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Service Cuts-Elderly and Disabled Get the Shaft

 
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Dieseljim
Deceased



Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Posts: 548
Location: Perry, NY

PostPosted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 6:38 am    Post subject: Service Cuts-Elderly and Disabled Get the Shaft Reply with quote

When it comes to cutting over the road services, it seems to me that the elderly folks who hang up the car keys for the last time and in many cases, the disabled seem to get lost in the shuffle or just plain get shafted when it comes to how to get from A to B. Sure there may be rural transit services where they live, but ONLY servicing the local area the service is set up in. Does not anyone think about the needs of these people to access the cities and are unable to drive themselves for one reason or another? Here in Western New York, most of the counties have local transit services, but no connectivity with one another, soem areas are devoid of over the road services as well. If transportation planners don't start taking into account the non driving elderly and disabled, and their transportaiton needs, there are apt to be a lot of people starting to just give up on life because their opportunities are being taken away from them or denied them. That would be tragic. Funding for some of the over the road services would be far less costly than more paving the country over in concrete.
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HwyHaulier




Joined: 16 Dec 2007
Posts: 932
Location: Harford County, MD

PostPosted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 8:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dieseljim -

Federal Reserve Bank, Minneapolis, publishes myriad discussions on a large range of issues, especially pertinent to the Upper Midwest.
There are articles and documents on its site, with respect to various demands and requirements of personal transport. An "executive
summary" of it: There's no easy answers!

See: http://www.minneapolisfed.org/

In the case of the issues you address, is it not a case that much care in order, as the possible cures can be much worse than the disease?
Possible fixes could surely lead to quite sharp and unwelcome spikes in fuel taxes and fees, which immediately harm the general economy.

..................Vern.............
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RailBus63
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 1063

PostPosted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 9:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is this really a major issue? My anecdotal experience is that the majority of elderly people who still live on their own have family members or friends who can help with rides to the store, the doctor, etc. People in rural areas also seem to be much more close-knit and dependent on each other than those who live in urban areas. Some churches and other groups also band together to bring in volunteers who can give rides. There are always going to be isolated cases of hardship, but I just can't support a major government-led solution here. Demand-responsive service is expensive even in urban areas, never mind rural areas where vans will have to travel long distances between pickups.
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