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Our vision for accessible transportation in the Alamo Area is to insure that all seniors and people with disabilities have safe, least restrictive and barrier free access to affordable transportation to meet personal needs
Vision Statement,
Alamo Area Accessible Transportation Coalition Initiative (AAATCI) |
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Greetings!
Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Alamo Area Accessible Transportation & Mobility Newsletter, a forum to inform our community about accessible transportation and discuss opportunities for improvements to accessible transportation. We welcome your feedback and contributions each month. This month's topics:
Sincerely, Isa
Isa Fernández, MPA
Mobility Specialist
Bexar Area Agency on Aging
Alamo Area Council of Governments
(210) 362-5227 isafernandez@aacog.com
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 Alamo Area Accessible Transportation Coalition Initiative (AAATCI)
The Alamo Area Accessible Transportation Coalitions Initiative (AAATCI) was funded by an Easter Seals Project Action grant to improve access to public transportation for older adults and people with disabilities.
Thirty (30) stakeholders, representing public and private transportation providers, planners, consumers, and advocates have made a commitment to energize incremental improvements that will result in more a more effective and sensitive response to the needs of people with who rely on alternative means of transportation.
Others who are interested in making a difference in accessibility are welcome to join AAATCI, attend its quarterly meetings and join one of its subcommittees. Currently, subcommittees are focusing on specific tasks within the broad topics of Services, Infrastructure, and Dialysis Transportation.
Read more about the AAATCI here and contact me for more information about the coalition and how you can help. Contact Isa Fernández, Mobility Specialist at isafernandez@aacog.com or call (210) 362-5227. |
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Profile of the Month
 With the San Antonio senior population expected to double in 30 years to 20%, and with disability and poverty rates for San Antonio seniors above the national average, accessible transportation plays a critical role for seniors who wish to remain in their own homes as they age and can no longer drive.
To help meet this demand, four San Antonio nonprofits providing free transportation for seniors have formed Call A Ride for Seniors (CARS), a volunteer driver and escorted transportation coalition for seniors and people with disabilities unable to drive or to use public transit.
By providing transportation and escorting seniors and people with disabilities to medical appointments, the grocery store, the pharmacy, and social activities, volunteersmay make the difference between someone living in their own home or being forced to go to a long term care facility.
CARS members operate in four sectors of the city. They are:
- Jefferson Outreach for Older People (Northwest)
- Northeast Senior Assistance (NESA)
- Southeast Community Outreach for Older People (SCOOP)
- Southwest Outreach for Older People (SWOOP)
These vital agencies are greatly in need of driver-escorts who can volunteer at least a half day (four hours) per month transporting someone in their own vehicles. For more information or to volunteer, please call (210) 477-3275. |
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Dialysis Transportation Report
In Bexar County, 11.8% of the population have been diagnosed with diabetes, the fourth leading cause of death in the county. In addition, residents have twice the national rate of End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESRD), which requires dialysis three days a week.
AAATCI has adopted dialysis transportation as one of its priorities, with the goal of establishing a study to analyze Bexar County dialysis transportation opportunities for improvement.
As a best practice, the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) recently published an informative article on the issues of providing transportation for an increasing number of people who need dialysis treatment. While the report doesn't offer any immediate solutions, it is a thorough review of the situation that might prove useful in local advocacy efforts. Interestingly, three of the transportation providers mentioned in this article are either former or current ATCI teams. Read Article... |
City of San Antonio (COSA) Adopts
Complete Streets Ordinance
Complete streets promotes safe and accessible sidewalks and streets that encourage pedestrian, cyclist and public transit use for a lifetime. The San Antonio city council formally adopted a Complete Streets policy with a unanimous vote (one member was absent) on September 29. The ordinance was a year long, multi-agency effort connsidered an important strategic planning measure to promote city projects and city-private partnerships that help make streets more usable for motorists, transit users, cyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities. For more information please contact Marita Roos, COSA Complete Streets planner at marita.roos@sanantonio.gov. |
Transportation Maps Highlight Older Adults & People with Disabilities
As part of an ongoing effort to improve transportation and coordinate services for seniors and people with disabilities, visual data can help detail service areas, highlight specific population dense areas, and make the case for needed improvements by demonstrating gaps. Below, view maps that help illustrate service areas and levels of service in Bexar County. If you wish to use any of these original maps, please contact Mr. Chun-lin Lin of the UTSA Department of Demography at kcf418@myutsa.edu for the first map, and COSA Access and Compliance Manager Ms. Judy Babbit of the City of San Antonio Department of Public Works for the second and third maps at: judybabbitt@sanantonio.gov.
1. Older Population Density Levels of Provided Transportation
2. Selected Census Tracts for West Bexar County
3. Selected Census Tracts for East Bexar County |
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Permission to reproduce or reprint: Please feel free to forward this newsletter. However, if you wish to use any information marked "original" please contact Isa Fernández.
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AAATCI members include representatives from:
Transportation and Urban Planners
Transportation engineers
Transit users
ADA advocates
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Contact Us: to submit "Profile of the Month" stories, current events, article suggestions, data to share, best practices and/or with any comments or questions: isafernandez@aacog.com or call
(210)-362-5227.
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