The Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission (RVARC) and the Roanoke Valley Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (RVAMPO) participate in a range of transportation planning and community development activities related to elderly and disabled mobility.

Planning for Elderly and Disabled Mobility (Roanoke Valley Area MPO, 2005)

Demographic Profile of the Roanoke Valley Area (Roanoke Valley Area MPO, 2005)

Report to the Community On Senior Citizen Issues (Council of Community Services, Senior Citizens Task Force, March 2005)

The Community Transportation Mobility Project is being lead by the New River Valley Planning District Commission, the Blacksburg/Christiansburg Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission, the Roanoke Valley Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.

Valley Metro serves the Greater Roanoke Valley and provides a discounted fare for the elderly and disabled. The Valley Metro connects the Campbell Court Bus Station to Valley View Mall, Crossroads Mall, Tanglewood Mall, Vinton, Southeast Roanoke, Brambleton and Red Rock, Peters Creek Road, Carlton and Grandin, Lewis Gale Hospital, Veterans Hospital, and Goodwill Salem. They also have a line that goes between Goodwill Salem and the Veterans Hospital. The Valley Metro operates Monday through Saturday from 5:45 a.m. to 8:45 p.m.

RADAR is a non-profit organization that provides transportation services to physically and mentally disabled or transportation disadvantaged individuals. RADAR's transit system includes three different services. Valley Metro's S.T.A.R. Services, for disabled individuals that are unable to ride on a Valley Metro bus, operates Monday through Saturday from 5:45 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. Fare is $2.50 and monthly passes are available. CORTRAN for the Greater Roanoke Valley, and operates Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for $3.50 in fare. The Mountain Express to service the citizens of Covington and Clifton Forge for a fare of $0.50 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

2-1-1 Virginia is available to citizens of Southwest Virginia. This service provides information on health and human services, as well as information on elderly programs.

Senior Citizen Coordinating Council (formerly the Senior Citizens Task Force) works to address the needs of elders leaving outside of nursing facilities. The Senior Citizens Coordinating Council also houses the Partnership for Employed Caregivers.

LOA Area Agency on Aging serves Alleghany, Botetourt, Craig, and Roanoke Counties, and the cities of Covington, Roanoke, and Salem. LOA's services include In-Home Services, Elder Rights, Critical Assistance, Life Enhancing Activities, Consumer Services, and Family Caregiver Support Services. LOA also sponsors Vital Services Transportation for individuals 60 or older, with low incomes who need transportation to a doctor, to the pharmacy, grocery store or other critical appointment. Transportation is provided by volunteers, taxis, or van service. For more information, call 540-345-0451.

Blue Ridge Independent Living Center offers a variety of services to assist people with disabilities to live independently. The Center also serves the community at large by helping to create an environment that is accessible to all. The BRILC is located at 1502 B Williamson Road NE, Roanoke, VA 24012. Phone: 540-342-1231.

SeniorNavigator provides a range of services and information for seniors in Virginia. They provide information on health, legal and financial issues, housing and long-term care, and aging well.

Carilion Center for Healthy Aging (CCHA) has a team that specializes in elderly adult care. For more information, call 540-981-7653.

Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), a program of the Council of Community Services, provides information and location opportunities for volunteering in the community.

Aging Americans: Stranded Without Options (Surface Transportation Policy Project, April 2004)

The Virginia State Plan for Aging Services (Virginia Department for the Aging)

Best Practices in Service Delivery to the Rural Elderly (West Virginia University Center on Aging, March 2003)

Biennial Assessment of the Disability Services System in Virginia (Virginia Board for People with Disabilities, April 2006) A hardcopy is also available in the RVARC Library.

Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU)

Virginia Board for People with Disabilities wants to provide a voice for people with disabilities and enrich their lives. VBPD serves as Virginia’s Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, and they develop policies, services, and programs for people with disabilities.

The Urban Institute contains publications and research on seniors.

U.S. Administration on Aging includes information for elders, their families, and professionals. The site has AoA news, an eldercare locator, aging and disability resource center, and Medicare partnership information.

Virginia's Health Care Foundation's goal is to make healthcare available to those that are uninsured or to those in underserved areas. They also provide grants to help solve local problems.

Virginia Department for the Aging provides information for seniors, their families, their caregivers, and those volunteering in the field.

GrandDriver is a website developed by the Virginia Department for the Aging that provides tips for safer driving to seniors and information for seniors' families and caregivers.

The Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission's Library and Planning Resource Center also houses local, state, and federal documents covering a range of transportation planning and community development topics. The following human services transportation documents are available in the RVARC Library:

Transit Cooperative Research Program Reports (Federal Transportation Administration):

• Economic Benefits of Coordinating Human Service Transportation and Transit Services
• Communicating with Persons with Disabilities in a Multimodal Transit Environment: A Synthesis of Transit Practice
• Toolkit for Rural Community Coordinated Transportation Services
• Research Results Digest: International Transit Studies Program (includes a section on persons with disabilities)
• Improving Public Transit Options for Older Persons
• Strategies for Increasing the Effectiveness of Commuter Benefits Programs
• Integrating School Bus and Public Transportation Services in Non-Urban Communities
• Transit Information and Promotion: Traveler Response to Transportation System Chances
• Operational Experiences with Flexible Transit Services
• Strategies to Increase Coordination of Transportation Services for the Transportation Disadvantaged