Audrey Pierson of Waukegan usually has to hope someone will be available to give her a ride to church on Sunday mornings, but now she is ready to try a new method of transportation courtesy of Waukegan Township.
Pierson said she plans to take advantage of a newer weekend travel program operated by the township providing free rides to seniors. She recently learned about it when her daughter arranged a ride for her to a community event. Now Pierson sees other possibilities.
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“Going to church is very important to me,” she said. “I’d usually wait around for someone who is available to pick me up. Now, I can call and get a ride to church and back home.”
The Waukegan Township weekend ride program provides seniors over 60 with transportation via Uber or Lyft on Saturdays and Sundays anywhere in the area within a 10-mile radius of their home and back, whether to the store, a grandchild’s birthday party or church.
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Township Supervisor Marc Jones said the program is open to any township resident over 60. It is funded by a $20,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Aging received in May. There are no restrictions on the purpose of the ride.
Jones said patrons need to call the Patricia A. Jones Center for seniors at 847-599-2936 by 4:30 p.m. Friday to arrange their weekend transportation. There are no limits on the number of rides a person can reserve.
“We’re always looking for ways to support seniors in our community,” Jones said. “This is helpful for people on a fixed income. We want people with a fixed income to take advantage of it. It helps them remain independent as long as they can. They can use it to go to the mall or visit friends.”
Pierson’s first ride was to Senior Day at the Jones center. She had never hired a ride service in the past to get around, but now she likes the idea.
“I never used Uber before,” she said. “It was a nice experience. The driver came to my house and we talked on the way there. I never knew about it before. I’m glad I do now. I don’t have to be at the mercy of my kids.”
Along with the township’s transit card for seniors 55 and over, Jones said the weekend ride service program is another way to help older people get around. While the transit card can also be used on the weekend, including for a ride service, it has a $35 monthly limit.
“This won’t cut into the transit card limit,” he said. “It will supplement the transit card. They can use it to get to the store or go to a grandchild’s birthday party. It’s up to them.”
While there is a limitation to a 10-mile radius around the person’s home, Jones said there is no specific destination, whether it is a grocery store, the drugstore, a movie theater or a family gathering.