New Monday shuttle for senior purchasing takes to streets

When Danielle LeBlanc bought in a minor automotive accident, her steering wheel airbag blew. To switch it, it meant she’d even have to exchange her seatbelt and horn. The value of all of this, was far too costly for her 14-year-old crimson Nissan. The answer, promote her automotive and hop on a Harmony Space Transit bus.

On Monday, LeBlanc rode the brand new senior purchasing bus to get groceries at Market Basket. She is one in every of many seniors within the Harmony space using the bus as a free mode of transportation, with door-to-door providers.

“I’m giving up my automotive, which is life altering,” she mentioned. “I’ve by no means lived anyplace the place I’ve had this sort of service. It’s phenomenal.”

Assume Uber, for folks over the age of 60, freed from price. That’s the premise of the Harmony Space Transit’s senior bus providers. Monday by means of Friday, the inexperienced Harmony Space Transit buses will decide seniors up at residence, taking them to their vacation spot of selection – whether or not that be medical appointments or the grocery retailer – and drop them off once more.

Taking riders to their scheduled medical appointments take precedence over different requests, mentioned Cindy Yanski, the mobility supervisor for Harmony Space Transit. But, when extra requests for medical appointments meant canceling requests for purchasing journeys, a brand new devoted bus to purchasing was launched on Mondays.

“We have been discovering that we had an increasing number of of these conditions the place we needed to reschedule purchasing journeys for folk, however we all know that purchasing remains to be necessary,” she mentioned. “We wanted that vitamin of their houses so people are comfy. And it was unnerving as effectively. You had your day all deliberate to buy groceries and you’ll’t now as a result of there’s no house.”

Now, Eric Ham drives a Harmony Space Transit bus on Mondays devoted to grocery purchasing journeys. He’ll decide folks up from their residence, take them to any grocery retailer inside the 03301 space code, and circle again to drop them again at residence.

The schedule, stored on a black clipboard by the motive force’s seat, has the timing right down to the minute.

“They referred to as me and mentioned we shall be right here at 8:56,” mentioned LeBlanc. By 10:45 a.m., the bus had returned to the shop to take her residence.

Providers are freed from cost. And for individuals who have by no means taken the bus earlier than, the transit system has a Journey Coach, who can stroll them by means of the best way to use their providers for first-time riders.

For these on the lookout for any transit assist, they will name Yanski. Her position as Mobility Supervisor, is to play “nurse navigator,” she mentioned. She helps join folks throughout Harmony to transportation providers, whether or not it’s navigating the bus or a carpool group.

To request a journey, seniors name the Harmony Space Transit workplace with their most popular timing and vacation spot. They then obtain affirmation later of the route and their decide up time.

At 10:45 a.m. on Monday morning, Ham pulled the bus to the entrance of Market Basket on Fort Eddy Highway. Outdoors, LeBlanc waited together with her two grocery luggage, alongside different riders.

Tim Cate often rides the bus. He began using a yr and a half in the past – at first two occasions every week. One to do laundry, the opposite to grocery store. Then his landlord put in laundry in his constructing, so now he’s strictly purchasing on bus journeys.

He helps the opposite consumers load their grocery luggage onto the bus. Two luggage for LeBlanc, just a few extra for Sue Ayer.

When the bus stops to choose up Karen Rayner, who’s in a wheelchair, Cate is fast to assist buckle her in.

The ten-seat bus is wheelchair accessible, as are all of Harmony Space Transits’s busses. Ham picked up Rayner from the Storrs Avenue Market Basket, in between dropping off different riders residence.

With fuel costs larger, the bus is a means for folks to go away their automotive at residence and get a free journey, mentioned Yanski.

For some, like Marilyn Belanger, leaving their automotive at residence just isn’t even an choice. She doesn’t have a license. When her husband handed away six months in the past, she was and not using a strategy to get round.

Now she outlets as soon as every week utilizing the senior purchasing bus.

“As soon as in awhile being previous has its advantages,” she joked.

Ham follows a path to drop the 4 prospects – Ayer first, Cate final, choosing up and dropping off Rayner in between.

This was LeBlanc’s first Monday purchasing journey. However she’ll be again on subsequent week, she mentioned, together with her grocery record and luggage.

The most important adjustment, is studying to buy a complete week at a time, she mentioned.

And for the 2 hour purchasing journey there are previous and new faces. Cate sees some regulars, he mentioned, like a person who was housed within the Finest Western in Harmony, and would take the bus to grocery store and do laundry on the Harmony Coalition to Finish Homelessness’s Useful resource Middle.

For others, it’s a probability to talk to somebody new on the journey residence.

“Have week. It was good to satisfy you. By subsequent week I gained’t bear in mind your identify, nevertheless it was nonetheless good to satisfy you,” she joked turning to LeBlanc as she will get off at her home.