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Published: 1987

Total Pages: 47

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This report provides an evaluation of a specialized volunteer rural transportation program implemented in April 1986. It was modeled after a successful program operated in the Huntsville, Alabama area. This program is an innovative response to the unique transportation needs of persons living in rural regions of the eight counties comprising Area IV of Indiana. Five rural communities participated in the volunteer systems set up for the program. The evaluation focused on 2 major areas of these systems: the organizational framework of the 5 operating boards, and the performance and impact of the services. Information and results from the first nine months of operation of these demonstrations was gathered and evaluated. The emphasis was to determine how well the systems satisfied the operational objectives of the program, namely: to make affordable, cost effective, flexible, rural, public transportation to residents of the communities willing to share responsibilities for providing the transportation; to reduce federal, state or local government operating subsidies for gasoline and drivers for this program by having each community pay their own fuel use and recruit volunteer drivers for the vans; and to enhance the dignity and sense of ownership of the public transportation user and the community served. In addition, the study examined the potential of such systems vis-a-vis other more widely used systems. The evaluation results show that these systems represent an intriguing means of providing low cost, high quality transportation and appear to be ideally suited for such communities.