The Marin County Transit District is exploring how to improve public transportation with the needs of West Marin seniors and citizens with disabilities in mind. The Marin Access Innovation Incubator started compiling ideas at the end of November, and the district is encouraging community partners, nonprofits, local government agencies and individuals to contribute. The project is just getting started, but West Marin’s human service groups have been sharing the concerns of their clients with the transit district for years, said Terri Sylvain, a care manager for West Marin Senior Services. Concerns include limited transportation options, limited volunteer support and cost-prohibiting factors of West Marin services such as pharmacies and groceries. The barriers to using the existing options include mobility, income and limited knowledge of or access to web-based support tools. West Marin Senior Services gets calls all the time from partners at medical clinics or community services in need of help getting clients to their appointments. “We don’t have true paratransit,” Ms. Sylvain said. “It’s like the number-one concern for residents.” Currently, Marin Transit offers West Marin seniors and disabled citizens a handful of options for transit over the hill. The Stagecoach bus runs on a schedule, but with a prior reservation through its website, Marin Transit’s Dial-A-Ride shuttle will pick up anywhere within a -mile radius of the Point Reyes Station bus stop and travel to Novato shopping centers on the first and third Mondays of each month. In addition, the Marin Catch-A-Ride program subsidizes a portion of up to 10 taxi rides a month for qualified individuals, funded through Measure B, and the TRIP volunteer drivers program incentivizes community members to provide seniors rides with mileage reimbursement. Ms. Sylvain says the transit project will put a much-needed focus on West Marin and hopefully lead to more funding. The results of the innovation incubator’s scoping work will inform an online planning workshop slated for January, hosted by Marin Transit.