A Starkville transit service that provided medical transportation to citizens will be discontinued after a shift in city funding.
The transportation service, provided through the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District (GTPDD), aimed to provide transportation “to the vulnerable, older adults in the city of Starkville.”
The service prioritized transportation to citizens with medical appointments, and many of the riders used the service to travel back and forth from kidney dialysis appointments throughout the week. The GTPDD used one vehicle five days per week for the transportation service.
The city decreased GTPDD funding, in part, to fund separate transportation services provided through SMART bus and paratransit services. City officials claim SMART services provide a broader service to Starkville citizens.
Although the GTPDD service cut has not been directly communicated to city officials, the GTPDD recently told specific Starkville citizens they discontinued the medical transportation service via mail.
GTPDD Executive Director Rudy Johnson said the decision to cut the service came after the decrease in city funding.
“The reason we’re going to stop is because we got a cut,” Johnson said. “We can’t afford to operate the transportation anymore.”
“We don’t provide transportation in other cities and counties unless they participate in giving us a match,” Johnson added.
After receiving $42,065 in federal grant funds and $75 in income, the GTPDD requested the city fund the remaining $32,500 of their total costs of $72,640. However, Starkville only provided $16,250 in funding after choosing to provide a $50,000 cash contribution to SMART services for the first time.
Ward 2 Alderman and Budget Chair Sandra Sistrunk said Starkville aimed to cover direct GTPDD transportation costs with its GTPDD contribution.
“We did not fully eliminate funding to them, but we did reduce it to direct costs,” Sistrunk said. “What we were doing was reducing the amount we gave them to just the direct cost of their program. We were not going to fund the indirect or overhead cost as- sociated with the program.”
“We also felt a commitment to the SMART system,” Sistrunk added. “Which provides similar services and expanded service through ridership programs.”
OTHER TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS
Sistrunk’s main concern with the GTPDD letter sent to Starkville citizens was the lack of information about other Starkville transit options for the former GTPDD clients.
“My concerns are that people are not aware that they have other options,” Sistrunk said. “From what I understand, the letter did go out to this ridership, but they gave them no other alternatives, but there are a couple of other options for them.”
Sistrunk said one option to the former GTPDD ridership would be applying to SMART’s paratransit services.
Sistrunk said another transportation option may be provided through Medicaid coverage.
“A lot of those patients are going to be Medicaid eligible,” Sistrunk said. “Not for all Medicaid patients, but for some Medicaid patients, there is a Medicaid transportation service.”
“So those are two good options,” Sistrunk added.
Sistrunk also recommended any former GTPDD riders contact the agency where they are receiving their medical care. The medical agency will more than likely have a social worker who can walk them through the resources available to them through the agency.
“The city makes business decisions, and the Golden Triangle makes business decisions, and I’m disappointed (GTPDD) is not going to continue the services,” Sistrunk said.