Contact: Mari Barnes (847) 432-3240
At their meeting on October 6, the Board of Trustees of Moraine
Township approved a Resolution of support on improving paratransit from
the Lake
County Coordinated Transportation Services Committee. Moraine Township
thus
became the first organization to "sign on" officially to an
organization
whose goal is to create the first "borderless paratransit system in
Lake
County to meet the needs of seniors and persons with disabilities or
medical
needs."
The Lake County Coordinated Transportation Services Committee has been
operating on an ad hoc basis for two years. Established by
concerned agencies and local government units following a legislative
forum at which a pending crisis in transportation was identified,
members finalized By-Laws and a Resolution of support to create a
formal organization as of their
meeting of September 20. The Resolution was brought before
Moraine
Township trustees on September 29, and was unanimously approved on
October
6, according to Supervisor Mari Barnes.
"Seniors, especially, are impacted by voids in the transportation
system. We intend to take a leadership role in forming coalitions
to solve the transportation problems of local residents," Barnes
noted.
"Township resident needs do not stop at township boundaries, so we have
been working with other units of government and local agencies, and
will continue to do so wherever possible, to find solutions and make
the most efficient
use of dedicated tax dollars."
Eric Weakly, Community Planner with the Northeastern Illinois Area
Agency on Aging has been co-facilitating the Lake County Coordinated
Transportation Services Committee. He says "paratransit" is
defined broadly to include transportation outside the normal, from
door-to-door pickup and assistance to improved standard bus
service. The group has modeled their proposed solutions on that
of DuPage County, which is touted as highly successful. Weakly
announced that Moraine Township's formal vote was the first one in to
the Lake County organization. Trustees Cynthia Plouché
and Bryna Gamson are to be Moraine Township representatives to the
coalition.
For further information about Moraine Township's participation in
solutions to problems of seniors and other citizens challenged by
transportation
issues, contact Mari Barnes at (847) 432-3240. Additional
information
and links may be found at
http://www.morainetownship.org,
a website under development.
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