RTP Calls For Help During Energy Crisis

Rising fuel costs are impacting the organization, which provides rides to the elderly, social service clients and others in need

Regional Transportation Program (RTP), a Portland-based non-profit organization that provides door-to-door rides to senior citizens and those in need throughout Cumberland County, has called on the Maine congressional delegation and President Bush to do something to help community transportation providers like RTP who are being hit hard with rising gas prices.

"If we don't get some kind of help - either in the form of increased Medicaid reimbursements for mileage for our volunteer drivers, or a break on fuel prices - we could be in a very precarious position by summer," said Jon McNulty, executive director of RTP. "Add to that the fact that our demand has increased sharply as more people turn to us for rides, and you have a situation where we may not be able to help them all."

[NOTE to Media - Jon McNulty is available for TV, print or radio interviews on this issue. Call Beryl Wolfe or Dana Slone to set up at Wolfe PR, 775-5115. Thank you.]

Specifically, RTP and other community transportation providers throughout Maine and the U.S. through their national organization, the Community Transportation Association of America, are asking Congress and the Bush administration to "rectify misguided energy policies, provide energy financial assistance to public and community transportation and deliver new incentives to advance alternative transportation to the automobiles." McNulty and the RTP board of directors are also calling for Congress to allow for Medicare reimbursement of non-emergency transportation.

McNulty said RTP, in addition to a fleet of 34 lift-equipped buses and vans, has about 60 volunteer drivers who are reimbursed by Medicaid at 30 cents a mile, the same rate since 1996. In addition, McNulty said he is urging Maine's congressional delegation to pass legislation that would allow Medicare to help pay for non-emergency transportation.

"Clearly, Medicaid needs to increase its volunteer mileage reimbursement rate or we will be hurt," McNulty said. In addition, other commuter programs will be affected, he said, unless more funding is given to organizations like RTP at the state and federal level.

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. 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.

The organization has launched a number of innovative programs to serve local residents in recent years, including a centralized referral line called Rider's Choice, a Commuter Transit Network that matches commuters with people who need rides, an Access to Jobs program to help people transition from welfare to work, and a BIW commuter shuttle.

Other longtime RTP programs include Shopper's Express, the County-wide bus service, door to door rides through volunteer drivers and ADAPT, which helps persons with disabilities ride public transportation in Portland, South Portland and Westbrook.

Located at 127 St. John St., RTP serves residents of 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.

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