LOUISBURG, Kan. — A birthday lunch at the Louisburg Senior Center drew a big crowd on Wednesday.
"We're all friends at the Senior Center," Raymond Lindsey said.
Ribs, chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, and steamed corn were on the menu.
When lunchtime wraps up, it's almost closing time and the crowds head home.
There's a select few who wait around for Roger Bollinger, their ride home.
"They come to pick me up every morning," 95-year-old Bertie Dinkle said. "I go into the center and they bring me home."
Dinkle is one of the 24,000 Miami County residents served each year through its local ride service program.
The program is funded by federal, state and local dollars.
The Federal Transit Administration 5311 Grant, administered through the Kansas Department of Transportation, supports transportation projects in rural and small urban areas with a population under 50,000.
The money can be used for vehicles, ADA accessibility transit equipment, drivers, maintenance, insurance, and marketing.
"You talk to other people in other areas, and there is no service like this at all," Raymond Lindsey told KSHB 41.
Lindsey lives alone in rural Miami County near Louisburg. His health prohibits him from driving, so he utilizes the service that gets him to his doctor, grocery store, and other social outings.
"It's a sense of security," he said. "They pick you up on time. They're the best that there is."
To these people, the service provided is essential. It's offered to anyone who needs it at an affordable price.
Misty Norton is the director of Mobility Management for East Central Kansas Coordinated Transit Council #5 and manages 11 rural Kansas counties.
Norton's job is to develop strategies to enhance transportation and the efficient use of funding.
"For some community members, this is their livelihood. We can just jump in our cars and go. They don't have vehicles," she said. "It's not just for medical appointments, it's for social gatherings, going to the grocery store."
Norton is a neutral resource for the Paola, Osawatomie, and Louisburg senior centers that operate the General Public Transportation ride service. Under the KDOT 5311 grant, anyone can get a ride at an affordable price.
The Miami County Republic first reported in May 2025 additional transportation service losses in the area.
The Paola Senior Center announced it wouldn't continue its General Public Transportation service in the summer of 2026.
Resources for the program are limited for these senior center partners.
"They have been running on budgets that are at a deficit at the moment. Donations have been our biggest asset for them," Norton said. "I think coordinating between the agencies would be more cost-effective."
Norton told KSHB 41 that the numerous organizational leaders have been gathering to discuss solutions to keep the services afloat, but they're not often on the same page.
"I think that falls back on the individual senior centers," she said.
KSHB 41 spoke with the Miami County Council on Aging Chair and Osawatomie Senior Center Director Carol Rhea, who agreed that many aren't on the same page with where to go next.
Norton says creating a centralized dispatch system could be a path forward, including merging each senior center budget into one. It could create more fiscal responsibility, as the state and federal dollars are currently spread among three different entities. Additionally, the idea has been thrown around to create a non-profit to oversee the transportation service.
"We need to expand our reach, but we can’t do that if our operations are being withheld where they’re at now," added Norton.
Community Senior Center Board President Gordon Schrader told KSHB 41 the non-profit organization has taken some matters into its own hands by purchasing its own vehicle to offer medical transport when other services became unavailable.
Schrader says the Osawatomie Senior Center does not have the resources to take on Paola's average of 8,000 yearly rides given.
He went on to add that funding can and will be found through local donations and additional grants.
The Miami County Commission is currently balancing the budget for the 2026 fiscal year, and the clock is ticking or has passed for the transportation study group.
A Miami County spokesperson told KSHB 41 in an email Wednesday that the transportation study group has not asked the county for any more funding and hasn't provided recommendations to improve general public transportation.
While the 2026 county budget has not been finalized, the overseeing Council on Aging entity's funding allocations remain the same as in 2025. The spokesperson said there is no anticipation of larger funds toward general transportation in the near term.
"Unfortunately, I think we missed it on this round," Norton added. "Hopefully, next year we'll have something ready to go... Some people may be left without a ride."
The director of the Louisburg Senior Center also told KSHB 41 that the cost to operate the individual vans each month is only getting more expensive, including maintenance.
"Sometimes we don't always have enough, and sometimes the senior center part has to help cover that," Louisburg Senior Center Director Rhonda Kerr explained. "Any funding we get, whether it be the state, federal, county, or private donation, it's going to good."
For transparency, numerous entities are involved in Miami County's rural transportation services, including mental health clinics, organizations supporting the developmentally disabled, hospitals, and KDOT.
KSHB 41 contacted the Paola Senior Center to contribute to this story and has not yet heard back.
KSHB 41 also contacted KDOT with a list of questions and has not received a response.
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KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.
