A renewed effort to provide a form of public transportation for Rappahannock County residents is in the works.
The Regional Transportation Collaborative (RTC) of the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission is applying for a grant that, if funded, would provide $100,000 to launch a pilot project in the county.
The initiative would involve contracting with a private transportation company to provide pre-scheduled rides to medical treatments and other appointments. It would supplement the volunteer driver programs currently offered by Rapp at Home, Care-A-Van and VolTran, according to RTC Mobility Manager Kristin Lam Peraza.
“Even with those volunteer drivers, we still have more requests than we’re able to fulfill,” said Peraza. She pointed out that volunteer drivers can choose not to accept trips that involve traveling long distances or include a lengthy medical procedure for the rider. Contracted drivers with a private company wouldn’t have that option.
Rappahannock presents a unique transportation challenge because of both its size and its lack of medical services and retail options. That’s particularly problematic in a community with an aging population and a growing number of residents who can no longer drive.
County officials have been wary of funding public transit because of the potential cost for what could be limited ridership. “Rappahannock has a healthy fear of growth and changes,” Peraza acknowledged. “And that’s understandable.
Twenty years ago, the county briefly had a bus service called the Rappahannock Express. But with its funding commitment scheduled to eventually increase to $20,000 a year, the Board of Supervisors voted to pull the plug after six months due to what was seen as low ridership.
“The board decided as a group that it was a long enough trial period and that our tax dollars weren’t being spent wisely,” Jackson Supervisor Ron Frazier said in the past of the now-defunct service.
More recently, Peraza said she discussed with Rappahannock County Public Schools officials the possibility of contracting with the district’s bus drivers to take on paid rides in their off hours. But that plan was dropped because it was seen as potentially creating competition for the drivers’ time, and could limit their availability for field trips and other special events.
According to Peraza, the RTC’s Mobility Center currently provides transportation information and referrals to about 200 Rappahannock residents a year. About half are elderly and half are people with disabilities.
The cost of the pilot project would be covered by the grant. Half of the funding would subsidize the cost of the rides so they could be free or require only a nominal charge. The other half would go to the purchase of a passenger vehicle for the contractor, which, Peraza noted, would be less expensive than a commercial one.
“We’ve included that in the proposal to incentivize a provider to go into the county,” she said. “Otherwise, there’s not a lot of incentive for one of these companies to expand into Rappahannock.” As proposed, the ride service would operate five days a week.
The pilot project is part of a larger grant application to the state’s Department of Rail and Public Transportation. Peraza said a decision on the grant won’t be made until June. If funded, the service would likely launch in October. It would operate through September, 2024, at which time its effectiveness and use would be evaluated.
