Beginning in November, our Navigation Center will embark on a partnership with the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) to help improve access to information about transportation resources for callers of 2-1-1. CAMPO is the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson Counties in Central Texas. The purpose of CAMPO is to coordinate regional transportation planning with counties, cities, Capital Metro, the Capital Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS), Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and other transportation providers in the region and to approve the use of federal transportation funds within the region.
Currently, most of the transportation-related calls received at 2-1-1 pertain to other caller needs, such as older adults or people with disabilities who need help getting to medical appointments; residents in rural areas who may have to rely on multiple transportation systems to make a single trip; and families living in poverty who have run out of food and cannot afford bus fare to get to a food pantry.
The funding provided by CAMPO will allow 2-1-1 to work with Capital Metro and CARTS to better assist callers in utilizing transportation services, social services and other community resources more seamlessly. UWATX Navigation Center staff will work with transportation specialists at both organizations to create trainings for 2-1-1 Navigation Specialists on how to navigate the complex transportation system and relay information to callers in a usable way. If staff are unable to assist a caller with complex transportation issues, we will be able to escalate calls to Capital Metro mobility management staff who will be able to provide enhanced education to help callers with complicated transportation needs. Additionally, we will work with Capital Metro and other area transportation providers to enhance transportation data currently in the 2-1-1 Community Resource Database by increasing it’s usability for our staff, making it more comprehensive, and making sure the information better reflects the often complex relationships between various transportation systems.