Larissa Van Donselaar is uniquely positioned to act as Marion County’s liaison to a new committee working with HIRTA, but says she’ll be taking time to get completely up to speed on its operations and needs.

Van Donselaar has been chosen to represent the county on the Transportation Advisory Group by the Marion County Board of Trustees. This newly-formed, non-voting body will serve to advise the Heart of Iowa Regional Transportation Authority on matters of concern within each of its counties, in an effort to make the transportation service fill the needs of riders.

Van Donselaar works for the Marion County Public Health Department, which also serves as HIRTA’s headquarters in the county; the department has a number of clients which use HIRTA transportation on a regular basis, and her own father is a retired HIRTA driver.

She tells KNIA/KRLS News one objective is to ensure riders have the access they need to all points in Marion County, beyond health-related destinations.

“Currently, (we) work with the hospitals and clinics and folks within Public Health to try and increase ridership and transportation access, to people needing to get to appointments, or if they’re needing to get to other things, the grocery store, even; how do they do that,” Van Donselaar says.

She wants to emphasize to citizens in Marion County that HIRTA buses are available for all to use, and that anyone can take advantage of its services when needed.