HIRTA was recently featured in National RTAP’s Best Practices for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Public Transportation. Below is an excerpt from the article written by Cara Marcus, National RTAP’s Resource Center Manager. The full article can be found here.

Since 1981, the Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA) has served seven counties in central Iowa, covering many rural areas. The communities they serve represent a range of socioeconomic, ethnic, and cultural perspectives, including residents from low-income neighborhoods, ethnic communities, residents with limited English proficiency, and other traditionally underserved people. Their Diversity web page shows a statistical breakdown of how the region is home to many populations, including Latino, Asian, Black, Native American, and other groups. “It’s easy to just continue to serve the people you’re serving,” stated HIRTA Executive Director Julia Castillo, “but we need to pay more attention to the people that we are not serving and find out how to reach them and serve them best too.” 

When HIRTA Outreach Coordinator Danny Schnathorst was hired in August 2020, taking an even stronger approach to transportation equity was one of the first projects he tackled. Schnathorst researched how other transit agencies approached inclusiveness and completed training on Developing an Inclusion Statement through Partners for Youth with Disabilities. He developed the agency’s inclusion statement that introduces their Diversity web page: “HIRTA is committed to creating a safe and inclusive experience for all riders. We will promote an environment reflective of our communities. Regardless of ability, background or personal circumstances, we will ensure all riders feel welcome and included with HIRTA. Come be yourself, ride together, and ride HIRTA.” 

The agency’s Beyond the Bus annual symposium began in 2017. The free symposium provides a full day of training by industry experts and is open to all. Past events have focused on invisible disabilities and transportation employment. The 2021 Symposium focused on inclusion and the role public transit plays to ensure everyone has equal opportunities to access the services they need to have a productive life. The event included renowned regional and national speakers from Disability Rights Iowa, National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC), Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) and others. The keynote speaker was Tamika Butler, a national expert on inequality, inequity, and social justice, as well as rural areas. Beyond the Bus 2021 tracked trends on a global level to show where there is inequality to help HIRTA (and others) determine how to fill unmet needs. Takeaways from this symposium will be used to identify areas where HIRTA can best reach and serve unmet populations. “We are constantly listening and constantly learning,” said Schnathorst. “We need to continue to educate ourselves so we can provide all our riders with the best possible service.” 

HIRTA leadership believes that equal opportunity in employment extends far beyond having an EEO statement posted on their website, and all HIRTA staff are trained on Civil Rights, including how to use the Language Line interpretation and translation services. The agency also leverages a Transportation Advisory Group (TAG), a diverse group of community stakeholders and business representatives interested in the advancement and improvement of public transportation. 

They are also tailoring marketing campaigns to reach specific demographic segments, such as persons with disabilities. 100% of the HIRTA vehicle fleet is ADA-accessible. HIRTA makes every effort to match the cultural preferences of their community members. Special requests are heard and always acted upon. One county requested a brochure translated into Arabic, which was quickly accomplished. Agency leadership actively seeks out and considers the viewpoints of people of color and low-income populations, as well as individuals who do not fluently speak English. They are seeking to target more of their area’s Latino population, and are proactively translating their rider materials. Going one step further, they are looking at new ways to better meet this population’s transportation needs. For example, they found that many of the Latino riders in their service area preferred not to have to call ahead for rides, so they are planning on structuring routes with more stops in neighborhoods with a higher percentage of that population. They are also looking to hire a native Spanish speaker to perform outreach and hire more Spanish-speaking drivers.

“HIRTA’s services, by design, invite diversity,” explained Castillo. “For example, you don’t have to be able-bodied to ride, but you can be. English doesn’t have to be your first language to ride, but it can be. You don’t have to be 80 to ride, but you can be. We are truly committed to diversity, inclusion and equity in our services and employment and will continue to evolve ensuring everyone feels welcome with HIRTA.”