Amherst Senior Services Receives Donation Of Para-transport Van From PVTA
Photo: Pioneer Valley Transit Authority
Source: amherstma.gov
The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) has donated a retired paratransit van to Amherst’s Department of Senior Services. For several years, the department had been without an accessible van to transport older adults with mobility challenges. This has resulted in fewer transportation options for seniors who are unable to drive. With an accessible van in place through this donation, Amherst Senior Services will have a way to transport those using walkers and wheelchairs, and the means with which to resume our medical ride transportation program.
There are over 5200 individuals aged 60 and older living in Amherst, and there is a clear need for increased transportation options. Older adults have shared that there is a lack of transportation options and have expressed concern that they will be unable to find reliable and safe transportation for medical appointments. These concerns are compounded when the individual has mobility challenges and needs access to a lift to board the vehicle.
It seems odd that progress isn’t always…
In the early 1980s, as a single mom of two, with a part-time job at a local bank, I began work as a Senior Surrey driver on the “hill town” routes. Each week, I would collect seniors from Pelham, (Tuesdays), Leverett (Wednesdays) and Shutesbury (Thursdays) and take them to and from wherever they needed or wanted to go from 8am to 4pm. For those living in Amherst, regular van schedules were available including on Thursday evenings (a shift I enjoyed covering).
Those trips, and the perspective and friendships made because of them, remain among my cherished memories of early days as an Amherst resident. (Years before I had been a UMass student and then a Police Department employee.)
The “surrey” operated out of the Bang’s Community Center/Senior Center on a shoe-string budget, but employees were content and enjoyed providing a needed and appreciated service to those older members of our community.
What happened?
And, now, here we are! What goes around does often come around. With any luck, you too may be a senior someday. Hopefully, your community will respect your needs. Think about it.