Needs Assessment

🚍 Community Transportation Needs Assessment (CTNA)

Transportation is a lifeline. Whether it is getting to a doctor, visiting family, or picking up groceries, everyone deserves a safe and reliable ride. The CTNA is a statewide project to understand how Granite Staters get around, where gaps exist, and how we can build better options together.

This effort is led by the New Hampshire Commission on Aging and a team from Impact Consulting, and in partnership with such groups as the CTNA Advisory Group, the State Coordinating Council for Community Transportation (SCC), Alliance for Healthy Aging’s Transportation Workgroup, and NH ABLE. Most importantly, it is guided by the voices of community members, including older adults, veterans, people with disabilities, caregivers, and neighbors across New Hampshire.

Overview

Goals

Timeline

Data & Findings

New Hampshire has one of the oldest populations in the nation, and many residents no longer drive. Veterans, people with disabilities, and families in rural towns often face limited or no transportation options.

The CTNA is asking:

What is working
Where are the gaps
How can we fix them together

💡 Fun fact: In some NH towns, volunteer drivers give more rides each year than the local bus.

👂 Listen to the experiences of older adults, veterans, people with disabilities, caregivers, and underserved groups

🚗 Identify barriers to transportation, such as cost, lack of service, or accessibility challenges

🛠 Recommend practical solutions to expand rides and improve coordination

💵 Build a roadmap for funding, policy, and community action

🌱 Ensure transportation in NH is inclusive, resilient, and ready for the future

📋 Now (Summer–Fall 2025): Statewide survey and focus groups → We’re listening!

🔍 Fall–Winter 2025: Gap and impact analysis → Where are the holes?

💡 Spring 2026: Draft recommendations and community review → Your input in action.

📘 Spring 2026: Final report and roadmap released → Moving forward together.

This is where survey results, focus group summaries, and other findings will be posted as it is released.

What’s Next

🔍 The team will release:

A gap analysis (where services exist and where they don’t)
An impact analysis (economic, health, and social effects of unmet transportation needs)
Maps and infographics that make it easy to see the data at a glance

📝 Full reports will be posted here as they become available. Check back often for updates.

Survey Highlights (Early Results)

📊 We’ve heard from hundreds of Granite Staters already. Here are a few themes that are coming through loud and clear:

Top challenge: Lack of transportation options in rural towns.
The second challenge is scheduling rides for medical appointments and getting home afterward.
Third challenge: Rising costs, especially gas and ride fees.

💬 “I can find a ride into Concord for a doctor’s visit, but getting back at the right time is almost impossible.” – Survey participant, Merrimack County

Focus Group Themes

👥 People in focus groups are raising many of the same issues as the survey, with some added detail:

Volunteer drivers: Appreciated, but programs need more drivers and better mileage reimbursement.
Veterans: Struggle with access to VA services, especially from the North Country.
Older adults: Want to age in place but feel trapped without reliable rides.
Caregivers: Spend large amounts of time arranging transportation for family members.

💬 “I don’t mind helping my mother, but missing work every week to drive her is tough. We need more options.” – Caregiver, Seacoast

Regional Patterns (Emerging)

🗺️ Some differences by region are starting to appear:

North Country: Long distances and almost no transit service.
Seacoast: Transit exists, but schedules and routes do not always align with actual needs.
Southern NH: More providers, but also much higher demand.