Commission members reported on a transportation symposium held at the DoubleTree hotel, where breakout groups addressed health care, employment and community engagement barriers related to transportation.

Commissioner Michelle Kirk, who attended the symposium, summarized work from the employment breakout and said the group identified short-term, low-cost projects to pursue in three to six months — including an awareness initiative that would document transportation experiences to encourage employer and community investment.

"We would just wanted it to be very low level grassroots where individuals are either recording themselves or they can take someone with them, and so it's just a recording on their phone," Kirk said, describing the group's idea for having mid-level managers ride transit and share their experience.

Why it matters: commissioners said unreliable or costly transportation can block access to medical appointments and jobs. The symposium's proposals included an audit of transportation resources, engaging health-care facilities about scheduling and policy changes, and testing microtransit expansion in the region.

Discussion details
- Symposium projects: The health-care breakout proposed auditing transportation options (public transit, private providers and available funding) and pursuing education efforts to reduce scheduling barriers in medical settings. Commissioners noted long waits for appointments can compound transportation failures.
- Employment breakout and rideshare idea: Kirk said the employment group recommended a grassroots awareness project in which local managers document the experience of using METS and connecting services (for example, missed connections and the time cost of short trips). The goal would be to encourage organizations to invest in ride-share stipends or internal supports so employees can reliably get to work.
- METS and microtransit: Commissioners discussed METS and the possibility of expanding METS Micro (a microtransit/ride-share-style service). Kirk said Evansville benefits from a relatively strong transit system compared with some neighboring communities and suggested showcasing that advantage in regional talks.
- Feasibility study and curb-cut concerns: Kirk said one agency is conducting a feasibility study to evaluate extending routes into Henderson and Ward counties. Commissioners also relayed public comments at a town hall about curb cuts and accessibility; one participant, a wheelchair user, said he often has to use the street because curb cuts are limited.

Closing
Commissioners said the symposium produced small, time-limited projects that are now being pursued at the grassroots level and that they will share details as projects are fleshed out and partners sign on.