Those who drive — or at least have someone to transport them to and from appointments, to run errands, or go out for events or other occasions — may take for granted the freedom of getting from point A to point B pretty much at the drop of a hat.

Many senior citizens in town, as well as others who do not get behind the wheel for one reason or another, however, do not have this luxury, and so it is a struggle to get around.

“If one does not drive, getting around Newtown is a major problem,” said Ned Simpson, chair of the Friends of Newtown Seniors (FONS) Livable Community Initiative Steering Committee.

Seniors age 65 and older comprise a bit more than 15 percent of town residents, according to the United States Census Bureau — and while it is not clear how many do not drive, the consensus is that many are reliant on others to get them around.

The Senior Center utilizes the Danbury-based SweetHART Bus and FISH medical drivers for appointments during the day; and there are options with Be Driven, Go Go Grandparent, and the Kennedy Center, Mr Simpson said.

“There are a handful of programs to get people to their medical appointments, but they are not without their problems,” said Mr Simpson, adding that these services are limited to set time schedules and/or require customers to schedule pick up in advance or are too expensive.

“What absolutely isn’t out there is (an option) to get ice cream in the evening or go see a movie at Edmond Town Hall in the evening,” Mr Simpson said. “To be active and engaged in evenings and on weekends is really challenging, other than through family, friend, and Uber,” Mr Simpson said.

“I think that’s critically important to somebody’s health and wellbeing to have social interaction,” First Selectman Dan Rosenthal said.

Newtown Social Services Caseworker Jacqueline Watson said she hears from “a lot of people that don’t have transportation, or don’t drive that need to get to the grocery store or get around.”

“I’ve done it just to help somebody out,” Ms Watson said.

“There are not a lot of options for them,” said Judy Thomas, assistant at the Newtown Senior Center. “A number of us will go and pick seniors up for special events or weekly shopping. There are always going to be events they can’t get to. We try to utilize the Senior Center bus more for that reason.”

The alternative transportation options to SweetHART and FISH are not ideal, Ms Watson said.

“The other options are very expensive. A lot of my clients can’t afford them,” she observed.

According to uber.com, the minimum fare is $7.65. There are a variety of Uber options with booking fees starting at $2.20 and per-mile rates beginning at $1.29 and on up to $3.81.

“I think it would be nice if there was another option,” said Ms Watson, adding that a volunteer service of some sort might be of assistance to seniors.

Volunteers, Suggested Solutions

Anna Wiedemann volunteers with a number of organizations in town, including Meals on Wheels and the Senior Center, where she teaches Italian. Ms Wiedemann said she and other volunteers bring seniors shopping weekly, as well as to special events.

“We have a number of seniors who are driven to the Senior Center four days a week because we are a Congregate Meal Site Monday through Thursday each week. Then we have a group who are driven to doctor’s appointments, grocery stores... They are very helpful and accommodating. We have also used them to drive for trips for our center,” Ms Wiedemann said.

Mr Simpson said town officials have discussed the possibility of a loop bus in town.

“It’s something I’d like to see improved,” First Selectman Dan Rosenthal said of the transportation issues in town for seniors and others who do not drive.

The Western Connecticut Council of Governments, based in Sandy Hook, provides transportation planning among its services to area communities. FONS has reached out to the council asking for consideration for solutions to transportation in Newtown, Mr Simpson said.

John Boccuzzi, one of the founders of FONS, concurs that their options are not enough to meet the demands in town.

The SweetHART bus is used mostly to transport a small number of seniors to the Senior Center on a daily basis and for transporting seniors for any reason, with a day’s notice or more, Mr Boccuzzi said. Be Driven is a for-profit company that provides those in wheelchairs with rides in a very definite area.

“For special events, the town-owned van is used to transport seniors to the Senior Center,” Mr Boccuzzi said.

“There is much talk of Uber and Lyft, but so far, I have not had an enthusiastic response on this,” Mr Boccuzzi added.

