Mobility Management!
What in the driving Miss Daisy is mobility management? Driving Miss Daisy, starring Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy, was directed by
Bruce Beresford and released in 1989. This movie came to mind after trying to
figure out the best practice needed to effectively serve clients who need
transportation assistance. According to the National Center for Mobility
Management, mobility management is defined in the following statements.
“In short: Mobility management
can be broadly defined as creating and managing mobility options, at both the
systemic and system-to-customer levels, to improve the reach, efficiency, and
affordability of public transportation services.
A bit longer explanation: Mobility management is
an approach to designing and delivering transportation services that starts and
ends with the customer. It begins with a community vision in which the entire
transportation network—public transit, private operators, cycling and walking,
volunteer drivers, and others—works together with customers, planners, and
stakeholders to deliver the transportation options that best meet the
community's needs.” -
https://nationalcenterformobilitymanagement.org/for-mobility-managers/
How does mobility management fit into Information and
Referral services?
Referring a client to a senior center in their area to
schedule transportation assistance was easy. Referring a client to public
transportation or other wheelchair associable providers was not a problem. Providing
a client eligibility requirements for a free or reduced fare bus ride on Metro
Transit is a walk in the park. For the
most I & R staff the above we can do with our eyes closed.
It was assisting clients with rides directly that brought a
level of uncertainty. Scheduling rides using a third party transportation
providers dashboard was challenging. Explaining to an older adult who doesn’t
own a smart phone that they will receive a text. Even if they have a smart
phone trying to talk them through downloading a transportation app and how to
access their text messages. For the past 6 months mobility management has felt
like a scene from driving Miss Daisy.
If Hoke Colburn, Morgan Freeman’s character was a LYFT
driver in the film comes to mind with every request. In one of my favorite
scenes Hoke is taking Miss Daisy on a trip, he allows her to give direction from
the back seat because she has the map. They get lost and Miss Daisy blames Hoke
for the error.
He says to Miss Daisy, “Well, now, you took it (the trip) with me,
Miss Daisy, and you got the map.”
I found the following blogs helpful:
Part 1
https://www.nadtc.org/news/blog/transportation-information-and-assistance-an-introduction/
https://www.nadtc.org/news/blog/what-does-information-referral-mean-to-mobility-management/
Article by: Jamie R. Saunders, MSW
