The following post is cross-posted from the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Transit Planning and Coordination page.
Human Services Transportation (HST) includes a broad range of service options designed to meet the needs of persons with disabilities, individuals with lower incomes and older adults. These individuals have different needs and require a variety of transportation services to ensure quality of life. Planning and coordinating HST helps to improve the efficiency of limited transportation resources, reduce duplication of services and improve customer satisfaction.
Human Services Transportation Plan (2024)
The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is updating the Coordinated Human Services Transportation (CHST) Plan to improve mobility options for older adults, persons with disabilities, people with limited English proficiency, and individuals who are economically disadvantaged, residing in the 20-county Metropolitan Atlanta Transportation Planning Area. The plan aims to identify current mobility needs and challenges and identify gaps in transportation services and programs to help guide development of policies, strategies and recommendations for improvements.
Your input is needed to enhance the traveling experience of these communities and expand their transportation options. A series of engagement opportunities have been designed to gather input and provide updates throughout the process.
What is HST?
Human Services Transportation (HST) includes a broad range of service options designed to meet the needs of older adults, persons with disabilities, and individuals with lower incomes by providing mobility/travel programs and social services that can accommodate their conditions.
Services are often provided by public transit agencies, nonprofit providers, for-profit, private providers, and Medicaid-broker providers.
Examples of human service transportation include:
- Dial-a-ride (i.e., responding to individual door-to-door requests)
- Human service agency transportation
- Mileage reimbursement to volunteers or program participants
- Neighborhood shuttles
- Non-emergency medical transportation funded by Medicaid or other sources
- Public transit (including paratransit)
- Transportation vouchers (e.g., transit passes, taxis, etc.)
- Volunteer transportation services
- Escorted (i.e., door-through-door or hand-to-hand) transportation services
Empowered Mobility for All
The CHST Plan aims to improve the transportation options to ensure quality of life for:
- Older Adults
- People with Disabilities
- People with limited English proficiency
- Individuals who are economically disadvantaged
- Zero-Car Households
- Veterans
- Suburban or exurban Residents
- Youth & Young Adults without a Car
Key Stakeholders
The CHST plan is focused on engaging the following stakeholders:
- Residents throughout the 20-county metropolitan Atlanta region who utilize these services or have the potential to do so
- Agencies and organizations that provide these services
- Agencies and organizations that connect residents to these services, such as government agencies, non-government organizations, and community-based organizations.
Feedback from stakeholders will help the ARC develop recommendations for new mobility options that improve service efficiency and enhance the user experience.
Engagement Opportunities
A series of engagement opportunities have been designed to gather input, beginning with a brief online survey. Please complete and share this survey using the links provided below. The average completion time is only eight minutes and respondents will be entered for a chance to win one of two $200 gift cards.
English Survey Link: https://www.publicinput.com/arc-chst
Spanish Survey Link: https://www.publicinput.com/arc-chst-espanol
Community members can request accommodations to provide their input by emailing ARC-CHST@publicinput.com or calling (678) 528-8450.
Contact
Have a question or comment? Connect with the project team in the following ways:
- Project Email: ARC-CHST@publicinput.com
- Project Voicemail Line: (678) 528-8450