MassDevelopment, in partnership with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), has awarded Mystic Valley Elder Services (MVES) $50,000 in funding to help the agency increase its transportation service capacity through contracts with taxi & livery companies. The funding is through the Taxi, Livery, and Hackney Transportation Partnerships Grant Program, an operational subsidy program aimed at expanding transportation service capacity through contracts with licensed taxi or livery businesses.
MVES will use this award to contract with Malden Taxi and Suburban Taxi to facilitate transportation to medical appointments and grocery stores for seniors and adults living with disabilities who are isolated in their communities. It will also help MVES’ Vaccine Transportation Program which provided free transportation to COIVD-19 vaccine location to individuals age 60 and over.
“Transportation can be a big challenge for older adults and adults living with disabilities who want to maintain a heathy, active life. Accessible transportation services are vital for enabling older adults to live independently,” explains Lauren Reid, Director of Community Programs at MVES. “Our transportation experts are here to help you craft a transportation plan to fit your needs. We can make sure you get to your appointments and remain connected to your friends and community.”
MVES provides assistance in accessing community transportation resources that are provided by Councils on Aging, the MBTA’s The RIDE, and through providers that MVES directly contracts with including taxi services. In addition, MVES can help people access services through the MassHealth program along with other local resources. The transportation department can also schedule transportation to medical appointments for consumers enrolled in our various state funded homecare programs who require assistance.
MassDevelopment and MACP awarded $2,543,883 in funding to 47 cities and towns, municipal agencies, regional transit authorities, nonprofits, and health and human service providers through the Taxi, Livery, and Hackney Transportation Partnerships Grant Program. Administered by MAPC, these grants will help communities supplement existing transportation options, create new programs to transport individuals to work, grocery stores, non-emergency medical appointments, and other destinations, and facilitate delivery of essential supplies such as food and medicine to residents in need. The Taxi, Livery, and Hackney Transportation Partnerships Grant Program is funded by MassDevelopment’s allocation from the Commonwealth’s Transportation Infrastructure Enhancement Trust Fund.
To learn more about MVES transportation services, please call us at 781-324-7705 or visit www.mves.org