A transportation pilot project funded by the Ministry of Transportation will operate along the Highway 17 corridor and connect riders from Mattawa to the City of North Bay and points in between says a news release from Nipissing Travellink.
A lack of transportation in some areas has long been recognized as a barrier to employment in the Nipissing District.
Collaboration by the Employment Services Table, representing over 20 employment-related organizations in the District, resulted in a $100,000 grant for community transportation.
Together, with the Township of Papineau-Cameron, a Request for Proposal has been developed to move the Community Transportation project forward.
The transportation project could be in place in September.
The District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board is among one of the many organizations that were able to secure the grant for the project.
“This is an outstanding example of how various community partners have worked together to address a need that falls out of any specific jurisdiction, yet have made something positive happen through collaboration,” says DNSSAB Chair Mark King.
This project will capitalize on resources that currently exist in the community and encourage collaboration in centralized functions, sharing/pooling of resources or programs with partner agencies, and joint procurement.
The information and data obtained through this pilot program will be used to evaluate and confirm the transportation need, and determine whether to continue the program beyond the pilot period, and/or expand transportation services on a regular basis. Although high-level transportation needs exists, it will be necessary to evaluate the need quantitatively and confirm the business case for a permanent community transportation program.
