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Many transportation options for seniors

Did you know there is a little known metro area program that will send a "trainer" to senior households and teach them how to use any form of public transportation? It's either free, or if there is a fee, it's never more than $25. It's aimed at giving seniors their mobility back.

The program originates out of VIA Mobility in Boulder and is available to anyone over the age of 60, or anyone under the age of 60 with a mobility challenge or limited mobility of some description. You simply give VIA a call or contact them online to begin the process.

Business hours are from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
303-447-2848 | FAX: 303-447-0686
info@viacolorado.org

Those who call expressing interest will be assessed over the phone to make sure the program is appropriate for them. Then, VIA will send a trainer to the home to meet with the family and the individual looking for assistance. The trainer will learn where the client wishes to go, what physical limitations they are facing, and how close they are to public transit or whether other options would be more suitable. It is a comprehensive one-on-one program.

VIA is based in Boulder and serves a five county area to include parts of Adams, Arapahoe, Larimer and Weld counties. It serves all of Boulder and Broomfield, and its bus training program has an even broader reach. That program operates in the entire 8-County RTD region, which includes virtually all of the front range. RTD will participate by actually sending an out-of-service bus to groups of seniors in an effort to help them get familiar with the local transportation system.

You may not realize it, but loss of mobility is something that happens to thousands of our aging parents on a daily basis. They are suddenly forced to give up the keys to their cars because of a health problem or-- the recognition that their driving skills are not what they once were.

That means they need to find an alternate mode of mobility. To the rescue-- the many front range programs that are rushing in to fill the need.There are several options out there. For example, in addition to the VIA programs, the buses in the transportation program at the Senior Resource Center in Wheat Ridge have provided more than 100,000 rides to seniors in six counties this year. The contact information for that service is below.

Please make ride requests 3-7 business days in advance
________________________________________
Denver Metro Area
Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Jefferson counties
303.235.6972
________________________________________
Evergreen/Mountain Communities
Unincorporated Jefferson County, Clear Creek and eastern Park County
303.679.2552

For additional information and for transportation availability at all the senior centers all along the front range you can call DRMAC (Denver Regional Mobility and Access Council) at 303-243-3113.

As Senior Source has been reporting for several weeks now, the big problem for all the transportation centers continues to be a lack of manpower. Our Mark Koebrich has been working these past weeks to help recruit more drivers, both paid and volunteer, for the programs. Senior Source is happy to report those efforts have meet with considerable success. Hundreds of prospects have come forward and are about to begin driver orientation.

Drivers are paid $15.50 an hour working part time or full time, with paid holidays, paid vacation, paid training and a 401-K among other benefits.

For more information on the Driver Hiring program, contact DRMAC at 303-243-3113.

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