PATS Selected For Major US DOT Grant: Fulton, Murray & Easter Seals Also Benefit

Paducah Area Transit System has been selected by the US Department of Transportation to receive a $1.4 million grant aimed at utilizing technology to make public transportation more efficient.

PATS, along with the Lower Savannah Council of Governments in Aiken, SC, and Camden County Workforce Investment Board, based in Camden, NJ have been selected for the grants as part of the US DOT’s Mobility Services for All Americans (MSAA) Initiative.

The grant benefits not only PATS, but also Fulton County Transit, Murray-Calloway Transit and Easter Seals Western Kentucky with the latest in technology, from GPS systems in vehicles, to state-of-the-art dispatching and routing software, to an expanded communication center which matches passengers with agencies and programs which provide transportation assistance. The communication center would also feature a web portal and interactive telephone system for passengers to reserve rides and receive other information pertaining to their transportation. The expanded center is instrumental in the plans for bringing 2-1-1 service to Western Kentucky, while Fulton County Transit, Easter Seals and Murray Calloway Transit join with PATS to make transportation in the Purchase Area a model for rural transits across the nation.

"It’s going to give the entire Purchase Area the best technology available for public transportation and everyone will benefit, no matter which transit services their area," according to PATS Executive Director Kim Adair. "Customers in the Purchase Area will have a much easier time accessing public transportation."

The new technology will allow Murray-Calloway County Transit to "optimize our efficiencies" according to Executive Director Bjarne Hansen.

Paul Maxwell, Executive Director of Fulton County Transit echoed those thoughts, and added, "It will enhance the safety and security of our passengers and also our drivers and I’m personally glad to be a stakeholder in this project."
Adair, Hansen and Maxwell all expressed gratitude to Kentucky’s Executive Director of the state’s Office of Transportation Delivery, Vickie Bourne. "We couldn't have done it without the support of Vickie Bourne and her staff, so we’re very grateful," added Adair.

The overall goal of the MSAA Initiative is to make transportation more efficient and convenient, especially for those who are transportation disadvantaged. While most of us may not have any trouble finding a way to the grocery store, the doctor or other places we’d like to visit, there are many who, for one reason or another, have to depend on community action agencies and transits, including rural transits to make those necessary trips. Demand for this type of transportation is expected to increase, as America’s population of senior citizens increases, along with the disabled. While there are dozens of programs under 11 different federal departments to help these people, many can still have difficulty with their transportation needs in the confusing maize of independently administered programs. By bringing the programs together in the Travel Management Coordination Centers (TMCC), the MSAA and United We Ride Initiatives seek to simplify the process for the passengers, and make the process much more cost efficient for the federal programs which provide assistance, such as Medicaid, Head Start, etc.

Last year, PATS was chosen as one of only 8 agencies in the nation to take part of the initial phase of the MSAA Initiative, which involved designing a travel management coordination center. From the original 8, three were chosen for Phase 2. Phase 2 involves actually creating the center and putting it into action, along with installing the latest technologies in the transit vehicles.

The goal is for passengers to have a much easier time finding transportation assistance, along with simplifying the transportation experience itself. Another goal is to make that transportation much more cost effective, by avoiding duplications of services and coordinating services among various agencies and departments. Ms. Bourne states "what a great opportunity for Kentucky to have the honor to participate in such a profound and remarkable grant.
Mobility needs of Western Kentucky will be met while the Commonwealth serves as a national transportation model. Congratulations to Paducah Transit Authority and their partners with this endeavor"