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Report pinpoints transportation gaps that leave Ohioans struggling to access doctors, jobs

Man pushes wheelchair into back of transport van
The Greater Region Mobility Plan found around 140 medical and under 500 non-medical transportation providers in the area.

Ohio spends one tenth of the national average by population on public transit, leaving gaps in who can get around in Ohio.

But the Miami Vally Regional Planning Commission has a mobility plan that they hope will bring more funding to the Miami Valley.

The Greater Region Mobility Plan took an inventory of those options and the people that use them, said Serena Anderson, the commission’s transit programs manager.

“Transit and transportation providers, many of them are essentially operating on limited resources, but also trying to return to pre-COVID demand,” Anderson said. “Typically the funding has kind of stayed stagnant or has been increased slightly, but not enough to meet the growing demands of a pre-COVID world.”

Along with their research, the commission conducted a 1,000-participant community input survey.

They found key gaps in the region’s mobility.

More than a sixth of participants cited transportation as a barrier to finding or keeping a job. A fifth said they’ve missed doctors appointments.

The survey found other gaps such as

  • limited travel options across county lines,
  • lack of early morning, evening and weekend trips,
  • limited awareness of options,
  • and driver shortages.

Anderson said these limitations especially affect the non-drivers in the state.

“For folks who don't drive, many of them are using a lot of different ways to get around,” Anderson said. “A lot of the transportation options in the community are constrained based upon boundaries or specific needs. Many folks are traveling beyond the boundaries of their county and yet our transportation system isn't designed that way.”

The plan’s data and goals are used when applying for grants for federal and state money to fix gaps.

Leaders hope the plan will encourage providers to work together to make the most of existing transportation resources in the region.

“What we've learned since we first began doing this work is that a lot of it has to do with providers having limited funding resources while the needs continue to grow,” Anderson said. “So we try to create a complete system where providers coordinate together to try to fill in gaps.”