Let's get started! If you would like to get a children's shuttle program started in your community (or expand an existing one), your first step will be to contact your county social service agency and/or transportation authority and ask if they are currently offering such a program. If a children's shuttle service is already up and running in your community, you and your group will want to work with local government agencies to win additional funding for the program, so that the service can be made available to more low-income families. To win new funding for a children's shuttle service in your community, you may want to focus you efforts on:

While these two are the most likely sources of funding for children's shuttle services, other potential funding sources for expanding an existing children's shuttle program are discussed in the section titled "Show Me the Money!"

If your county social service agency or transportation authority does not offer a children's shuttle for low-income families in your community, you and like-minded groups can begin working to convince them to design such a program and apply for grant funding (such as a LIFT Program grant from MTC). The rest of this section describes some of the steps that you can take to get started in your campaign to bring children's shuttle service to your community.

Organize and spread the word. Start talking with like-minded neighbors, community and business leaders, and local organizations about how a children's shuttle could help meet the transportation needs of low-income families in your community. You can use this profile and the resources included here to help educate your community about the potential benefits of starting a children's shuttle where you live.

Schedule a meeting with transportation officials. Once you have organized several individuals or groups in support of the idea of a children's shuttle, you'll want to schedule a meeting with officials of your county local transit provider. Call or write these officials expressing your concerns about the need for improved transportation options for low-income people who live and work in your community and request a meeting to discuss starting a children's shuttle service. If you are unable to contact one or more of these officials directly, speak to the official's scheduler to set up an appointment. Usually the scheduler will request more information about what will be discussed during the meeting so they can be prepared, in which case you can send them many of the resources discussed throughout this summary (and profiled in the 'Dig a Little Deeper' section).

Make your point persuasively. After you and the other community members and groups you have partnered with have done the leg work described above, you'll want to be sure that you are able to get your point across effectively when you meet with local elected transportation officials. Below are a few suggested 'talking points' that you can bring up in your meeting to help you be as persuasive as possible in advocating for a children's shuttle program in your community (for general suggestions on meeting with government officials, click here):  

 

Follow-up. Regardless of the response you receive, be sure to send a letter to meeting attendees thanking them for their time, reiterating your key points, and thanking them for any commitments they made during the meeting. If meeting attendees are receptive to your request, make sure to remind them of their commitment and follow up at the time they said they'd have taken the steps you requested. If they say no, or if they only offer to 'look into the issue' or 'study the matter further', follow up by asking for a specific deadline when you can expect a more detailed response. Ask that they contact you directly with their decision, but also make sure to call them back when the deadline has passed.

Lobby for increased funding for programs that support children's shuttle buses and other 'lifeline transportation' improvements. You and your group can help make progress towards getting necessary 'lifeline transportation' improvements like children's shuttle buses funded in your community. Three possible strategies for finding funding for implementing 'lifeline transportation' policies and projects in your community are discussed below:

 
Do it yourself. If you are unable to identify funding sources for a children's shuttle program from the above sources, you may want to organize other like-minded parents in your neighborhood or local community groups to take matters into your own hands. If one of the residents has a large car or van and there is a person with commercial driving license, you can start your own neighborhood children's shuttle. A word of caution: it is a good idea to get advice from someone who is operating a children's shuttle already or a transportation advocacy group to learn how to avoid common mistakes and make sure that you adhere to any applicable regulations. Although a neighborhood-run children's shuttle is essentially a large carpool, children are precious cargo! Apart from bridging transit gaps, this type of community-initiated shuttle bus service can provide additional income for low-income residents who can work as drivers, attendants, and/or administrators for the program. For more information on how to start a community-based transportation project where you live, see the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) website.