity to improve transportation across central Iowa and that it looks forward to working with NADTC on the implementation phase. Visit www.RideHIRTA.com/DEI to learn more about HIRTA’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
