Santa Barbara County boosts transportation access for wheelchair users

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Every time a Santa Barbara County resident books a ride through a transportation network company (TNC) like Uber or Lyft, a 10 cent fee is collected to support the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments’ (SBCAG) Access for All program, which aims to enhance reliable, on-demand transportation for people with disabilities and mobility challenges.

Care Connection Transport Services powers the new initiative with its fleet of specialty vans and trained drivers. According to Founder and CEO Nancy Crawford, the organization has been providing transportation to wheelchair users since 2021. 

“Care Connection provides individual support,” she said. “Rather than, say, a public transit where you have to share rides with other passengers, we’re a one-to-one transportation provider, and with that, we provide additional assistive services. With the Access for All program, the goal is to provide the same access to wheelchair users as if you or I needed a ride home and wanted to call Uber or Lyft.”

Inspired by her grandparents’ challenges in accessing transportation for medical appointments, Crawford sought to create a more compassionate and reliable option for wheelchair users. 

“The intent is to give everyone the independence to access whatever services they need,” she explained. “The Access for All program is not limited to just medical appointments. It’s for any reason at all.”

Crawford noted that the funding for the new program, established by Senate Bill 1376: TNC Access for All Act, makes the services more affordable and accessible for people who need them. With the initiative in place, she expressed excitement over being able to serve more members of the community. 

“That’s just what we’ve always been about is to try to serve as many people as possible and to give them the access to services that we all sometimes take for granted,” Crawford said. “I think sometimes when you don’t have transportation limitations, you don’t understand how isolating that can be.”

Care Connection operates a fleet of specialized vehicles and strategically dispatches drivers from around the county to serve people in different areas. Crawford said that users can access and book services through the online platform or the app. 

“We do our very best to be as on-demand as possible,” Crawford said. “So far, we’ve been able to accommodate everyone’s requests that we’ve received.”

She explained that raising awareness of the program will attract more users and highlight the value of its funding to the county and state. She believes that with improved access to transportation services, individuals can enjoy greater independence, better accessibility, and a more balanced and fulfilling life. 

“We’re not just offering rides,” Crawford emphasized. “We’re really providing the freedom to move through life on their own terms. They don’t have to plan their life around a bus schedule or wonder how much something is going to cost or if someone’s going to show up. That’s really the goal is to provide wheelchair users with the same accessibility that we all get to enjoy.”

Highlight

• Community West Bank recently made a $500,000 equity equivalent investment (EQ2) in the Housing Trust Fund of Santa Barbara County, according to James J. Kim, president and CEO of the bank. This funding will support the Workforce Homebuyer Program, which offers down payment help to low- and middle-income homebuyers. By helping qualified buyers access conventional loans, the program aims to reduce financial barriers to home ownership and also lower associated costs. A statement from Community West Bank noted that the EQ2 investment strengthens the capital structure of community development financial institutions, allowing them to provide further support in underserved communities. For more information about the Housing Trust Fund of Santa Barbara, visit sbhousingtrust.org.

Staff Writer Emma Montalbano can be reached at emontalbano@newtimesslo.com.

Correction: This story has been updated to clarify that the Access for All program is administered by the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments.

This article appears in Mar 20-30, 2025.