Long-Distance Medical Transportation

Description

To promote access for Cape residents to specialty medical appointments in Boston, the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA) has run a Boston Hospital shuttle since 2001. To serve as many residents as possible, the shuttle is open to the general public. Because CCRTA staff are active in community efforts, including sitting on Cape Cod Healthcare’s Community Benefits Committee, they learned  that residents on the lower and outer Cape were experiencing challenges in accessing transportation to appointments at health care facilities. To address this, in 2019 CCRTA partnered with intercity bus provider Peter Pan Bus and Cape Cod Healthcare to create a semi-express service that runs the length of the Cape from Hyannis and Provincetown with stops at multiple health care facilities along the way, including Cape Cod Hospital and Outer Cape Health Services. Federal stimulus funds provided the majority of funding for this service, with some additional funds from CCRTA parking revenues.  While neither service picks riders up at home, it is easier for Councils on Aging and other community transportation providers to make the local trip from someone’s home to the local bus stop instead of all the way to the health care appointment.

Impact

In 2021, CCRTA recorded 1,181 passenger trips on the Boston Hospital Shuttle. Peter Pan recorded 8,954 trips on the Provincetown line, including but not limited to riders using the bus to access healthcare appointments.

Partnership Highlights

Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority: Coordinates trips on its own services and that of Peter Pan Bus; contracts with Peter Pan for trips. Peter Pan Bus: Provides the bus service along the Cape under contract. Cape Cod Healthcare: Sponsors the Community Benefits Committee that fostered the collaboration between the health care and transportation sector