For some Tallahassee residents with disabilities, getting to work has become significantly more difficult after the shuttering of i-Enable, a ride service for the Florida capital that offered a low-cost, door-to-door option with pickups within 15 minutes.
Here’s what to know
According to WTXL, after Gov. Ron DeSantis cut $6 million in state support for the Innovative Service Development Grant Program, i-Enable ended its transportation program on July 1.
A 15-minute pickup window had made commuting more predictable for riders with disabilities who used i-Enable.
Rider Matt Blair said the service’s loss hit him hard.
“I was really upset. I was really mad,” Blair said.
Blair said the replacement options have been less dependable for getting him to work on time.
“With Dial-A-Ride or StarMetro they’re always late, and I can’t be late for work. Like for example, one day I was late for work on a Sunday. I almost got in trouble with my boss out that Sunday,” he said.
Another rider, Walker Bullington, said the closure has left him paying more out of pocket at times, especially when public transit is not available.
“Especially on a Sunday morning when StarMetro doesn’t run till 10:30, and it’s like my Uber ride yesterday was like $37,” Bullington said.
“That’s the issue. Ubers are really expensive. Why so expensive? Like for people, especially people with disabilities like us, like they should be for free,” Blair said.
More background
According to Amanda Lewis, a co-owner of Future Pathways, the loss of i-Enable has added transportation difficulties for some clients, WTXL reported. Future Pathways is a Tallahassee organization that helps people with disabilities find jobs and build independence.
“Some of the difficulties have been just learning a new program like Dial-A-Ride. So they had to go through an application, that took a while. So some of them had a gap in transportation, and I mean they have jobs in the community. So if their parents are working all day every day, how are they going to get to and from work?” Lewis said.
In a written statement, i-Enable said in part: “Through our experience with the Innovation and Service Development Grant, i-Enable has seen firsthand that Florida and some of its most vulnerable residents would benefit from a secondary transportation option specifically designed to meet the unique transportation needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
Where can I learn more?
These stories explore transportation access issues similar to the ones Tallahassee riders are dealing with now that i-Enable has shut down. They cover transit design problems, car dependence, and lower-cost fare programs.
• In Los Angeles, riders say rail lines remain too disconnected for transit to work well.
• Across the U.S., rankings show unwalkable neighborhoods leave residents dependent on cars for everyday trips.
• In Seoul, the new Climate Pass lets residents commute more cheaply on public transit.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.