The Role of Public Transit in Providing Access to Social Services

In the wake of the pandemic, many transit systems have stepped into the non-traditional roles of supporting the communities they serve by providing access to social services. Transportation and transit agencies can play a significant role in serving as a component of the social safety net, serving populations and communities in need with improved access to social services. In order to help populations affected by COVID-19 hardships, some transit agency providers have connected with local organizations to deliver food in order to increase food access. Others have initiated programs to deliver mobile wifi access in their communities. Attend this session to hear about ways that transit agencies have stepped outside of the box to serve their communities in new ways in the face of the pandemic’s new challenges.

Moderator:  Elba Higueros, Chief Policy Officer, LA Metro

Panelists:

• Dr. Jill Hough, Deputy Director, Small Urban, Rural and Tribal Center on Mobility (SURTCOM), Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, North Dakota State University
• Alicia Walker, Assistant Vice President of Bus Operations, Dallas Area Rapid Transit

This session is part of the full 2021 Mobility Conference Virtual Event available in APTAU Learning.