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Date: 5/16/2023
AMHERST — Seniors in town now have another way to get around to activities from medical appointments, the grocery store and even services and events at the Senior Center.
The Silver Shuttle runs Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is able to pick up riders at their homes.
Hayley Bolton, Senior Services Director says the start of the service comes with the assistance of Senior Service staff as well as the backing of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority and the town of Amherst.
The service is in some ways comparable to the volunteer medical ride program offered in the town prior to the coronavirus pandemic but there are some differences according to Bolton.
“What makes this program unique is that this is a van that we acquired through a generous donation from the PVTA,” Bolton said. “And it has the capability to assist passengers who are using walkers and wheelchairs so where prior to the pandemic we could not transport those individuals, we now can with this vehicle.”
Access to the van is also similar to traditional bus service with some differences like the ability for riders to call for pick up and for that pick up to occur in front of or close to their home.
“We can’t do door-to-door, this is a curb to curb and what that means is the individual has to get from their doorstep to the van but then we can assist them to get on to the van, “ Bolton says.
Bolton says the ultimate goal is to eventually operate on a five day a week service and expand the hours of operation in order to be more in line with the schedules at the Senior Center which is currently open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. A priority is the transport of passengers to and from the Senior Center, especially those who do not drive or have no regular means of travel.
“Basically, I want, conceptually, to have a service that will be able to take someone to the senior center for anything that we’re doing so that no one feels like they don’t have a way to engage with the community or be a part of the senior center,” she says.
At present, the program is staffed with part-time workers including one employee who handles the phone, scheduling and booking. A driver was engaged with the assistance of ARPA funding.
First-time or new riders will be asked to answer a few questions for intake purposes and for the Senior Center to potentially apply for grants as the program expands.
The service is limited to Amherst residents age 60 and older. Bolton says while there is no required fare, donations are encouraged to the Friends of the Amherst Senior Center which will help the community grow and support the program.
“The donations are important but we don’t want costs to be prohibitive for anybody,” Bolton said. “We want this to be a true community center in the sense that somebody can come and there is a little bit of something for everybody and nobody feels like it’s not a space for them.”
Bolton also encouraged community members to refer to the Senior Center calendar to find out about upcoming programs and events.
Those interested or wanting to schedule, may book rides by calling 413-259-3060.