Announcement of volunteer program to provide sustainable transportation for seniors and people with visual disabilities

From Bill Wasch, co-board chair of ITN Central Ct.

A new local non-profit has been formed that provides personalized door-to-door & arm-to-arm transportation for seniors and people with visual disabilities in Middletown, Cromwell, Durham, East Hampton, Portland, Haddam, Middlefield and Wethersfield. The organization is seeking volunteers willing to drive seniors to medical appointments, shopping, church, and personal appointments for services ranging from hair care to nail care. It has offices at the Church of the Holy Trinity at 381 Main St. Individuals interested in availing themselves of this transportation service can sign up for a small annual fee and pay through a prepaid account for a per mile charge and pick up fee and drop off fee.

All volunteer drivers are trained and screened through a computer-based data system and they have access to back up insurance over and above their own insurance. Individuals interested in becoming a member and accessing the driving service or willing to volunteer to drive should contact GW Frazier, manager, at 860-346-7433 for more details. A typical example of the service is a Middletown woman who is driven to and from her dialysis treatments three times a week.

A more extensive discussion of how this valuable service can assist both individuals and family caregivers can be seen on the regional ITN web site. Often seniors feel isolated and removed from society because of their inability to drive; this service is designed to put them back in the driver’s seat.

From 1974: Residents Suggest Buses, Bicycles, Boats for Middletown Area

This article is from 35 years ago today, published in the Hartford Courant on August 9, 1974. It was written by Daniel Morales.

Bicycles, boats and buses were among the suggestions offered in a public hearing here Tuesday night, to a state House subcommittee researching alternate modes of transportation.

Four members of the Select Committee on Energy and Transportation on their first trip outside the state capital met with 20 local citizens to get comments on a legislative package being prepared for next year's General Assembly.

Representative David Lavine, D-Durham, Thom Serrani, D-Stamford; Paul Gionfriddo, D-Middletown and August Palmer, R-Stratford, agreed that local Democratic Councilman Vincent Loffredo's suggestion to make use of the Connecticut River was the most unusual proposal they have heard.

"We have a natural highway in the Connecticut River and we wouldn't have to spend millions building and maintaining highways," Loffredo said.

The representatives also heard bicyclists and bus riders request measures to promote more use of those vehicles.

Frank Campbell, a representative of a group of Meriden commuters, told the committee that his group had received 142 positive responses in a support survey they took for a Meriden-Hartford bus service. The commuters now have to go to Cromwell to get a bus to Hartford.

"There's a recognized need but we don't anticipate the state Department of Transportation expanding its service because its budget calls for continuation of existing services. We expect them to tell us that we're going to have to wait a year to a year and a half," Campbell said.

Expanding train service would be a costly alternative, Campbell said, because it costs more to take the train than the bus and many people can't afford the difference.

Buses that go from Middletown to Hartford always are filled and sometimes hold 30 more people than they should, Middletown Transit Chairman Kenneth Bondurant said.

Five bicycle riders criticized the state for not providing bicycle paths on major highways and bridges, parking facilities for bikers and storage racks on buses and trains.

"Biking is also a form of transportation, which is safer and more convenient, yet we can't get from here to Hartford on bikes," said Lorraine Dibble, chairwoman of the state advisory committee for the state Department of Transportation and a member of the bikers' group.

The need for more commuter parking lots also was raised and Serrani said that the state intends to allocate more funds for that service. "The state is planning to expand its parking lot network, hopefully by March," he said.

Efforts to get local businesses to participate in ride-sharing hasn't been very successful, Paul Marcella, a representative of the Midstate Regional Planning Agency, said. Only two firms have responded to letters sent by the agency, he said.

Good Transportation

I'd like to recommend the Spring issue of GOOD magazine to anyone interested in the issues of transit, cycling, walkable neighborhoods or highway policy.

The articles range from solidly practical (how to choose a bike) to whimsical (the development of floating cars). There's a great image on how to arrange a busy urban intersection to suit all the people and vehicles that need to use it (showing lots of colored pavement and large street trees). And there's a piece on San Francisco's 30-year-old casual carpool system, where strangers share a ride and get a free pass at the tollbooth, plus stuff about light rail, stimulus funding and zipcars.

It's not on the newstands any more, but you can read all the articles from this link. Food for thought.

Meet 'n Greet

Catherine Johnson, who is running against Joe Serra for State Represent-ative in Middle-town (District 33), held a "meet 'n greet" in front of her "world headquarters" across the street from Russell Library on Saturday. Lots of curious folks showed up, the most charming of whom are pictured here.

Topics ranged from Alexis de Tocqueville, to the steady climb in taxes, to the economy, to transit options (or the lack thereof) in Connecticut, to local businesses in the downtown. And the cookies (from Fusion) were delectable.

Candidate Johnson reports that she will be holding another such event this coming Saturday, 1 November, in the same location, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Anyone who wishes to learn more about her positions on the range of issues and challenges facing Middletown and the state of Connecticut should attend.

If you click on the second picture, you can just make out the map in the background showing the 1920 streetcar routes in Connecticut.

Free rides from Rell

Governor Rell announced this week (press release with lots of web links here) that the state would provide free bus rides and vanpooling options to state commuters, to encourage alternative transportation. 10 free bus tickets are available for use on state-sponsored bus lines. 3 free vanpooling vouchers are also available, for programs such as Easy Street (which already has some vans coming to workplaces in Middletown), NuRide, and Telecommute Connecticut.

From Middletown, call 1-800-972-EASY to sign up for your free commutes.