Archive: Around Town

The Lansing Older Adult Program (LOAP) has provided rides for Lansing elders since 1975.  Connie Wilcox, who serves as the Town's liaison to Woodsedge Apartments, told the Lansing Town Board Wednesday that the future of the LOAP van is uncertain.  Keeping the program going will mean meeting a double-whammy of challenges.  On the one hand, with the current dispatcher resigning there are too few volunteers left to dispatch and drive the van, and on the other the van is reaching the point where it will soon need to be replaced.

"All the previous dispatchers are deceased and also the longest serving van drivers," Wilcox said.  "At this point in time there are only four volunteers left.  When two leave to go to Florida that brings it down to two, one of whom travels in the winter as well."

Barbara Bills has been the volunteer dispatcher for the LOAP van for many years.  Wilcox said that Bills, now retired, plans to travel with her husband, so will not be able to continue in her role as dispatcher.  Bills also resigned from the Lansing Housing Authority (LHA) Board on which she served for 15 years.  Monday she told Wilcox that she would no be able to volunteer for the program.

Bills told Wilcox she thinks one impediment to recruiting volunteer drivers is a required physical examination.  But Wilcox noted the physical is a state Department Of Transportation (DOT) requirement, not something the Town controls.  In addition they are subject to drug testing at any time.  Wilcox said that it is simply hard to find volunteers now because everyone has such busy schedules.

In 2013 the Town Board asked for information on how viable the van was.  They were provided with its maintenance and usage history.  That report stated that in 2002 it only had 35,000 miles on it, illustrating that it is not used very much.  Wilcox noted that when you don't use a vehicle it goes downhill.  She said the van has been out of service a lot, is rusting out, and is not handicapped accessible or big enough to convert so that it would be.

"Last year they had to replace the exhaust system, which was $1,700," Wilcox said.  "They've had to replace the intake manifold gaskets.  There have been a lot of repairs to it."

Wilcox was perplexed by the issue of who is responsible for running the van program.  She said LOAP was formed by members of the Lansing United Methodist Church.  They approached the Town Board to name a Lansing Housing Authority.  Bob Baker, who was influential in getting Woodsedge built, was the first LHA chair.  The first van was purchased with revenue sharing funds.  While the Town owns, maintains and insures the van, the use of it has continued to be managed by volunteers under the purview of LOAP.  Wilcox noted that the Town has not historically had the responsibility to run the program.  She noted that with Bills out of the picture, only two drivers are left.  She said it is hard to get volunteers, and that responsibility should fall to LOAP.

"Barbara seems to feel that the Town is responsible for this transportation," Wilcox said.  "It's all on a volunteer basis.   As you all know, it's very hard to get volunteers for any organization right now.  As an example, about a decade ago it was no longer feasible to operate an ambulance out of Lansing Volunteer Fire Department because there just weren't enough volunteers to cover it.  The State put in new mandates.  There was a lot of grumbling at the time, but it all worked out for the best because it took some of the burden off the volunteers who could still be first-responders.  And they were able to provide a professional service with Bangs Ambulance."

Wilcox said she had also looked into current usage.  Elders can sign up for a trip to the Lansing Market on Tuesdays.  Some residents sign up to be taken to the Lansing Food pantry, but the van is still not used much.  It was used 11 times in January, six times in February, 11 times in March, 10 times in April, six times in May, nine times in June and six in July.  Councilman Robert Cree asked whether those numbers represented trips or riders, and Wilcox said she would need to further research the issue.

Wilcox wasn't ready to say the LOAP van should be eliminated, but did note that Gadabout offers a similar service to older and disabled residents of Tompkins County, including Lansing elders.  She said that most Woodsedge residents own cars, and suggested that those who don't could get rides from their neighbors or use the Gadabout service if the LOAP van is discontinued.

"Gadabout comes out here a lot and takes people for appointments and things like that," she said.  "That's a great alternative.  You just have to schedule it."

Gadabout is a nonprofit transportation service for older and disabled residents of Tompkins County.  While it is run through Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit, Inc. (TCAT) it is also manned, at least in part, by volunteers.  Gadabout services are available Monday – Friday from 8:00am – 4:00pm, by making an appointment at least two days in advance.

Miller also asked Wilcox to get more information from gadabout about the scope of their service in Lansing.  Wilcox said she also plans to confer with David Stoyell at the Tompkins County Office For The Aging.

"I feel really badly about this whole situation," Wilcox told the Board. "I would like to ask you to give me until next month's meeting to do more research so I can have some better figures on what exactly is going on."

She said she will report again at the September 16th Town Board meeting.
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