NEW HANOVER COUNTY — On Tuesday, the North Carolina Department of Transportation announced it would fund 16 projects across the state, including what it called a consolidation of Wave Transit and New Hanover County’s services.
According to the state agency, the consolidation is a collaborative effort between the county and Wave to provide long-distance, non-emergency medical transportation. The funds acquired through the grant, totalling almost $400,000, will be used to purchase the necessary equipment and vehicles to see the project through. This includes the acquisition of a fuel-efficient, Americans with Disabilities Act compliant paratransit vehicle.
“Existing transportation services are primarily limited to destinations within New Hanover County and are operated using vehicles that are not well suited for extended travel,” NCDOT spokesperson Athena Stanfield wrote to Port City Daily. “As a result, many residents face significant barriers when traveling to specialized medical providers located elsewhere in North Carolina.”
The proposal will provide transportation to major healthcare destinations and facilities in Wake, Orange, Durham, Mecklenburg, Brunswick and Onslow counties. Services will be consolidated into a coordinated transportation model in an effort to improve operational efficiency.
In addition to purchasing the ADA compliant van to replace outdated and less accessible vehicles, the grant will also go towards annual operating expenses, driver service hours, and radio communication costs.
“By modernizing the fleet and expanding service capacity, this project will increase access to essential healthcare services for residents who might otherwise be unable to obtain the specialized medical care they need,” Stanfield said.
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