SAC MIN 2001-11-08 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Senior Affairs Commission Page 2 Minutes of Thursday,November 8,2001 His focus has been with commute traffic on highways and working with employers trying to ease traffic congestion at peak commute hours. Transportation Authority funds have all been channeled in that direction as well. He is willing and interested in working on a residential/community shuttle service for Redwood City but has not had direct experience with such a project. He recommends trying to find funds outside of the Transportation Authority and presenting the need, in numbers, to City Council. First step would be to determine what the shuttle is to provide to citizens and where it is to go. The number of people served by a shuttle must be sufficient to justify the expense of the service. Lack of mobility, to access services already in place, may provide credibility to the need of a shuttle. A large and diverse constituency of riders provides a strong impact to the proposal. Fuel conservation and air quality may be features to highlight as well as transportation to preventive care medical appointments being less expensive than acute care costs due to lack of routine care. Fiscal issues can be major factor in such decisions. If funds can be obtained from outside sources the City could be asked to match those funds. Research is needed to determine ridership, destinations and for funding sources of such a project. Cards requesting information about citizens' transportation needs, identifying locations, times and number of riders could be distributed and collected at public sites in collaboration with various local groups working together as a transportation coalition. Commissioner M. Walsh will contact Councilperson Diane Howard to see what specific facts Council may need. Manager Griffith asked Mr. Nelson to facilitate future transportation focus groups to which he agreed. ITEM 2 - COMMITTEE WORKPLAN UPDATES -Transportation Manager Griffith reviewed the "Transportation Meeting Follow-up" in the November 2001 Senior Services News Flash noting that much of what Mr. Nelson recommended was addressed in the recent meeting about the 10 year Strategic Plan for Accessible Transportation Services. Chairperson Harrison will invite Marianne Mannia to address the Senior Affairs Commission about transportation issues at the January 10th meeting as requested by Commissioner M. Walsh. Fair Oaks Community Center, Veterans Memorial Senior Center and all Parks buildings will have transportation needs cards available to public. -Housing Commissioner Borgens reported attending a City meeting recently in which the General Plan did not yet reflect the need for low income Senior housing, though it has been expressed several times. She was urged to continue stating the needs of Seniors and was reassured that those needs would be heard.