The McLean County Regional Planning Commission is looking for public input to help update a transportation plan that benefits vulnerable populations across central Illinois.
The Regional Human Services Transportation Plan was created to find ways to provide transportation services to people with various needs, said Jennifer Sicks, senior transportation planner at the McLean County Regional Planning Commission. The plan supports five counties: McLean, Ford, Livingston, Iroquois and Kankakee. The Regional Human Services Transportation Plan was last updated in 2015 based on a survey that was taken by the five counties.
With three of these being some of the largest counties geographically in Illinois, Sicks said the distance is a challenge.
“The more we learn about everybody and the more everyone can tell us about their experiences and what their needs are, the better the chances that we can design service and find ways of providing it that will reach them all,” Sicks said.
Another challenge in these counties are the rural populations. A public transportation service called Show Bus and other smaller agencies have been able to help. Even so, Sicks said resources such as funding and an adequate number of vehicles are hard to come by at times.
“Our vehicles are fully equipped for essentially paratransit,” Sicks said. “They have wheelchair lifts, securements for wheelchairs, and other features you wouldn’t find on an ordinary van or small bus. Those are in short supply now, and so we’re trying to find stopgaps.”
Sicks said the main improvements taken from the last survey in 2015 included a desire for stability in resources and a more consistent way for everyone to always find a ride.
Now, people are encouraged to take a new survey that will help update the Regional Human Services Transportation Plan after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Some agencies found themselves having to realign their goals and missions which are starting to creep back to normal, but it’s taking time,” Sicks said. “Because of the disruption that caused we’re finding new issues that need to be addressed, looked at, and studied more carefully.”
To make improvements to the plan after the survey responses are received, the McLean County Regional Planning Commission works with the Illinois Department of Transportation and other providers to work and come up with solutions to issues brought up in the survey.
Sicks hopes to get as many responses as they can get from the survey, which will be publicized heavily through social media and email.
