TYLER — The receipt of a $231,000 grant for the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Texas Department of Transportation will soon allow East Texans the benefit of a One-Stop Regional Transportation Call Center in Tyler.

The East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG) — in partnership with the North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority, Smith County Commissioners Court, NDMJ, LLC Transportation and EasTexConnects — was awarded the Veterans Transportation and Community Living Initiative Capital Grant, which will be used to fund the call center.

ETCOG Communications Manager Lindsay Vanderbilt reported that ,while the call center will be located in Smith County, it will be available to any resident in the 14-county East Texas region.

“It's an efficiency thing,” Vanderbilt said. “What this will do is, it will get the callers information and they will be available to book across the board with any of the agencies depending on the trip needed.”

While any East Texas resident may use the service, this particular project focuses on benefiting veterans, she explained.

“They are one of the populations that is most commonly in need of public transportation,” she said. “But most important is it for any citizen in need of public transportation.”

The Call Center will enhance accessibility to users by providing information from GoBus, Longview Transit, Tyler Transit, Amtrak, NDMJ, Greyhound, regional Medicaid transportation services and local private taxis and shuttles in the East Texas region.

Julianne Sanford with the Lone Star Military Resource Group in Jacksonville said this would be another benefit for veterans in the area.

"One of the veterans' issues in rural areas is having transportation," San ford said, "especially in Cherokee County where we are 30 minutes away from the closest veteran clinics."

Sanford said while there are veterans who can provide for themselves, there are others who have disabilities that prevent them from driving on their own.

"Having a central transportation call station that is easily accessible to all East Texans is a big step in the right direction as we look to the future of transportation in our region," Smith County Judge Joel Baker said.

Vanderbilt reported that they have a little time before they receive the grant and they are looking to have the call center up and running within a year.

“There are some things we need to work out,” she said. “We don't have a location to or a date where and when. We're just so excited to receive this grant.

“Funds are limited these days and this is an excellent project and a big vision to further connect East Texans to public transportation."