Senior transportation pilot program begins
Solano County residents who are 60 or older will be able to utilize a transportation pilot program that will allow expanded access to existing transportation services that are critical for seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic, the county announced in a news release.
The Medical Trip Concierge program went into effect Monday and provides more options for aging individuals regarding attending medical appointments, going to the pharmacy and making other essential trips.
The program comes courtesy of the Solano County Board of Supervisors which approved $150,000 in CARES Act funding at its Aug. 25 meeting to expand the Solano Transportation
Authority’s (STA’s) Medical Trip Concierge program. In particular, the funds go toward combining its GoGo and Intercity Taxi Card programs into a single transportation service known as Medical Trip Concierge.
The GoGo Grandparent pilot program aims to subsidize rides in Uber, Lyft and regular taxi services by up to 80 percent to residents ages 60 and older. It also expands the program to include residents who are eligible under the Americans with Disabilities Act and will increase the number of subsidized rides individuals can take to and from appointments from 10 to 20 per month.
“Thanks to the Board’s CARES Act funding, we are able to combine the strengths of both transportation programs into one, making it easier for riders and increasing their ability to make critical appointments,” Daryl Halls, executive director at STA said ina statement. “This will help address the current situation where an already vulnerable population is now facing reduced access to essential transportation services.”
The CARES Act requires all funding to be used by Dec. 31, but if the pilot program remains popular, STA will seek additional State Transit Assistance Funds to keep the program going, officials wrote.
Rides can be scheduled by calling the Solano Mobility Call Center at (800) 5356883 between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays or online at SolanoMobility.org.