REMARKS FOR
THE HONORABLE NORMAN Y. MINETA
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION

COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
AWARDS DINNER
ST. LOUIS, MO

MAY 24, 2005
7:30 PM

Thank you, Charles, for that kind introduction.

And thank you all. I am overwhelmed by your very, very warm reception, and I am truly honored to have been chosen as this year’s recipient of the Aaron Henry Human Rights Award.

Aaron Henry was a towering figure in the modern civil rights movement. He devoted his life to tearing down the barriers that prevented people from participating fully in all that this great Nation has to offer. His inspirational story is one of a man who cared deeply, and who devoted his life to building bridges to make the promise of America real for every American.

That same empowering spirit permeates the work of the Community Transportation Association of America and the caring and committed men and women in this room.

For many in America, transportation is the missing link that keeps them from participating in the most basic of life activities that many of us so often take for granted. And because you have focused your energies and your talents on tearing down the barriers and bridging the divides, we are collectively addressing the tangled web of transportation service programs and connecting people to services, to jobs, to families, and to opportunities.

As all of you know so very well, there are literally hundreds of programs that offer transportation services – including 62 federal programs.

But, unfortunately, these transportation options come with a myriad of eligibility requirements, destination requirements, and billing requirements that vary by program – in other words, complexities that create barriers to their use.

We have created what I call a maze of good intentions. And the irony is that it leaves most people who need help with transportation confused and frustrated when they try to get an answer to the simple question, “How do I get a ride?”

The result is that many of those who need help the most – older adults who can no longer drive and may not live near public transportation, people with disabilities, people on limited incomes, and people in rural areas – are not being served.

Meanwhile, money is being wasted on inefficient and duplicative programs.

The National Academy of Sciences has estimated that over $700 million could be saved each year by coordinating transportation services.
But it is not always easy for government entities to look beyond their own specific agency and programs.

So, in February of 2004, President Bush issued an Executive Order on Human Service Transportation Coordination.

President Bush has a deep commitment to tearing down barriers and providing every American the opportunity to live a full and independent life. So his order says, in effect, that all of the federal agencies involved must work together to ensure that transportation services are seamless, comprehensive, and accessible.

I have the privilege of chairing this Interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility, which was created by the Executive Order to provide high-level focus on this challenge. Every member of the Council has developed an action plan that outlines key steps to simplify access, reduce duplication, and enhance cost effectiveness.

And I have to tell you that it has been exciting to see top leaders in the Bush Administration working hand in hand to untangle the Gordian knot of transportation service programs.

The vision is one-stop shopping, where a customer will need to call only one number for a ride, regardless of where they are going or which agency will provide the funding. Technology can help us get there, but first we have to clear out some of the weeds that get in the way of the common-sense approaches that communities want to pursue.

That is why, today, I am proud to announce the release of our Report to the President on Human Service Transportation Coordination.
There are five key recommendations in the report, which I will outline briefly.

The first is Coordinated Transportation Planning – having grantees of the various federal programs sit down together and collectively plan how to address community human service transportation needs.

The second recommendation concerns vehicle sharing – making it easier to use the same vehicles for more than one federally supported transportation program, in order to reduce duplicative services and make more productive use of vehicles and drivers.

Similarly, the third recommendation will encourage sharing of resources and services for transportation by developing standard cost allocation procedures for federal agencies to use.

Fourth, to allow communities to test new approaches that consolidate resources, the report recommends a new demonstration program where the various federal funding streams could be used to set up a single transportation system.

And the final recommendation concerns developing a method to track and evaluate the progress of our coordination efforts.
The report is available on our website, www.unitedweride.gov, and copies also are available in the back of the room.

While you are there, I hope that those of you who are service providers will also pick up the brochures on the new prescription drug program established by the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003.
 
This new program, which will go into effect on January 6, 2006, can benefit many of your customers who have been struggling with high medication costs.
You can help spread the word about it and educate the people who you serve on how they can receive help paying for costly medication.

Effective service delivery, whether it is transportation or health care, is all about coordination and working outside of the silos to make sure that people are getting the help that they need. Based on your relationship and interest in caring for your customers, you may be in the best position to help assist them in understanding their options, and this information is intended to help you do that.

Sorting out service programs, especially with regard to transportation, is somewhat akin to putting together a ten thousand piece jigsaw puzzle in 3D.
It is a complex job. And it will take all of us, working together at the federal, state, and local levels, to ensure a comprehensive approach to coordinated transportation.

There are some true heroes in the effort, beginning with Jenna Dorn.

As Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration, Jenna has been a driving force behind the work of the Coordinating Council, and in the success of United We Ride, our nationwide initiative to help community leaders to find common-sense solutions to transportation problems.

We also have several representatives and co-chairs of the workgroups for the Coordinating Council with us tonight, and I especially want to thank our partners from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor.

Also, although it would take too much time to detail all of the ways that the Community Transportation Association of America has contributed to transportation coordination, I would like to thank you once again for your invaluable work.

The successes that we celebrate tonight are very much your successes as well.

This evening, we honor the best of the best – five local communities that are leading the way with common-sense approaches to serving those who need help with transportation.

They are using technology; they are smashing the silos; they are providing a network of transportation services that are easy to access and convenient to use.

These programs are well known in their states, and each of them has been nominated by their Governor for well-deserved national recognition.

And so, on behalf of President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and the American people, congratulations to each of you! Your stories of building bridges to coordinate services are an inspiration to us all. And I look forward to seeing many future successes as we progress toward a more seamless, comprehensive, and accessible transportation network for all Americans.

And I am so honored to accept the Aaron Henry Human Rights Award on your behalf, because of all the great work that all of you do.
Travel safely. May God bless you all. And may God continue to bless the United States of America.

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