RTP Board Adds Barter, Ferketic, Moulton and Elects New Officers

The board of directors at Regional Transportation Program (RTP), a United Way agency that provides door-to-door transportation in towns throughout Cumberland County, has elected a new slate of officers for 2001 and expanded its membership.

The officers for 2001 are: President - Eileen Kalikow, Cape Elizabeth, owner/director of Vocational Resources; Vice President - C. Joseph Wolverton Jr., Scarborough, a CPA at Macdonald Page Schatz Fletcher & Co.; Treasurer - Daryl Wentworth, Gorham, a vice president at Citizens Bank; Clerk - Beverly Spaulding of Bowdoinham, retired.

Three new board positions also were filled by the appointment of John A. Ferketic of Scarborough, Merrill E. Barter of Portland and Nathan E. Moulton of Windham.

"Each of these three new board members brings with them a wealth of experience and a level of expertise that will benefit this agency in very specific ways," said RTP Board President Eileen Kalikow. "We are pleased to have them on board and look forward to their contributions."

John A. Ferketic of Scarborough is the Director of Applied GeoSpatial Solutions at DeLorme in Yarmouth. He is a member of the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association and the GeoSpatial Information Technologies Association.

Ferketic is a 1979 graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Penn., and holds a master's in geography from the same institution.

Merrill E. Barter of Portland is a tax manager at Baker, Newman & Noyes, LLC, in Portland. He also serves as a board member for the Iris Network. A Certified Public Accountant, Barter is a member of the AICPA and the Maine Society of CPA.

Barter is a 1989 graduate of Husson College in Bangor and holds a master's in taxation from Thomas College in Waterville. Originally from Boothbay Harbor, Barter is a 1985 graduate of Boothbay Region High School.

Nathan E. Moulton of Windham is the deputy director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority in Portland and is currently working on the Portland-to-Boston Passenger Rail Project. Moulton has nine years in transportation, including eight years with the Mass Transportation Section of the Maine Department of Transportation.

Moulton is a 1987 graduate of the University of Maine. A native of Hiram, he is a 1983 graduate of Sacopee Valley High School.

Established in 1976, RTP is a United Way agency that provides door-to-door transportation to the elderly, social service agency clients, the economically disadvantaged and persons with disabilities in Cumberland County.

With a fleet of 29 buses and vans, all lift equipped, and a volunteer program that involves more than 50 drivers, RTP serves more than 4,500 people countywide, providing about 1,000 rides a day to people who need to get to medical appointments, grocery shopping, work and other necessary services. RTP has more than 16 different routes and schedules door-to-door pick-ups on a daily basis. The agency employs about 43 persons, 31 of whom are certified drivers.

The organization has launched a number of innovative programs to serve its local residents, including "Rider's Choice," which allows area residents to call one telephone number, 774-2666, and be matched to the appropriate transportation provider, including RTP buses and vans, METRO buses, the South Portland Bus Service, and the GPCOG's RideShare program.

RTP is governed by a board of volunteer directors. The agency's executive director is Jon B. McNulty, who was appointed in 1995. Located at 127 St. John St., RTP serves more than 26 towns in the county, including Portland, South Portland, Scarborough, Cape Elizabeth, Westbrook, Gorham, Falmouth, Yarmouth, Freeport, Windham, Standish, Casco, Bridgton and others.

The following is a more detailed list of RTP's transportation programs and services:

Bus Service: RTP operates 29 vehicles in Cumberland County, serving Portland area daily service and other municipalities on a weekly basis. Trips are scheduled by calling the RTP dispatchers the day before the ride is needed. The majority of the rides are needed for medical appointments; however, RTP also provides day care, employment and social service transportation to those who qualify. The buses are equipped with hydraulic wheelchair lifts and service is funded by a variety of federal, state and local service contracts and grants.

Volunteer Driver Program: RTP has an extensive volunteer program to provide DHS protected clients and Medicaid recipients with transportation primarily to and from medical care. The more than 50 volunteer drivers meet the same qualifications as RTP staff drivers and provide services on evenings and weekends in addition to during the week. They volunteer their time, but are reimbursed for mileage. A "family and friends" program has also been organized to encourage friends and family members to drive those in need to and from appointments.

ADA Complementary Paratransit Service (ADAPT): Provided under contract with the Cities of Portland, South Portland and Westbrook, this program provides disabled persons who cannot use Metro or South Portland bus service with wheelchair accessible transportation.

Other programs include Senior Shoppers Express, Non-Emergency Medical Transportation, County-Wide Bus Service, and the BIW Shuttle.

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