Omaha-area residents lose rural transportation program

Hundreds of elderly and disabled residents in the Omaha area will lose access to an affordable transportation program starting Monday, July 1st.

The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging provides the rural transportation program for residents who live outside urban areas.

Officials learned in mid-May that some areas should no longer be served by the program according to federal guidelines defining what constitutes urban.

The program is funded in part by federal grants.

Dennis Loose, who heads the aging office, says, the elderly and people with disabilities are the primary users of the program.

He says around 90 percent of riders will no longer be eligible for the program that has been running for more than 30 years.

The state transportation department says they’re exploring solutions.