Introduction
The Human Service Transportation Plan (HSTP) is an initiative to evaluate existing transportation services, identify the transportation needs of individuals with disabilities, older adults, and people with low incomes, and establish goals and strategies for meeting these needs in Champaign, Clark, Coles, Cumberland, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Macon, Moultrie, Piatt, Shelby, and Vermilion Counties in Illinois. The HSTP program was originally instated in 2005 as part of the Safe Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which guaranteed funding for highways, highway safety, and public transportation.
Existing Conditions
Purpose and Mission The Region 8 HSTP provides a comprehensive review of existing public transportation and human service coordination, a foundation for continued communication between human service agencies and transportation providers, and identification of strategies to address unmet transportation needs within the community. Transportation providers and human service agencies can use the plan to identify coordination opportunities and areas for improvement. The study area for this plan includes Champaign, Clark, Coles, Cumberland, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Macon, Moultrie, Piatt, Shelby, and Vermilion Counties in East Central Illinois.
Future Conditions
Our region’s transportation landscape has changed significantly since the Covid-19 pandemic. Transportation agencies are confronting challenges with hiring and retention of vital operators and staff, navigating new regulations and sources of funding, and experiencing unprecedented levels of stress and threats to our collective health. Yet, demand for affordable and reliable transportation has remained constant. Planning for the future of mobility in Region 8 is more critical than ever. Using data from transit riders across Region 8, this page will outline goals and recommendations for the future.