History

Prior to January 2007, transportation services within Lincoln County were provided primarily by one private provider and a small (one coordinator and two drivers) staff within the Department of Senior Services. The Senior Services staff only provided services to senior citizens eligible under the Elderly and Disabled Transportation Assistance Program (EDTAP) and the Area Agency on Aging HCCBG grant funding sources. Senior Services named the transportation element Transportation Lincoln County (TLC), in July 2006.

All Medicaid, demand response and public transportation was provided by the private provider under a franchise agreement with the county. In October 2006, Lincoln County revoked the private provider franchise for failure to maintain compliance with the franchise requirements.

TLC was elevated to the department level and relocated under the Director of Emergency Medical Services in January 2007. The under staffed department with a fleet of twelve severely neglected and improperly maintained apparatus began the task of providing all transportation services to the citizens of Lincoln County.

Services began immediately and staff was increased to include one full-time dispatcher, an administrative secretary and fifteen part-time drivers.

In 2008 staffing was increased with four additional full-time drivers in July and in November, the addition of one full-time Medicaid Transportation Coordinator that is cost shared with Department of Social Services.

Presently, TLC completes over 72,000 passenger trips per year with service destinations in fourteen different counties. The staff has increased to over 30 employees including drivers, dispatchers and office staff.

Transportation Lincoln County serves all of Lincoln County including the municipalities within its borders. Lincoln County is a rural county located near the western piedmont of North Carolina encompassing 316 square miles. The ridership of TLC is comprised mainly of the clients and consumers of the participating organizations. Destination points are at the discretion of the participating agency and include transportation services to points outside Lincoln County.

The vehicle fleet of TLC consists of twenty-two (22) ten or fourteen passenger vans. All vehicles are lift equipped.