Evaluation of the federal transit administration’s transit and health access initiative: Case highlights, findings, and recommendations

Abstract

FTA’s Transit and Health Access Initiative provided funding for demonstration projects to test promising, replicable public transportation healthcare access solutions that support the ‘‘triple aim’’ of increased access to healthcare, improved health outcomes, and reduced healthcare costs. This paper highlights two compelling projects from the independent evaluation of the initiative, selected for their creative approaches and wealth of lessons learned. After in-depth case descriptions of these two projects, the authors present the overall findings and recommendations that emerged from the full evaluation effort. Overall, program participants credited the projects with significant improvements to their health. Some reported that, because of the projects, they were more active and independent, had more control over their lives, experienced less emotional hardship, and were better able to reach their goals. However, these results should be viewed in light of the caveats and limitations of relying on self-reported health data, which was often the best tool for programs unable to overcome the legal concerns surrounding health privacy laws and regulations.