Alamo Area Accessible Transportation

& Mobility News
Vision Statement
Alamo Area Accessible Transportation Coalition Initiative (AAATCI)
 
Our vision for accessible transportation in the Alamo Area is to ensure that all seniors and people with disabilities have safe, least restrictive and barrier free access to affordable transportation to meet personal needs.
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City of San Antonio Public Works Disability Access Office     

  

 

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Welcome to the June 2014 Edition of the Alamo Area Accessible Transportation & Mobility Newsletter, a forum to inform our community about accessible transportation and discuss opportunities for improvements.  

 

This month's topics of interest:  

  • Scott Ericksen to Retire from Alamo Area MPO
  • VIA Expands Popular TaxiCab Assistance
  • SWOOP's Board of Directors Names New Executive Director
  • Disability Index Equality Survey
  • New Symbol for Outpatient & Non-Emergency Medical Transportation
  • SAILS' ADA 24th Anniversay Celebration

We encourage your feedback and contributions each month!  Please forward any information you would like to share.

  
 
  
Scott Ericksen to Retire!
 
 
After 23 years of shaping transportation advances in our community, Scott will be missed!  Please join us at El Mirador Restaurant for a Retirement celebration, as Scott rides into the sunset on his motorcycle!  
  

 

VIA Expands Popular Taxicab Program 

 

VIA Metropolitan Transit has expanded a popular taxicab program for customers of VIAtrans to include weekends. The Taxi Subsidy Service was started in the summer of 2013 to augment VIAtrans service for people with disabilities who cannot use the regular bus service, providing more flexibility in planning trips for customers and VIAtrans personnel.

  

The service was originally established for weekday trips only, but as of Saturday, May 31st, this service will be available seven days a week.

 

The Taxi Subsidy Service covers up to $9.00 of a Yellow Cab taxi trip taken by a registered VIAtrans customer. All a registered customer needs to do is call Yellow Cab at (210) 666-6666 to request a trip 30 minutes to 24 hours in advance. Customers using this service will need to provide their VIAtrans ID numbers when booking the trip, and they need to let Yellow Cab know if they use a walker or a mobility device.

 

When the taxi cab arrives, customers still need to pay the standard VIAtrans fare of $1.95 to the driver, but there is no additional cost if the meter rate fare at the end of the trip is $10.95 or less. This service is ideal for short trips, and the customers can take longer trips as long as they cover the additional fare over the $9.00 subsidy. 

 

For more information, please visit their website at:  www.viainfo.net. 

 

Courtesy of VIA Metropolitan Transit

  

San Antonio's Southwest Outreach for Older People (SWOOP) Board Names New Executive Director

  

Congratulations to Ms. Janie Avila who will become the Executive Director of SWOOP effective July 1, 2014. 

 

Ms. Avila has served as SWOOP's Volunteer Coordinator and has strong community ties to the south and west San Antonio area.  She brings a wealth of expertise in the areas of the SWOOP program, senior mobility and community building.

 

Ms. Joan Fisher, current Executive Director will join the SWOOP Board of Directors and will continue to work with SWOOP on their fundraising efforts.

 

To learn more about SWOOP, please visit their website: 

www.callarideforseniors.org.

Disability Equality Index Survey to be Unveiled on June 26, 2014

 

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and the US Business Leadership Network® (USBLN®) are excited to announce the public release of the first Annual Disability Equality IndexSM (DEISM). Created by leaders in the business and disability communities, the DEI is an online benchmarking tool that offers businesses the opportunity to receive an objective score, on a scale of zero to 100, on their disability inclusion policies and practices.

 

After the successful completion of the DEI pilot with 48 Fortune 1000 scope companies in March 2014, AAPD and the USBLN will be releasing the DEI survey questions publicly on June 26, 2014 before opening up the first Annual DEI survey to Fortune 1000 scope companies for participation in October 2014.

 

Those interested in attending the DEI survey public release call must register here by June 19, 2014:  www.surveyonly.com
 

To learn more, please visit their website at:  www.aapd.com.

 

Courtesy of The American Association of People with Disabilities
A New Symbol for Outpatient & Non-Emergency Medical Transportation
  

The orange cross logo is a recognition of the profound role non-emergency transportation plays in supporting current health care practices so heavily dependent on outpatient care for chronic conditions.

 

To learn more, please Click Here. 

 

Courtesy of Community Transportation Association

  

 

Americans with Disabilties Act (ADA)
24th Anniversary Celebration
  
WHEN:    Saturday, July 26, 2014, 9:00 a.m - 1:00 p.m.
WHERE:  UTSA Downtown Campus
                Bill Miller Plaza
                501 West Cesar E. Chavez Blvd.
                San Antonio, Texas  78207
  
SAILS' will celebrate the 24th ADA Anniversary beginning with a Pep rally at approximately 8:45 a.m.!   
 
The program will feature keynote speaker, Nick Scott who will deliver his motivational and inspirational story and be available for pictures.   To learn more about Nick Scott, please visit www.nickfitness.com for more on his inspirational and amazing story!

 

Fifty exhibitors will provide FREE information and resources to all attendees!    

 

Contact Judy Rosen at 210-281-1878, extension 119 to RSVP your attendance.

 

Special thanks to HEB for providing boxed lunches and to AmeriGroup for their T-Shirt sponsorship.

  
The GROW AMERICA Act

  
Transportation is a critical engine of the Nation's economy.  Investments in the national transportation network over the country's history, and especially the last half-century, have been instrumental in developing the world's largest economy and most mobile society.  However, before the end of this summer the Highway Trust Fund - which funds a significant portion of the construction and repair of our surface transportation system - will be insolvent and just a few weeks later the authorities that establish our surface transportation programs will expire.  Without action, many States and communities may be forced to slow or stop work on critical transportation projects that our Nation depends upon to move people, energy, and freight every day, putting jobs at risk and slowing investment in our future.
  
  
Courtesy of United States Department of Transportation
Permission to reproduce or reprint: Please feel free to forward this newsletter. However, if you wish to use any information marked "original" please contact the owner of that information, or Elena Hernandez.

 

 

AAATCI members include representatives from:

 

ADA Advocates
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning
       Organization (AA-MPO)
Social Workers 
Urban and Transportation Planners
Transportation Engineers 
Transit Users 

 

Contact Us: to submit "Spotlight" stories, current events, article suggestions, data to share, best practices and/or with any comments or questions: ehernandez@aacog.com or call (210)-362-5274.