[tabi] Fw: City of Tallahassee News Release - StarMetro Wins $1.2 Million Grant to Improve Operations

From: "Lynn Evans" <austin.evans60@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:28:35 -0500
Wow! Look what Dial a Ride is gonna do, move into the 21st century! 

 

Thank you veterans & Star Metro

----- Original Message ----- 
From: City of Tallahassee 
To: austin.evans60@xxxxxxxxx 
Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 3:03 PM
Subject: City of Tallahassee News Release - StarMetro Wins $1.2 Million Grant 
to Improve Operations


       
     
      StarMetro Wins $1.2 Million Grant to Improve Operations
      November 16, 2011
      Providing Better Service to Veterans and Transportation Disadvantaged 
Customers Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded StarMetro 
$1.2 million of the Veterans Transportation and Community Living Initiative 
(VTCLI) grant. By upgrading technology, the VTCLI grant aids public 
transportation agencies in improving services for veterans and their families. 
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, nearly 250,000 veterans 
living in the state have service connected disabilities that may require 
specialized transportation. 

      StarMetro's paratransit division, which operates the Dial-A-Ride service, 
will execute the grant. Ultimately, the grant will benefit all customers using 
StarMetro's service, including senior, disabled and low-income customers. 

      "With this grant money, we plan to purchase software and upgrade our 
facilities to promote a one stop transportation resource center, which will 
allow disabled, low-income, senior and veteran customers within the Capital 
region to access information and schedule trips with ease," said Ivan 
Maldonado, superintendent of Paratransit Operations. 

      To promote this one stop transportation resource center, StarMetro staff 
hopes to expand the existing paratransit call center facility and upgrade the 
scheduling and dispatching software, as well as install additional automatic 
vehicle locators and mobile data terminals on vehicles. These technology 
upgrades will allow real-time communication between the resource center and the 
vehicle, thereby making the system more efficient. 

      In addition, StarMetro staff plan to implement technologies that will 
allow customers to schedule and change trips online, as well as receive 
telephone and email alerts about scheduled trips. 

      "We are also planning to install an automatic vehicle annunciation 
system," said Maldonado. "This system will announce bus stops, transfer points 
and major intersections to customers who may have visual disabilities." 

      StarMetro staff anticipates that the implementation of these new 
technologies may take up to 18 months. 

      To apply for this grant, StarMetro partnered with several local agencies 
including the Leon County Veterans Services department, the Tallahassee Veteran 
Affairs (VA) Outpatient Clinic, Veteran's Village, VETS Inc., the Tallahassee 
Senior Center, Commuter Services of North Florida and Workforce Plus. 

      For more information about StarMetro services, please call StarMetro's 
main office at 891-5200 or visit Talgov.com/starmetro. Other ways to view 
information include liking StarMetro's official Facebook page at 
Facebook.com/starmetrotransit or following the organization on Twitter at 
Twitter.com/ridestarmetro. 

      Contact
      Ivan Maldonado, StarMetro Superintendent of Paratransit Operations, 
891-5196; or Heather Teter, StarMetro Marketing Specialist, 891-5206
     
        
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[tabi] Fw: City of Tallahassee News Release - StarMetro Wins $1.2 Million Grant to Improve Operations

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