overview
The Regional Transportation Collaborative (RTC), is a unique mobility model utilized in the five-county region to collect data, analyze needs, coordinate supports, and implement transportation programs primarily serving older adults and individuals with disabilities.
Transportation supports are primarily provided for the target audience to access medical and health care. Additionally, mobility programs address a variety of transportation needs including social trips to reduced social isolation and transport for critical errands - ultimately increasing community access and livability for all.
RTC’s dynamic mobility model is unique to Virginia, and its utilization of an adaptive and scalable technology is the first of its kind across the state. The mobility model, cloud software, and collaborative partnership have been shared across local, state, and federal levels.
foundation
RTC, formed in 2020, has become the overarching mobility program in the region, partnering with 30+ area programs and agencies to support strategic planning, fund sourcing, efficient spending, resource leveraging, and collaborative ‘wrap-around’ supports.
The infrastructure of the RTC is made up of a cloud-based software used for complex data collection and comprehensive service coordination. The data offers a springboard for program justification, funding, and development from a variety of local, state, and federal sources.
RTC’s primary goal is to foster collaboration of transportation related services across the community. This goal branches off into several key focus areas centered around increasing mobility options for older adults, individuals with disabilities, and the community in general.
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Partnerships & Collaboration
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Fund Sourcing & Diversified Funding
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Resource Leveraging & Efficiency
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Data Collection & Strategic Planning
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Volunteer Transportation
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Pilot Programming
infrastructure
RTC mobility supports are primarily supported through volunteer programs. Multiple volunteer driver programs provide local and cross locality pre-scheduled transportation. The coordination of these services is managed through the RTC Mobility Center (known publicly as the FAMS Call Center). Individual requests are serviced by mobility specialists through a central phone line and access point. The mobility center provides access to all available transportation information, routes/schedules, volunteer transportation, private providers, gas card programs, mobility programs, and more.
RTC partners have access to a host of benefits and supports throughout each fiscal year:
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Access & Utilization of the "Trusted Community Partner Gold Seal" a community symbol representing trusted, vetted, accountable programs serving the community through collaboration and partnership.
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Funding, grant writing support, financial planning support.
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Staff resources, subject matter expertise, coordination services.
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A variety of software and membership accesses.
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Project management and facilitation.
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Pilot funding, funding for volunteer vetting & appreciation.
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Strategic planning and resource leveraging.
The Mobility Center is a part of the Regional Transportation Collaborative (RTC) & Trusted Community Partner (TCP)
partners
Collaborative partnerships fluctuate as needs, resources, and capacities change.
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Encompass provides staffing for the Mobility Center and owns/maintains the vehicles utilized in the Shared Volunteer Vehicle Program (SVVP) Encompass has been a core partner and involved in RTC projects since 2020.
Aging Together provides supportive staffing for the RTC, to increase its social media marketing and host and coordinate monthly county 'team meetings' made up of representatives from all community sectors. Aging Together has been a core partner and involved in RTC projects since 2020.
DRPT is the primary funder for the RTC and all mobility programming in the region. The FTA funding allocated to Virginia's 5310 grant program enables transportation programming targeting older adults and/or persons with disabilities.
The Path Foundation is the secondary funder for the RTC initiatives; providing funds for creative solutions, expanded services, and volunteer appreciation. Path recognizes the correlation between transportation access and health outcomes, validating its annual support of the RTC/TCP model.
Volunteer driver programs in the region provide a significant amount of transportation to individuals in need; partnering under the RTC/TCP to leverage resources and expand services.
DSS offices, free clinics, and Bealeton Public Library act as 'fuel subsidy' distribution points, enabling individuals in need to pick up gas cards across the region.
Sporadic funding is utilized from a variety of local and national grant programs.
Timely partnerships for creative programming, resource leveraging, and more are constantly fluctuating within the RTC/TCP.
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