Springwell received a $90,000 grant from MassDevelopment in April aimed at expanding transportation service capacity through contracts with licensed taxi or livery businesses. After providing over 1,000 rides, 3 months later, the program is ending, having depleted all the funds.

Springwell’s mission to provide comprehensive services to seniors, individuals with disabilities and those who provide care, includes access to transportation for both social engagements and medical appointments. With the financial support of this grant, Springwell partnered with Alternative Transportation Systems, LLC to create a transportation resource for individuals age 60+ who live in Springwell’s eight town service area (Belmont, Brookline, Needham, Newton, Waltham, Watertown, Wellesley, Weston) for both medical and non-medical purposes.

The grant, which is now depleted, allowed close to 200 seniors no-cost access to transportation between April and July.  Seniors were able to attend non-urgent medical appointments that were postponed due to COVID-19, get back out to the grocery store independently, take trips to social day programs and senior centers, attend cultural events, and also get urgent, non-medical tasks done such as repairs to cell phones.

Seniors expressed great appreciation both for the rides, and for the quality of the services received, expressed by voice messages extolling, “the prompt and friendly drivers,” “the quality of the van and the level of service by the drivers,” and “the time everyone took to give information about the services offered.”

Transportation options for seniors remain a challenge in the greater Boston area. Springwell’s Information and Consultation Specialists are available to discuss resources for limited free and low-cost transportation options, and can be reached by calling 617-926-4100. Options can also be found on the resources section of the website at https://springwell.com/resources/.