In many rural communities, transportation to child care is often as difficult as finding qualified providers. STAR s coordinated transportation system combines the existing resources of several human service agencies to transport passengers door to door at an affordable rate. Children benefit greatly from the cooperative transportation model. Approximately one-third of all STAR trips are to and from the county s Child Development Center that provides services for young children with disabilities. Zanetti Bus Lines provides in-kind space for the STAR office.
Riders pay fees, provide feedback, and adhere to safety protocols.
The Federal Transportation Association and the State of Wyoming provide grant assistance. In the early 1980s, several government agencies in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, provided transportation services for their clients. Some areas in the largely rural county were covered by more than one agency, while others had no access to transportation at all. It was not unusual to see a van from the Agency on Aging trailing a bus from the Human Services Agency. It was Cindy s talks with the government agencies and other organizations that provided transportation that planted the seed of the goal of a single transportation system.