I am starting this petition in order to secure additional federal funding for paratransit services in California to include weekend service because the disabled population may not have the opportunity to afford private shuttle services, this includes the elderly & veterans. A rainy day fund should be created and set aside so that public bus companies who offer paratransit services to the disabled will continue to do so even in times of financial uncertainty.
Why is this important?
I have been personally affected by this issue because I am a disabled woman who relies on my local paratransit service SunDial for my job, medical appointments, and social activities. Due to low ridership and limited funding, Sunline Transit Agency, the company that operates SunDial, has had to do away with and reroute lines to emulate the regular Sunline lines for fixed routes. This greatly affects the local disabled population in the Coachella Valley. There is a 90-day grace period from January 7th, 2018 to April 7th, 2018 for my local disabled community to find alternative modes of transportation when SunDial is not in operation, A rainy day fund would prevent this from happening in the future.
Nicole Roeder
