RTP Enables Commuters to Earn Money, Lend a Hand to Those in Need

Mark Descoteaux feels good about the money he earns while commuting to and from his job at Unum each day. But the father of three from Dayton feels even better about the good deed he is performing for someone in need.

Descoteaux is a participant in Regional Transportation Program's new Commuter Transit Network (CTN), a program aimed at tapping into the commuter hour to find rides for the elderly, the disabled and the economically disadvantaged throughout Cumberland County. These are people without a car or without a driver's license who need rides to medical appointments or jobs.

That's where someone like Descoteaux comes in.

"I really get enjoyment from helping somebody out," he said. "People can't work if they don't have transportation. I'm happy to provide it. I also get to know someone new. We talk over coffee on the way to work and just shoot the bull."

Descoteaux also gets a little extra money in his pocket - not a bad incentive with the high cost of gas.

The CTN matches commuters with residents in need of regular transportation along the same route at the same times. The drivers pick up assigned riders on the way to or from work, and are reimbursed 30 cents a mile for the distance they travel each day.

That can add up to $20 to $40 a week, depending on how far away the participants live, said Jon B. McNulty, executive director at Regional Transportation Program (RTP).

"We are trying to capture the commuter hour," McNulty said. "These are people who drive the same route every day and wouldn't mind doing something nice for someone and earning some extra money to boot. The Commuter Transit Network really marks a different way of looking at volunteer transportation in southern Maine."

McNulty estimated that 50 to 60 southern Maine residents presently could benefit from the CTN. He urges all interested commuters to become involved. CTN officials also are reaching out to area corporations and are available to make presentations about CTN to groups of employees as a way to attract commuters. For more information and/or to request a registration form, call RTP at 774-2666.

The CTN is a collaboration between RTP and two other transportation agencies, Peoples Regional Opportunity Program (PROP) and the York County Community Action Corp (YCCAC). The CTN is managed with the help of the Greater Portland Council of Government's (GPCOG) RideShare program.

The CTN actually is the brainchild of Chuck Baker, the director of services for RTP. To his dismay, Baker began to notice the dwindling ranks of volunteer drivers that RTP depended on in the past to provide rides to clients. The strong economy meant many of the volunteers, especially older people, were re-entering the workforce and were no longer unavailable. And the rising cost of gas didn't help much either.

Baker then came up with the idea of harnessing all those empty passenger seats going back and forth over the same route each day during the commuter hours.

RTP has long reimbursed drivers for gasoline and expenses, but had not aggressively gone after commuters or touted money as an incentive. Until now.

"These are people already going in that direction anyway," Baker said. "This program makes perfect sense from a transportation perspective and from a community service perspective. We envision that once we find matches here, they will be hooked up for weeks, even months. So it's well worth the effort."

Once a commuter registers, their route and schedule are entered into a database and matched to clients of RTP and the other agencies. A commuter could either provide a ride on the way to work, or on the way home. The reimbursement component is funded through a combination of federal and state sources targeted at the transportation of those in need.

Most of those who need transportation live away from public bus routes and can't or don't drive. Many are elderly or disabled. They need rides to sheltered workshops, counseling, regular medical appointments, work sites, training and other routine services.

Commuters who participate must have a clean driving record and a clean car. They must pass a background check and provide character references.

And as is the case with Descoteaux and others, they must have a big heart.

Presently, his 40-minute commute includes a stop in South Portland to pick up a 26-year-old man who works in an assembly plant near Unum in Portland. Descoteaux said his passenger and others with disabilities might not be able to work without transportation provided by CTN and RTP.

"I hope other people who commute will get involved and help out and volunteer, especially knowing that they can really make a difference in someone's life," Descoteaux said.

The familiar Regional Transportation Program vans and buses have been making a difference in the lives of countless Cumberland County residents for more than 24 years.

A United Way agency, RTP 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.

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 organization has recently 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, PROP volunteer drivers, METRO buses, the South Portland Bus Service, and the GPCOG's RideShare program.

RTP has also been instrumental in the Access to Jobs program to provide transportation to those transitioning from welfare to work, and the Clean Cities program by adding a propane vehicle to its fleet to help the environment. Other longtime programs of RTP's include the Senior Shopper's Express, a county-wide bus service, the ADAPT program which serves persons with disabilities in Portland, South Portland and Westbrook, and its volunteer driver program.

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