The numbers are in. Since County Connection re-introduced the once popular free mid day program for senior and disabled passengers, ridership in this category increased by 13% in January 2014 over January 2013.
The free mid day program which began December 22, 2013, allows senior (65+) and disabled passengers to ride any fixed-route bus for free between 10AM and 2PM. Some happy passenger comments:
“Thank you for re-starting this program.Being disabled I’m on a very fixed income and every penny I can save helps.”
“Thanks, a lot of us disabled people only get out in the midday….. Thanks again”
The long-running program was discontinued in 2009 when transit agencies across the state lost a significant funding source, resulting in service cuts and fare increases. With the economy slowly improving finances have stabilized, which led to the County Connection Board of Directors approving the re-introduction of this popular program.