People For People host Mobility Summit in Ritzville

Representatives from organizations in Adams and Lincoln counties and interested citizens attended the Ritzville Mobility Summit on March 23 at East Adams Rural Healthcare.

The summit was hosted by People For People (PFP), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization providing services such as special needs transportation and brokered non-emergency medical transportation.

One of the objectives of the summit was to introduce the organization’s Human Service Transportation Plan.

The plan identifies the demands of those who have special transportation needs such as people with disabilities, older adults, youth, and veterans, as well as low-income individuals and families.

The document will include feedback and input from stakeholders, which will be collected from surveys and public forums.

The data will feature common points of origin, destinations, transportation resources, unmet transportation needs and ways to improve mobility options.

PFP Chief Operations Officer Renne Biles explained the organization is hosting events, like the summit in Ritzville, to learn what priorities should be added to the plan.

The summit was also an opportunity for people to learn the transportation services provided in both counties, one being Speciality Mobility Services Inc. (SMS).

SMS is funded through a grant from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) along with support from local communities.

They provide transportation services for clients who need assistance with transportation to non-emergency, Medicaid-paid appointments.

SMS Regional Manager Rusty Koontz explained the agency must provide the most appropriate and cost effective transportation for the client and transportation can be provided to the local medical provider within the client’s community.

If medical services are not available in the client’s residence area, Koontz said SMS could provide assistance outside of the community if their primary care provider drafts a referral explaining the necessity for them to travel to another city.

SMS provides fuel vouchers to clients who own a vehicle but has no means to purchase fuel.

Medicaid patients can also contact SMS for a bus pass to use city transit. Patients can also contact SMS for non-transit rides prior to their appointment.

PFP has transit options for non-medical use in Adams County, including their Trips on Demand service.

Riders can contact PFP to schedule to ride a shuttle from Ritzville to Moses Lake on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

On both days, PFP’s shuttle will connect with SMS’ Community Shuttle for morning and afternoon trips. The morning shuttle from Moses Lake connects with SMS in Ritzville around 7:45 a.m. before returning to Moses Lake at 9:15 a.m.

In the afternoon, the shuttle connects with SMS in Ritzville at 3:45 p.m. then returns to Moses Lake at approximately 5 p.m.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, riders can schedule a ride from Ritzville to Moses Lake in the morning, which departs around 9:15. The SMS Community Shuttle departs at 7:45 a.m. on these days.

They can catch the return service from Moses Lake at 3:15 p.m. and arrive in Ritzville at approximately 5 p.m.

The fee is $2 for a one-way trip and $3 for a round trip. The shuttle makes stops at Zip’s parking lot, the Adams County Courthouse and East Adams Rural Healthcare.

PFP also has services through Aging & Adult Care of Central Washington for Medicaid patients who are 60 years and older.

After the introductions, people were seperated into groups to discuss issues and barriers the transportation services are facing.

One of the issues discussed is a lack of communication and awareness of the transportation services. A potential solution was marketing, which could help increase presence of PFP and SMS in Adams County.

Another potential solution was to have PFP and local organizations distribute and promote the services through marketing and social media.

One of the issues brought forward was a lack of special transportation for emergent patients and outpatients who are discharged from the hospital later in the evening.

There is also a concern for a lack of services for mental health clients and special needs population.

A third concern regarded services during the late afternoons and evenings, and weekend rides for people who travel between Othello and Ritzville.

For example, Othello residents who have to attend court in Ritzville are released late in the day, but there is no shuttle to transport them to Othello.

Mobility Manager Rosenda Henley explained PFP is attempting to expand services, but one of the issues a lack of drivers for those routes.

There was also a suggestion for services for Washtucna and Lind. Biles said there were shuttles to both towns for a three-month trial basis and it may be an option PFP explores in the future.

Henley explained the goal is to take the feedback from the summit and add it an to the plan’s draft.

PFP will send the plan to Quad County Regional Transportation Planning Organization (QUADCO) for review. After the plan is reviewed and approved, it will be sent to WSDOT who will review it.

The plan is scheduled to be posted on People For People’s website by April 30.

For more information about the plan or the services PFP provides, contact Henley at [email protected] or call 509-793-1906.