SAC chairwoman Chris Morrissey was on the Bill Good Show this Tuesday to discuss the $1 million in additional funding that TransLink has pledged for HandyDART service this year.
“This will have a major impact on seniors,” said Ms. Morrissey. “Three-quarters of HandyDART users are seniors, and the freeze that’s been on all transit budgets for years has had a devastating impact on seniors using HandyDART, whose numbers are rising when funds have been frozen. This TransLink measure will significantly increase the number of rides for seniors who can’t drive or take the bus, and will make a difference to countless seniors.”
TransLink held consultations with seniors and disabilities groups last year and they heard our most important message: that HandyDART is at crisis levels and that TransLink must increase the overall number of rides. They also responded positively to our suggestion that there be an increase in the number of subsidized taxi rides for seniors and persons with disabilities when HandyDART shuttles are not appropriate or are unavailable.
