MCOTA has continued to host the Minnesota’s Road to Volunteer Drivers Virtual Forum Series in partnership with the Minnesota Volunteer Driver Coalition.
The most recent webinars in the series highlighted the legislative changes related to volunteer drivers, low-cost software to help smaller programs with scheduling and operations, ways to recruit drivers and pilot projects that are supplementing volunteer driver programs, and MnDOT’s regional mobility-as-a-service pilot projects, including how volunteer driver programs might fit into the use of this technology.
The following series recordings from the Minnesota’s Road to Volunteer Drivers Virtual Forum Series, 2022-2023 are available for on-demand viewing:
- October 6, 2022 (105 minutes) — Includes guidance on recent state legislative changes and proposed federal legislation and the Hop Scott program in Scott County.
- February 16, 2023 (115 minutes) — Includes presentations on ways to attract and support volunteer drivers, innovative pilot programs to supplement volunteer driver programs, and the Lyft program in Dakota County.
- March 21, 2023 (40 minutes) — About RideSheet, an open-source Google Sheets-based web application that enables small demand-responsive transportation providers to manage internal operations.
- May 25, 2023 (55 minutes) — Panel discussion on scheduling software for volunteer driver programs.
- July 27, 2023 (48 minutes) — Introduction to the transit-focused MnDOT regional mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) pilot, including project accomplishments, planned new features, and how volunteer driver programs might fit into this technology.