Mr Boccuzzi suggests the following as solutions to the problem:

“The town van should be scheduled for regular pickups at the various senior communities to bring seniors to the senior/community center,” he said.

A volunteer service to add to options would be useful, said Mr Boccuzzi, adding that FONS is considering this and application for grants as other towns, such as New Milford and Beacon Falls, have.

“A loop bus through town that would connect us to the HART system for use by everyone. This would connect Newtown to Danbury, Bethel, Brookfield, and New Milford, which are all already on the regular bus routes of HART. More volunteers are needed by FISH,” Mr Boccuzzi added.

FONS has assessed the needs and explored grant funds and proposed a grant application for a trial service. “The town balked at this, as once put in place, there would be an expectation and no guarantee of continued funding,” Mr Boccuzzi said.

He added, “FONS wrote a strong letter to the Council of Governments explaining concerns and the importance of including the needs of Newtown in the Regional transportation document, which was presented as a draft in March and will be finalized in June. We have received no response from that body or from town government concerning that report and absence of any specifics for Newtown in the report. The critical thing about the report is that its content guides decisions about expenditures in this entire region for transportation.”

Mr Rosenthal said the town uses caution in approval of grants that may leave it with expenses, sometimes very high, down the road.

“I think there are a lot of positive things happening across the board,” Mr Rosenthal said of senior life in town, including more of the population utilizing the Senior Center.

“I think we can do a little bit better there, but it’s absolutely fair to say we’re working on it and not ignoring it,” Mr Rosenthal said. “I’m open-minded to try to explore and expand transportation opportunities in town.”

With a population that is not dense and a town big in terms of landscape, a bus with set pickup times on a loop might not be regularly used in town, Mr Rosenthal speculates.

“I think we need to build on what we have and expand on that,” he said, adding that town officials are working with HART in preliminary discussions to improve transportation options in town.

Rick Schreiner, HARTransit’s service development director, said, “Right now, HARTransit runs SweetHART dial-a-ride service, Monday to Saturday, in Newtown. Seniors age 65 or older, or those with any mobility-related disability, are eligible for the service; fares are $1 each way. The service can be used for any purpose. We’ve started the process of looking at the potential for a Microtransit pilot in Newtown; this is at the very beginning stages. In essence, microtransit is like an Uber for buses; a cellphone-based app is used to schedule bus service on demand in a location where regular, traditional, fixed-route bus might be overkill. There are microtransit pilots running now in Connecticut in Norwalk and Old Saybrook, with one in the planning stages in the area of New London. The first step will be an analysis to look at Newtown and what it will take to operate such a service as far as equipment and operating support, where and when it will be set up, and etcetera.”

According to newtown-ct.gov, “There is daily, door-to-door minibus service Monday to Friday and half-day Saturday provided by the SweetHart Transportation District for any elderly and/or disabled residents. To qualify to ride the SweetHART bus service, you must be 60 or over. Proof of age is required. HART daily bus service is Monday to half-day day Saturday, door-to-door service. Call 203-748-2511 at least two days in advance. Call 1-203-830-4399 only when ready to be picked up after your appointment. Reminder: Local and inter-town: $1 each way, ten-day ride pass $9.”

Visit hartransit.com for HART bus information.

Also on the newtown-ct.gov website is the number for FISH Medical Drivers: 1-800-794-0034.

“FISH provides transportation for Newtown residents, regardless of age, who need to go to a hospital, doctor’s office, or to some other necessary medical appointments. This service is for those who cannot drive and do not have a relative, neighbor, or other friends who can take them there and bring them home. Volunteers are available Monday through Thursday. Transportation goes to Danbury, Bethel, Brookfield, and Southbury. It does not go to Monroe,” according to the Newtown website.

To volunteer with FISH, call Colleen Honan at 203-426-0714 or Elaine Landau at 203-364-1152.