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Report on an Accessible Transportation Initiative and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Addressing Transportation Barriers for Vulnerable Populations

A significant challenge for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families is the lack of accessible transportation. This barrier often leads to social isolation and a diminished quality of life, preventing access to essential services and community programs. A new initiative in Utica, New York, directly confronts this issue, providing a model for community-based solutions.

Initiative Overview: The Utica Accessible Transport Project

A collaborative effort has resulted in a free transportation service for vulnerable community members. Key features of this project include:

• A partnership between advocate Steve Gonyea and the Utica Center for Development.
• Operation of a fully handicapped-accessible bus equipped with a wheelchair lift.
• Service provided at no cost to individuals with disabilities and veterans of all ages.
• Transportation to medical appointments, stores, and community events, including on weekends.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities

This initiative is a direct implementation of SDG 10, which aims to reduce inequality within and among countries by empowering and promoting the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of disability.

• Target 10.2: The project actively promotes the social inclusion of persons with disabilities by removing a critical barrier to participation in community life.
• Equal Opportunity: By providing essential mobility, the service helps ensure equal opportunity for individuals who are often marginalized due to a lack of accessible infrastructure.

Contribution to Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The transportation service directly supports the objectives of SDG 11, which focuses on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

• Target 11.2: The initiative provides a safe, affordable, and accessible transport system for those in vulnerable situations. It serves as a practical model for expanding transport options with special attention to the needs of persons with disabilities, particularly in underserved rural areas.
• Community Inclusivity: The project enhances the inclusivity of the community by ensuring that all members can access its resources and participate fully in civic life.

Supporting Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being

The project makes a significant contribution to SDG 3 by ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages.

• Access to Healthcare: The service facilitates reliable access to medical appointments, which is fundamental to maintaining physical health.
• Mental Well-being: By reducing social isolation and enabling community engagement, the initiative directly improves the mental well-being and overall quality of life for its users.

Future Expansion and Partnership Model (SDG 17)

The success of the Utica project has inspired a plan for national expansion, demonstrating the power of partnerships for the goals (SDG 17). A new nonprofit, “Worth Doing,” has been established to replicate this model.

1. Formation: The nonprofit is a joint venture between initiator Steve Gonyea and filmmaker Michael Skinner.
2. National Goal: The objective is to deploy 100 similar buses across the United States by the end of 2026.
3. Implementation Strategy: The plan aims to place at least one bus in every state and the District of Columbia, addressing a nationwide transportation problem.

Operational and Funding Framework

The current operational model relies on community support and strategic partnerships rather than government grants.

• Funding: The Utica Center for Development covers all costs, including insurance and maintenance, through its own fundraising activities and revenue streams.
• Staffing: The bus is operated by a paid staff member, though there is a recognized need for volunteer drivers to expand service capacity.
• Sustainability: This self-sustaining framework demonstrates a viable model for community-driven initiatives aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Analysis of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • The article highlights that the free bus service transports individuals to appointments. This directly contributes to ensuring they can access healthcare services, which is essential for maintaining good health and well-being.
2. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The initiative specifically targets individuals with developmental disabilities and veterans, who often face significant barriers to mobility and social participation. By providing free, accessible transportation, the project aims to reduce the inequalities these vulnerable groups experience, promoting their inclusion in society. As Steve Gonyea states, “Transportation is a monster issue, and their kids aren’t getting any quality of life because they’re stuck home.”
3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • The core focus of the article is on providing accessible transportation. The bus is described as “fully handicapped, accessible, has a wheelchair lift on it.” The project addresses a critical gap in public infrastructure, particularly in rural areas where transportation is a significant problem, thereby making communities more inclusive and sustainable for all residents.
4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • The project is a result of a collaboration between multiple entities: Steve Gonyea (an individual advocate), the Utica Center for Development (a veterans center), and Pendragwn Productions (a filmmaking company). Their joint venture to create the nonprofit “Worth Doing” exemplifies a civil society partnership working to achieve a common goal.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social inclusion of all
   • By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status. The bus service directly facilitates the social inclusion of people with disabilities and veterans by enabling them to leave their homes for “appointments, stores and events,” thereby improving their quality of life and participation in the community.
2. Target 11.2: Provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all
   • By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all… with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, … persons with disabilities and older persons. The article is centered on this target. The initiative provides a “fully handicapped, accessible” bus for free, specifically for “people with disabilities and veterans of all ages,” addressing the transportation gap identified in both urban and “rural parts of the country.”
3. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective partnerships
   • Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships. The collaboration between Gonyea, the Utica Center for Development, and filmmaker Michael Skinner to form the nonprofit “Worth Doing” is a clear example of a civil society partnership. They leverage their respective resources and expertise to scale the initiative, with the center covering costs and the nonprofit aiming for national expansion.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Number of accessible vehicles in operation for vulnerable groups
   • The article provides a very specific, measurable indicator for their goal. Michael Skinner states, “Our goal is that by the end of 2026, there are 100 buses like this with at least one in every state and one in the District of Columbia.” This directly measures the expansion of accessible transport systems (Target 11.2).
2. Geographic coverage of accessible transport services
   • The initiative’s plan to expand from a local service in Utica to having “one or two buses like this in every state” is an indicator of progress. This measures the effort to reduce inequality (Target 10.2) and improve access to transport (Target 11.2), especially for those in “rural, who have very little access out there to any kind of service.”
3. Number of partnerships established to achieve the goals
   • The formation of the nonprofit “Worth Doing” through a “joint venture” is an indicator of a successful partnership (Target 17.17). The future establishment of operations in each state would imply the creation of further local partnerships to manage and fund the buses.

SDGs, Targets and Indicators Table

Source: spectrumlocalnews.com