Several pertinent issues and ideas emerged from the workshop. All in attendance were in agreement that there needs to be an increased level of communication of those with a stake in this issue. There was consensus that an awareness of transportation as the vital link in placing welfare recipients in jobs is crucial and that the time to act is now before welfare recipients reach the imposed two-year time limit. In his keynote address, Mark Alan Hughes framed the work that lies ahead in meeting the challenges of getting people to jobs with four cautions. One of the top reasons sited was a lack of available transportation.
Transportation is the means to an end.
It is unlikely that transportation programs can be thought of or modeled on other types of programs, such as child care or housing, which provide resources to purchase services. Reverse commute programs are not designed to serve the needs of mothers with dependent children who are less likely to be willing or able to work far from home. NACO's position clearly emphasized the need for transportation as an urgent problem. In addition, only one in twenty own a vehicle. Olivia Biggs conveyed that the Department of Human Resources is working to meet the challenges faced by welfare customers with improved access to transportation.