{"id":405053,"date":"2026-09-20T01:44:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-20T01:44:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/405053\/"},"modified":"2026-09-20T01:44:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T01:44:09","slug":"local-transportation-service-stops-after-funding-cut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/405053\/","title":{"rendered":"Local transportation service stops after funding cut"},"content":{"rendered":"

NORTHEAST TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) \u2014 The end of a Tallahassee transportation service for people with disabilities is leaving some riders struggling to get to work and live more independently, after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed $6 million<\/a> (line item 2054-1 on page 13) in state funding for the program that supported it.<\/p>\n

WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:<\/p>\n

Local transportation service stops after funding cut<\/p>\n

iEnable <\/a>provided affordable door-to-door rides for people with disabilities with a 15-minute pickup window. <\/p>\n

The service was supported through the Innovative Service Development Grant Program, but after DeSantis vetoed $6 million for that program in this year’s state budget, i-Enable’s transportation service ended July 1.<\/p>\n

For riders like Matt Blair, finding another option hasn’t always been easy.<\/p>\n

“I was really upset. I was really mad,” Blair said.<\/p>\n

Blair says the alternatives don’t always meet his needs as someone who relies on transportation to get to work.<\/p>\n

“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,” Blair said.<\/p>\n

Blair says iEnable\u2019s 15-minute pickup window made his commute much more predictable than the waits he experiences with other services.<\/p>\n

Another rider, Walker Bullington, says other options can also come with a higher price.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

Blair says the cost of alternatives is a burden for people with disabilities.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

Amanda Lewis, a co-owner of Future Pathways, a Tallahassee organization helping people with disabilities find jobs and build independence, said losing iEnable has created new challenges for some of her clients.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

I reached out to iEnable for a response to the funding cut and the impact on people who relied on the service. The organization provided a written statement saying in part:<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

Riders said they hope iEnable will return, or that another affordable and reliable transportation option will become available through state funding, because for some, getting to work depends on having a ride that fits their needs and their schedules.<\/p>\n

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.<\/p>\n

Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website. <\/a><\/p>\n

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