Transportation in the Work Equation

In our continuing to think ahead with responses to our changing economic system, one area must be public transportation. Usually this conversation begins and ends with bus, train, or subway service. But in the case of smaller communities and larger ones with all night needs, there must be a different answer. That answer was found in part by Cedar Rapids, IA, back in the early nineties with its Neighborhood Transportation Service (NTS). We studied this program as part of our Solutions for America initiative. In a nutshell, it is a van service that takes people to work on the third shift--often outside the city limits. We learned that factories are often off the bus line preventing people who need jobs most from even applying. The service also provided drop-offs to child care. This service essentially paid for itself through user fees and allowed a group of people access to jobs who wouldn't have otherwise. This is the kind of creative thinking that we will need as we hit this economic crisis head-on. Start thinking about what it will take families already living on the edge to keep ahead of the downturn. We have talked about food and transportation already this week. Tomorrow we will complete the list.