Dakota County: Addressing Barriers to Mobility and Employment for People with Disabilities
By: Calli Cenizal, Senior Transit Partnerships Manager, and Greg Schaefer, Transit Partnerships Account Manager
Access to transportation is often cited as the primary barrier for people with disabilities to get a job, keep a job, or participate more fully in their communities. In 2020 in the United States, 17.9 percent of people with a disability were employed — compared to 68.1 percent of people without a disability (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Both the cost and availability of reliable transportation options create barriers for people with disabilities to access and maintain employment (The United Nations). Dakota County, Minnesota set out to develop a project that would help people with disabilities overcome transportation access barriers to employment in areas with limited transit service. The County was looking for a solution that would provide their residents with access to reliable on-demand transportation that could help them grow and maintain their independence as well as their employment opportunities.
The Solution
To address this transportation barrier, Dakota County entered into a partnership with Lyft to launch the GoDakota program, which provides access to on-demand transportation options to individuals who qualify for Medicaid Home and Community Based Service waivers. To reduce financial barriers, riders receive a minimum of $500 in Lyft ride credit per month from the County to meet their daily commuting needs. With credits deposited directly into the resident’s Lyft account each month, program participants can use these Lyft rides to work or for community connections.
The program is designed to augment an existing Dakota County program that offers residents with qualifying disabilities bus passes and/or mobility management services to facilitate job access.
“Lyft is a great transportation tool that our eligible riders are able to use,” said Megan Zeilinger, a County planner who helps run the GoDakota program. “Having access to reliable, on-demand transportation like Lyft has been a life-changer for some of our riders — offering an opportunity for them to work and be a part of their community.”
Outcome and Impact
Under the Lyft program, GoDakota riders have experienced increased transportation reliability and independence and an improvement in access to employment opportunities. Through rider surveys, Dakota County found that before the Lyft pilot, 60% of eligible individuals were either dissatisfied or extremely dissatisfied with their transportation options. After switching to Lyft, 85% of participants reported that they were satisfied or extremely satisfied with this new transportation option. Riders have also reported that because of the reliability and coverage of the GoDakota program, they have been able to work more hours and days, rely less on friends and family for transportation, as well as pursue new jobs in locations that would otherwise be impossible to access via other transit options. To show the impact of this program directly from the riders, Dakota County produced this video about how the GoDakota program has transformed riders’ lives.
In addition, this program has received recognition on a national level, with the National Association of Counties awarding the GoDakota program a 2020 Achievement Award in the Human Services category, acknowledging the tremendous positive results the program has had on riders’ employment opportunities, community engagement and quality of life.
LYFT’S TRANSIT PARTNERSHIPS
Our transit partnerships are supported by a team of city planners, bringing breadth and depth of experience in transit planning and operations. To learn more from our team, visit our website or email us at transit@lyft.com.
