WHY TRANSPORTATION MATTERS
Transportation Is More Than a Ride.
Reliable transportation makes everyday life possible. It helps people reach medical care, keep a job, bring home groceries, stay connected to family, and remain independent.
Transportation Security Means Having a Real Way to Get There.
Transportation insecurity isn't just about not owning a car. It is not being able to reliably get where you need to go—safely, on time, affordably, and in a way that works for your real life.
It happens when transportation doesn't fit real life—whether because of cost, distance, timing, accessibility, or family responsibilities.
The transportation options available vary by community, local partners, rider needs, program guidelines, and available funding.
One Missed Ride Can Become a Much Bigger Problem.
Healthcare
A missed trip can mean delayed treatment, an interrupted recovery, a prescription left behind, or a medical appointment that takes weeks to reschedule.
Work and Education
A missed trip can mean an early shift lost, an interview missed, training interrupted, or a job that becomes harder to keep.
Family and Independence
A missed trip can mean no groceries, no way to reach a child’s appointment, no connection to family, or an older adult becoming more isolated at home.
Transportation shapes everyday life.
Transportation Barriers Are More Common Than Many People Realize.
1 in 5
U.S. adults age 25 and older reported experiencing transportation insecurity in 2022.
Nearly 1 in 2
Adults experiencing transportation insecurity also reported food insecurity.
More than 1 in 3
Adults experiencing transportation insecurity also reported unmet medical needs.
The national study cited in the page strategy found transportation insecurity among 19% of U.S. adults age 25 and older in 2022; it also found that 45.5% of adults facing transportation insecurity reported food insecurity, and 36.3% reported unmet medical needs.
Transportation Barriers Are Not a Personal Failure.
People do not miss opportunities because they lack motivation, talent, or care. People don't miss opportunities because they lack motivation. They miss opportunities because transportation doesn't always match the realities of everyday life.
Distance
The clinic, grocery store, job, or training program may be too far away.
Timing
The available ride may not work before an early shift or after a long appointment.
Accessibility
A person may need a vehicle that works with a wheelchair, child seat, stroller, mobility device, or medical recovery.
Affordability
Gas, vehicle repairs, rideshare costs, or long-distance trips can become impossible alongside rent, food, childcare, and healthcare expenses.
Communities Do Not Need to Start From Zero.
Most communities already have people and resources working to help: healthcare providers, employers, transit agencies, volunteers, nonprofits, local governments, transportation providers, and neighbors who care.
The missing piece is coordination, flexible resources, trusted navigation, and shared infrastructure.
Catch a Ride helps communities connect those pieces into a system people can depend on.
This wording is consistent with the approved communications strategy, which frames the solution as connecting existing community assets through coordination, flexible resources, trusted navigation, and shared infrastructure.
