Weaving It Together: A Tapestry of Transportation Funding for Older Adults

Transportation for older adults and adults with physical disabilities is in high demand. As the aging population grows, this demand is expected to increase. Specialized transportation services—typically by van, small bus, or taxi—provide essential transportation and independence for those who have difficulty using traditional fixed-route public transportation service because of disability, age-related conditions, or income constraints. Most specialized transportation providers recognize the limitations of relying on any one source of funding. Current fiscal constraints have increased the need to identify and piece together multiple sources of funding to sustain and grow their systems.

This paper highlights the major sources of federal funding that providers can tap to fund transportation for these populations. As there is no comprehensive data set that tracks state and local expenditures on specialized transportation, the authors have included seven case studies of local providers from around the country to illustrate how they combine federal, state, and local funding to put quality service on the street. The paper also provides examples of how local and state coordination efforts can expand the reach of services funded.