“The answer for mobility is parked in driveways from coast-to-coast,” according to Katherine Freund, Founder and President of ITNAmerica. Speaking at ITNAmerica’s annual retreat, Freund and her colleagues first painted a grim picture for those people living in rural areas without access to or the ability to drive a car.
Terry Bills, Global Transportation Industry Director for Esri, set the stage for this virtual event (YouTube) by citing statistics from its December 2020 publication quantifying some of the issues:
- 1.6 million rural households do not have access to a car.
- Thirty-eight percent (38%) of rural residents live in areas without public transit.
- Rural households typically spend an average of 20 percent of their household income on transportation (compared to a 2019 to 2021 national average of between 16 to 17%).
Esri provides the software and mapping data at no cost that allows ITNAmerica to connect volunteer drivers to non-profits to people who need rides. Over 350k organizations rely on Esri, making it among the top 5 largest private software companies in the world.
Citing Harvard researchers, Bills pointed out that “transportation is the single most substantial factor in the ability to escape poverty.” The U.S. Department of Transportation calls equitable and safe access to transportation a civil right, according to Bills’ presentation.
How Far? #
It is beyond the scope of this article to explore the question, of whether transportation is a civil right. Assuming as the DOT suggests that it is a civil right, then is there a distance/cost limit (5, 50, 500-miles?) to such a right? Is it variable based on where one lives? Is there a limit on scope (e.g., trips to grocery store or doctor, but not to the golf course or to the local watering hole)?
Some of the most pressing challenges for rural communities are meeting the mobility needs of older adults, stated Bills. Freund added that by 2030, there will be 61 million baby boomers between 68 to 84. Currently, three of four of older adults live in rural or suburban areas.
Connecting People with Rides – ITNCountry #
A solution to helping the senior populace, particularly in rural areas, is to match up volunteer drivers with seniors in need of a ride. This ride matchmaking service has been the mission of ITNAmerica for over 25 years. The most recent example of how ITNAmerica is fulfilling its mission is with ITNCountry.
ITNCountry has a backend that provides portals for the rider, driver, the local non-profit, and business, according to its Project Manager, Laura Dake (YouTube). This backend includes a mechanism for payments, storage of metadata (e.g., such as special needs for passengers), and accrual of volunteer driver credits. Their platform enables unique models, such as payments by merchants, churches, or health facilities or via CarTrade (users who no longer can drive can exchange their car for rides).
“It [ITNCountry} is a God send,” is what one of the riders told Karen Winton (YouTube). Winton, who is the Deputy Director of Community Development for the Town of Kennebunk, ME, says their rural burg proactively reached out to determine how it could better serve its senior population.
What was lacking was the physical connection to others and to the town since it was difficult for some of the seniors to leave their respective homes. Kennebuck was recipient of a $15,000 grant from the Federal Transportation Administration to launch ITNCountry. Since Kennebunk launched its ITNCountry program last July, seniors have been using it for rides to destinations such as, grocery stores, barbershops, medical appointments and even the vet.
The benefit of ITNCountry goes beyond the ride as Kennebunk is already seeing connections between the passengers and the volunteer drivers. Winton explains that it is “the volunteers that pump the blood that is the heart of this program.” As she tells it, the volunteer drivers feel that they get much more than they give. Winton indicates that the ITNCountry program allows Kennebunk to do the most with limited funds.
Sometimes a Trusted Hand Is Needed #
Similar to Freund’s motivation for starting ITNAmerica, Allen Lopatin’s mother “proved the necessity for this invention. (YouTube)” The invention Lopatin refers to is TrustedRiders. TrustedRiders is working with ITNAmerica such that it is analogous to a plug-in that extends ITNAmerica coverage from curb-to-curb to door-to-door and door-through-door service.
The target market is any adult who needs an extra helping hand, whether due to age or ability. Beyond mobility, this is about having a chaperone who acts as an advocate; a person who is there to help set up the ride and take responsibility for getting them home when they are discharged from a medical facility.
According to TrustedRiders,
“Doctors will not treat, and Medicare will not pay for, outpatient procedures requiring anesthesia unless the patient is discharged ‘in the company of a responsible adult.’”
Slide 44 of the ITNAmerica Virtual Retreat slide deck
As an example of the scope of why people need this service, according to TrustedRiders, 8% of all outpatient procedures are lens or cataract requiring anesthesia for people age 65+. Further, TrustedRiders found in their survey of riders that 72% are 65+ and that 73% live in their own home.
Survey Says – People Want to Help People #
Like the other speakers, David Gogel (YouTube), President of the Dirigo Collective, was drawn to help get the word out about ITNAmerica because of its mission. Gogel lives in a rural county seat, as does his mother who lives two states away and calls this is the most important project he has worked on in the last few years.
His group has been leading a research project for ITNAmerica to understand how to increase volunteer driver engagement and identify variances between different demographics. Their nationwide survey of approximately 900 people, as well as listening sessions with impact leaders in similar, but different areas provided insight into their messaging.
All the segments in their survey feel that the most important attributes are to keep older adults “independent” as well as the importance of volunteer drivers as a “community resource”. Approximately 28% surveyed are willing to volunteer drive, which ranks higher than other potential volunteer opportunities. The strongest interest in volunteering is people in their 60s living in rural neighborhoods.
The resulting campaign they are designing and that is part of the ITNCountry toolkit is centered around turning passive awareness to active engagement. The three pillars of their approach are about creating connections, nurturing behavior, and empowering citizens to become super volunteers; influencers, if you will.
Transforming Community Mobility Through Digital Technology #
The nonprofit ITNAmerica emphasizes that its support comes from all three sectors of the economy, industry (e.g. ESRI, Salesforce), government (U.S. DOT, CDC, & FTA), as well as non-profit/private philanthropy. Freund points out that what they are doing is complementary to government efforts to extend broadband to rural and unserved areas.
ITNAmerica has four initiatives (YouTube) that support their objective of transforming transportation via technology to build healthier, stronger, connected communities.
- ITNRides 2.0, which is transportation software for nonprofit providers
- Rides in Sight – a searchable online database of all U.S. senior transportation.
- Community in the Cloud (online learning center)
- America’s Volunteer Driver Center, which is a national campaign to recruit volunteer drivers.
After working for 25 years on the challenge, Freund’s revelation is that it is time to stop nibbling at the edges of providing mobility to an aging and growing population. She credits Maine Senator Susan Collins and her staff for taking the lead on creating a top-down approach, such as what was done for blood drives and the Red Cross (see this interview with Katherine for how the Red Cross inspired her thinking).
Aligning with the CDC’s goals to ensure access to healthcare and injury control cemented the support of Senator Collins’ support for ITNAmerica’s America’s Volunteer Driver Center. Freund call this nascent project “a huge challenge” but is confident in their plan to scope out the problem and create the platform that communities can use to deliver rides to seniors.
The plan, which ITNAmerica is in the middle of implementing, consists of four elements:
- Environmental scan
- Technology plan
- Leadership Roundtable
- Report
The biggest challenge is one of mindset. Freund sees a campaign, which is analogous to a blood drive, being central to the America’s Volunteer Driver Center. As she indicates, the answer is sitting in the driveways of and in the hearts of volunteers across America.
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