Continuing a tradition of peer-to-peer sharing, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) Enhanced Mobility Program grantees from the Washington DC-MD-VA Urbanized Area had an opportunity to learn from each other at the May 21 Enhanced Mobility Grantee Forum. Representatives of organizations who serve older adults and people with disabilities gathered to talk about their programs, discuss the experience of being a grant recipient, and consider ideas for how they might partner with each other in the future to create transportation service efficiencies.  

COG serves as an administrative agent for the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB), which is the designated recipient of Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility funds designed to support transportation that serves older adults and individuals with disabilities. Non-profit organizations and transportation operators in the region apply for the federal funds through a solicitation process conducted by COG. The latest round of Enhanced Mobility funding was approved in late 2023 and provides $8 million per year in matching grants for 23 specialized transportation projects to meet needs where current transit services are unavailable. Other projects are initiatives that exceed Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements, improve access to fixed-route transit, or offer transportation alternatives for individuals seeking rides to medical appointments, jobs, and social or educational activities.   

Mobility management, a practice that supports travelers through travel training, information resources, and language-specific guides, is a focus for several of the organizations receiving funds. Others are using grant funding to procure and maintain accessible vehicles, operate volunteer driver programs, market transportation services, provide health-related transportation, or conduct train-the-trainer programs. COG’s Enhanced Mobility Program Case Studies delve into the details of how grantees are improving transportation access.   

At this year’s forum, representatives from Boat People SOS, based in Falls Church, Virginia, Capitol Hill Village of the District of Columbia, and ECHO of Leesburg, Virginia, shared their experiences and offered tips for fellow grant recipients.

Building confidence through transportation apps

Trang-Khanh Tran, chief operating officer of Boat People SOS, shared success stories from the organization’s Road to Independence through Savings and Education Transportation (RISE-TRANS), which is designed to break down barriers for Vietnamese American seniors and people with disabilities. Ms. Tran said that the digital divide, fear of the unknown, and a need to budget for travel are three of the biggest challenges for older adults in the community they serve. Boat People SOS offers digital literacy workshops to help travelers use phone-based apps. In addition, the organization provides step-by-step guides incorporating color coding and symbols that explain how to use rideshare, Metrorail, or local buses. Another feature of the program is financial planning and helping participants apply for transit fare assistance programs. Ninety percent of the participants in their training reported increased confidence in planning trips, and more than 70 percent of their seniors began using Uber, Lyft, and transit apps to travel independently.

Evaluating program effectiveness

Judy Berman, executive director of Capitol Hill Village (CHV), highlighted how her organization evaluates how well their program is meeting its goals of increasing awareness of transportation needs of older adults and increasing older adult engagement with alternative transportation modes such as walking and biking. CHV is a network of older adults and neighborhood residents who connect with or support community members who want to live in their homes of choice and remain independent and engaged. Responses and participant comments from interviews and surveys of CHV members are shared within the CHV network but also acted on through continued engagement. For example, CHV established a Sidewalk Safety Team based on 86 percent of their members regularly walking as a mode of transportation, and 67 percent wanting to help make sidewalks safer. After learning how many people of all ages had experienced falls or injuries while walking, the Sidewalk Safety Team compiles data on sidewalk deficiencies and encourages reporting sidewalk conditions to the District Department of Transportation.

Providing safe, reliable transportation through maintenance, tracking, and record keeping    

ECHO Director of Fleet Services Kinta Carter presented an overview of ECHO’s role in providing lifelong support for adults with disabilities through skill building, job placement, day support, and transportation. ECHO currently transports over 100 adults each day to and from their homes, ECHO’s building, and places of employment using a fleet of 22 vehicles. Mr. Carter explained the detailed process involved in vehicle acquisition and procurement through the Enhanced Mobility program and noted how critical regular maintenance and documentation are, not only for grant requirements, but for safe trips. ECHO has its own vehicle repair shop and uses GPS tracking and vehicle cameras so that vehicle locations or information about potential travel delays are available. The Enhanced Mobility grant supports expansion of ECHO’s fleet and ability of program participants to reach their jobs, including positions at the ECHO Barkery, an artisanal dog biscuit bakery, and Blue Elegance, an ECHO enterprise that creates handcrafted jewelry, candles, and soaps.     

Upcoming Enhanced Mobility Program solicitation process   

What’s next for the Enhanced Mobility program? COG and the TPB will solicit applications for a new round of FTA Section 5310 funding this year with pre-application conferences to be held in July. Projects are selected competitively by an independent selection committee from national and local organizations representing aging, disability services, transit, and human services transportation. For information, visit the 2025 Enhanced Mobility solicitation process page.  

Receive updates about the Enhanced Mobility Program and other transportation activities around the region by subscribing to TPB News. For questions, contact Cherice Sansbury, Enhanced Mobility Program Manager, csansbury@mwcog.org or (202) 962-3222.