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Mobility Planning Services Institute
Mobility Planning Services (MPS) Institute brings together community teams of leaders from the disability world and transportation industry to share information and strategies to improve access to transportation services in their communities. Planning is under way for the next Institute which will occur in July 2009 in Washington, D.C. An opportunity to apply will be announced.
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All About the April 2008 MPS Institute
Twenty-two teams of leaders who are committed to improving accessible community transportation were selected to attend Easter Seals Project ACTION’s seventh annual Mobility Planning Services (MPS) Institute April 21-24 in Washington, D.C.
Long after the event itself, the teams continue to implement plans written at the Institute and supported by ESPA training and technical assistance staff. The teams are: Berkshire County, Mass.; Black Hills, S.D.; Brookings, S.D.; Brownsville, Texas; Central Florida; Central Iowa; Central Yavapai Metropolitan Planning Organization, Ariz.; District of Columbia; Fort Wayne/Allen County, Ind.; Haywood County, N.C.; Lafayette, La.; Lane County, Ore.; Low Country, S.C.; Manitowoc County, Wis.; Middlesex County, N.J.; Nashville, Tenn.; Northwest Ohio; Rides for all Georgians (Georgia); Rochester, N.Y.; Taxi NYC (New York, N.Y.); Vicksburg, Miss.; and Western Wisconsin.
The groups were selected through a competitive application process that drew 44 teams seeking a slot. Participants represent disability experiences and advocacy, transit operations, government, human service agencies and other roles central to attaining accessible transportation in their communities.
The purpose of the MPS Institute is to support communities demonstrating a commitment to improving accessible transportation. Participants undergo a process that begins with the event itself and continues through post-MPS follow-through on the plans they develop. An MPS faculty of experts teaches, consults and provides post-event support to the teams.
“This year we received a record 44 applications and the competition was very intense,” said ESPA Technical Assistance and Training Specialist Donna Smith, who leads the MPS Institute. “There were so many excellent choices that we increased our number of teams beyond the 20 originally planned for and still had to turn away some excellent applicants. We’re all enjoying working with the teams, and we hope that the teams who didn’t get in this year will continue to work together to improve transportation and that they will apply again in 2009.” | |
About the Institute
The MPS institute offers intensive training and planning activities that result in plans each team can take home to improve services in their communities. The training component of MPS is provided by industry experts serving as faculty for breakout sessions. Interspersed with the learning sessions are hands-on team working sessions. In a relaxed setting, Institute faculty facilitate an interactive learning environment where team members can openly discuss challenging issues and plan solutions.
Each team produces an action plan, with shared responsibilities to carry out throughout the next 12 months, reflecting specific local concerns and stages of development, and presents their plan to the full group teams at the end of three days of intense work.
ESPA provides funding for travel, lodging and meals for MPS participants. MPS teams also receive additional follow-up technical assistance from ESPA staff within the first 12 months at no cost to the community.
How to participate in the next MPS Institute
MPS teams are selected through a competitive application process. While the 2009 application period has not yet opened, it's not too early to start organizing a team.
For more information
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Download examples of previous team plans, available in Word and PDF formats. -
Read about past MPS Institutes and how participating teams turned planning into action in ESPA's Update newsletter. The following issues spotlight post-Institute progress of individual teams: - Contact Donna Smith online or call 800-659-6428.
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