On October 2 all members of the Greenbelt City Council were in attendance to hear a presentation on a report prepared by the KFH Group, Inc. of Bethesda on the Senior Mobility and Accessibility Needs and Barriers Study. Funded by a grant from the Transportation/Land-Use Connections Program of the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, the study was designed to identify transportation needs and barriers for older adults and people with disabilities in Greenbelt.
Lucinda Shannon, who gave the presentation, was the consultant transportation planner at KFH who undertook the study. She has special interest and experience in working with transportation for seniors and paratransit and has expertise in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Three city staff members who worked with Shannon on the study participated in the meeting: City Planner Jessica Bellah; Community Resource Advocate Christal Batey, who heads up the Greenbelt Assistance in Living (GAIL) Program; and Therapeutic Recreation Supervisor Karen Haseley.
In addition, there was representation from many of the organizations that are made up of or work with seniors in the city, including the Senior Citizens Advisory Committee (SCAC), the Greenbelt Intergenerational Volunteer Exchange Service (GIVES) and the Golden Age Club.
Two of the challengers running for city council this year, George Boyce and Ric Gordon, were also present.
Read the rest of this story in the October 12 News Review.