East Ridge considering cuts to Care-A-Van service as costs increase

EAST RIDGE, Tenn. (WDEF)- The city of East Ridge is considering the impact of rising costs of CARTA’s Care-A-Van service.
The service specifically serves those with disabilities in Chattanooga, Red Bank, and East Ridge who cannot otherwise use CARTA’s fixed bus routes or their own transportation.

Each city, including East Ridge, subsidizes the service as riders pay a flat fee of five dollars round trip.

One of CARTA’s Care-A-Vans for disabled riders. (From: CARTA)

However, according to city manager Scott Miller, due to $100,000 in funding cuts from Hamilton County related to American Rescue Plan dollars running out, the cost per trip for the city has increased by over 300 percent per ride, for a service only one percent of the population uses.

What cost $20 per round trip for the city of East Ridge a year ago will now cost $94 per round trip according to Miller, in order for CARTA to break even on the service.

City manager Scott Miller says East Ridge would have to increase their budget from $40,000-$150,000 to continue providing it.

City officials say while they recognize the program’s importance for those with disabilities, as about 150-200 East Ridge citizens currently use the program, they’re not sure how much longer the city can justify the program’s cost.

Vice Mayor David Tyler commented, “My number one issue with this is that we pay taxes to the county, and this is an organization that is ran by the government, and that this seems like rent seeking behavior from an organization that we’re already paying for.

Cuts to the service were floated, including reducing service areas and types of trips that can be taken such as limiting usage to medical appointments.

The final decision on how much funding will be left for the program will be made during the city’s final budget hearings.