Transportation
Update!
On October 19th, 2023 BUILD hosted a Community Transportation Summit to bring attention to the challenges of our public transportation system and the opportunity of microtransit. You can watch a recording of the meeting here!
Background
We started this campaign in 2022 after hearing dozens of stories of loved ones, neighbors, and peers struggling with mental illness. We found out early on in our research that transportation is one of the greatest barriers folks with mental illness face in our community.
According to New Vista, transportation is the number one barrier reported by clients to receiving mental and general healthcare.
We continued to hear stories about the impacts of inaccessible or unreliable public transportation. We've seen this impact our community in a profound way. We've heard about:
- Immigrants driving without licenses.
- Refugees struggling to navigate the bus system.
- Folks with disabilities waiting for hours to be picked up by WHEELS.
- The elderly being isolated from social activities because they can't walk to the bus stop.
- People who can't ride the bus because it is too far away or the routes too infrequent
This problem is about our community as a whole. It's about ensuring that everyone can access transportation options that are safe, reliable, and affordable, and we are determined to win a solution that will provide just that.
Our Solution
Microtransit is an on-demand, door-to-door service that closes the gap between public transportation and private rideshare options like Uber, Lyft, and taxis. Think of it like a minibus that comes when you want, where you want.
We are calling on Lextran to implement a microtransit pilot program! Cities around the country are improving their transportation systems through on-demand microtransit, and we want the same for our city. Read about a few of those cities!