New DOT Grant Aims to Increase Access to Home Health Organizations

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced $7.8 million for 17 projects that will improve public transportation for people with disabilities, older adults and low-income individuals. One of the projects included pertains to increasing access to home health organizations in South Dakota. 

The grants support organizations that coordinate public transportation for underserved groups, allowing them to access health care, community services, education and jobs by building partnerships among health, transportation and human services providers.

FTA’s Innovative Coordinated Access & Mobility (ICAM) Pilot Program—supported by more than $24 million in funding over five years from Presiden Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—increases access for Americans all over the country, with a focus on health and wellness. The grants support transportation improvements, from designing new trip scheduling technology to buying transit vans, in 15 states.  

The West River Transit Authority (Prairie Hills Transit) in South Dakota will receive $269,280 to buy a contactless payment technology system that will enhance safety, improve reliability and the rider experience, and make transit more accessible to residents in the Black Hills region. A trip planning mobile app and website will help facilitate intercounty connections and regional service by linking riders with providers for trips across multiple service areas. The platform will improve coordination of services for veteran service organizations, education institutions, health care facilities, women’s and homeless shelters, home health care organizations and workforce centers.

“Transportation is a lifeline that connects Americans to essential services, like health care, and today we’re supporting innovative projects to help more people connect to the help they need” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “These transportation projects, made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help people with disabilities, older adults, and low-income individuals access the health services they need.” 

By improving the coordination of transportation to critical services for people who have been underserved in the past, the ICAM program aims to improve public health, including mental health. The program provides an opportunity for older adults and people with disabilities and in low-income communities. 

“This program supports statewide and regional strategies to help ensure people who are especially challenged in accessing health care can reach those critical services,” said FTA Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool. “We are pleased to provide resources that help reach into the sometimes-overlooked areas of our nation to ensure no one is left behind.”

In response to the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), FTA received 24 eligible proposals. Projects were selected based on criteria described in the NOFO.