On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) asked the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to examine the barriers to providing accessible public transit to residents in rural areas.
U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), John Fetterman (D-PA), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) co-signed Casey’s letter. Casey is chair of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, of which the others are members.
Casey said that as billion in federal dollars for public transportation from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act filters into communities, it is important for Congress to understand the accessibility gaps in rural and tribal transit services so they can better deal with them.
“Older adults and people with disabilities are more reliant on public transportation to socialize, shop, and access critical services, such as health care,” Casey wrote in his letter. “Rural transit that is accessible for older adults and people with disabilities can therefore provide a vital link for maintaining the mobility of those populations. Without transportation options, older adults in rural and tribal communities may not receive medical care and are at risk of social isolation, depression, and malnutrition.”
Casey said The IIJA will provide more than $4.58 billion in Rural Area Formula Grants, including funding for the Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program and the Appalachian Development Public Transportation Assistance Program. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Transportation plans to make more funding available for transit programs in communities that have had limited funding.
The Senators asked the GAO to identify what types of transportation are available in rural communities, as well as what strategies and solutions rural and tribal communities have used to address transit needs for seniors and people with disabilities. Additionally, the senators asked the GAO to determine the primary funding sources for transit systems in rural areas and how the DOT has communicated funding opportunities to rural communities.