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Releases & Statements
Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum today released a survey, which found that senior transportation vans are sitting idle because senior centers do not have enough operating funds for fuel, insurance, or repairs. Gotbaum blasted the City’s Department for the Aging (DFTA) for its failure to keep funding for senior center operating costs in line with the rising costs of operating vehicles senior citizens rely upon. Gotbaum was joined by Councilman David Weprin (D-Hollis).
Gotbaum’s office contacted 36 senior centers and found seven with vans that are not on the road. Five of the centers stated that vans are not being used because of lack of operating funds, while other two cannot afford necessary vehicle repairs. DFTA funding has not increased in five years, while operating costs for fuel and insurance have skyrocketed.
“Vans across the city are stalled and the Bloomberg administration is doing nothing about it. These vans are often a l ifeline for seniors. Every single van should be on the road, helping seniors get to the doctor and other appointments. There’s no excuse: DFTA should be funding senior centers so they can put the vans on the road,” said Gotbaum. There are approximately 300 passenger vans operated by nearly 100 providers across the City, and DFTA figures estimate that 700,000 one-way trips are provided annually by these vehicles.
Gotbaum was joined at the press conference by SNAP (Services Now for Adult Persons) Senior Center Executive Director Linda Leest, who said that her center is often unable to operate all four of its vans at the same time each day due to high fuel costs. DFTA funding for SNAP has not increased in the past 10 years.
“ Eastern Queens has limited accessible transportation and it is a necessity, not a luxury. The city needs to recognize that core costs to not for profit transportation programs, such as insurance, fuel and maintenance, rise each year and they should be built into the annual budget. The generous assistance of local elected officials assist us in continuing the program but the new needs of the rising number of seniors will not be addressed if new costs are not included in the city budget each year,” said Linda Leest, SNAP ’s Executive Director.
SNAP spends $120,000 annually to operate its fleet of vans, including an estimated $9,000 per vehicle for insurance but faces further cost increases in the coming year. SNAP 's insurance company informed the group that costs are likely to rise 25 percent this year.
Senior citizens from the SNAP program spoke about relying on the senior center’s vans instead of inadequate public transportation or the unreliable Access-A-Ride program.
“The vans operated by senior centers transport seniors to doctors, senior centers, adult day services and other important sites. After five years of no funding for fuel and van insurance to keep pace with inflation, senior centers are finding it very difficult to keep all the vans on the road. The city needs to invest new funds into these vans in order for seniors to access services that are critical to them," said Bobbie Sackman, the Director of Public Policy at the Council of Senior Centers and Services.
"Not only has the Administration failed to increase funding to senior centers for the past few years, this year the Mayor has planned for reductions in funding to DFTA for senior services, including transportation," said Council Finance Committee Chairman David Weprin (D-Hollis). "The City Council will work hard to make sure that our city's senior citizen population does not experience a cut in the service that affects their everyday lives."
“The City needs to understand the importance of senior-center-provided transportation to our elderly. This is a problem that the City needs to address and I will continue to stand up for seniors and demand that the administration do its job,” concluded Gotbaum.
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