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I took the free college bus the other day from my town to a town a half hour away. It was easy to get to, I paid no gas or bus fare, it was direct, the students were not bothersome, the bus was clean, and I had an enjoyable ride directly to my destination without having to walk far.
I am not including subways and trains or trams in my question here, because many have no interest in those in old age. Of places you have researched, which places have a good bus system and/or senior transport system? (Senior vans are typically operated by municipal or town aging councils, are typically free or low fare, and typically 8 to 12 seats or so – mini buses).
Boone, NC has a terrific bus system, but the problem for me is . . . other than students, it is about impossible for anyone else to access it as neighborhoods are too far outside the town to make it a convenient way to travel. They do have lines running out to various rural areas, if you call them, but the service is limited. However, it does exist! I believe at least part of those routes are subsidized by the Dept. of Aging.
That is the way I find it to be across the South.
In Boone, if you found a ride into town, then getting around (in decent weather) might not be too bad using the bus, but there would still be a lot of walking involved for most folks. This is a mountain town -- and rain and snow/sleet/ice can impact travel, even in a car!
To use public transit as a sole means of transportation, I would think one would need to live in a major urban center. The problem in smaller communities, is that the buses don't always run where or when you need to go. Population density is the secret to making these systems work financially.
It's not uncommon to find smaller communities with some basic senior transit system. Usually limited to healthcare facilities and maybe a major grocery store. Pick-up points are often limited, and the schedule infrequent. Meaning one has to plan their life around the bus schedule, and have a means to get from their residence to the bus stop.
In many places, good public transit is offset by high housing costs.
My favorite uncle, who is now 79, lived with me for 4 years here in Phily. Now he lives in NYC where he is from originally. He says seniors get a discount on their 'Metro Cards' in NYC, but he says he misses riding on Philly's SEPTA buses, trolleys, and trains, which are FREE for seniors.
Philly people like to complain about SEPTA, but the fact is, it is one of the best public transportation systems in the US, many lines running 24 hours, and with convenient time tables and make frequent stops.
In my small city there is a free "Senior Ride" service (very small bus). You call one day ahead and you can be taken where you want to go, such as grocery shopping or a doctor's appointment. This service operates seven days a week. I don't get why it needs to operate seven days a week. People who need the service can plan their shopping and so forth for the weekdays.
I resent paying for my own transportation and paying for others too. Talk about a sense of entitlement.
I resent paying for my own transportation and paying for others too. Talk about a sense of entitlement.
I don't look at it this way, though I understand what you're saying. But you are also paying for all the schools that you do not use, the public facilities you do not use, the high municipal administrator salaries and pensions (much of this personnel a waste and not needed), other peoples' trash pickup with your taxes, etc. Here I have to pay, through taxes, for a town-owned golf course that I could care less about, and "cruise night" and other townie functions that I never go to, an unneeded new library...you get the picture. Of all these, I feel most inclined to have my tax dollars go to getting old and feeble-ish folks where they need to go. Some day I'll be using this service myself.
I don't look at it this way, though I understand what you're saying. But you are also paying for all the schools that you do not use, the public facilities you do not use, the high municipal administrator salaries and pensions (much of this personnel a waste and not needed), other peoples' trash pickup with your taxes, etc. Here I have to pay, through taxes, for a town-owned golf course that I could care less about, and "cruise night" and other townie functions that I never go to, an unneeded new library...you get the picture. Of all these, I feel most inclined to have my tax dollars go to getting old and feeble-ish folks where they need to go. Some day I'll be using this service myself.
Most towns in this part of MA have senior vans that take people grocery shopping twice a week. They will also take you other places but I don't know too much about it as I've never used it. There's a service called The Ride. There is bus service to neighboring towns but I'd have to walk about 1/4 mile to get to the bus, good to know it's there though.
From the next town there is train service that goes to Boston and a lot of other cities and towns.
The only service I ever did use was the volunteer service to drive you to a hospital for surgery. I don't remember what it was for but someone was there bright and early and someone else came and took me home. That was great because I had just moved here and only knew a few people and they all had to work during the day.
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Well and good, but who's paying for all this?
