New rides program revs up for Westport seniors

The freedom to travel is a wonderful thing, even if you're heading out to a local restaurant just to get out of the house. Some senior citizens, however, don't have such basic freedom of movement, either because they can no longer drive, or are hesitant to get behind the wheel at night.

But they don't have to feel captive anymore. ITNCoastalCT -- short for Independent Transportation Network -- hits the road next month, aiming to provide transportation service 24 hours a day for seniors. Long after regional transit services have closed shop at the end of the business day, ITNCoastalCT will be there, ready to respond to a call for a trip to the weekend farmer's market or perhaps an evening show at the Westport Country Playhouse.

"This is a service meant to replicate a car in your driveway," said Leslie Wolf, president of ITNCoastalCT, who noted the non-profit service took shape after discussions with officials in Westport's Human Services Department. ITNCoastalCT falls under the umbrella of ITNAmerica, whose mission is to help seniors to maintain their independence and their dignity.

"We're dealing with a vulnerable population stuck in their homes," said Wolf, "And they should be able to go where they want to go, as well as where need to go."

Some transportation services limit rides to medical-related trips. With ITNCoastalCT, there are no restrictions. There are also no labels on the vehicles that say "senior transportation" or anything of the sort.

"This allows them to remain connected to the community, to remain active and remain healthy longer," Wolf said.

Sue Pfister, director of the Westport Center for Senior Activities, said many of the men and women she serves could benefit from the ITN service, as the calls the center has been receiving for rides are "constant and increasing."

"I think many seniors would like to participate in some of the cultural events that happen in Westport, beyond the normal operating hours for the Westport Transit District," Pfister said.

Pfister predicts hundreds will take advantage of the ITN service. In fact, she said some of her center's weekend and Thursday evening events are sometimes not as well attended as they might be, and the reason is largely because people lack transportation.

"It shouldn't be that way," she said.

In Westport, the only nighttime transportation for seniors who can't drive, or feel they no longer are able to drive safely at night, is a private taxi. Some seniors don't feel comfortable taking a taxi, while some find it too costly.

There will be a fee for the ITN rides, but the program's officials say they be about half as expensive as a typical taxi ride. There is a basic $3.50 charge per ride, plus a $1.50 per mile fee. The fees will higher for rides from 9 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.

To mitigate the rides' cost, a senior can donate a vehicle they no longer drive and earn the car's value in rides, according to Pfister.

Getting out of the house is about more than socializing, according to Pfister. "I think we all know staying active increases their motivation. It helps them to stay healthier just by staying involved and can prolong any onsets of depression or isolation," she said.

Pfister added that the new transportation service will also help alleviate stress for sons and daughters who worry about their parents and driving.

ITNCoastalCT also doesn't limit town residents' travel to within Westport's borders. Five other towns are also involved -- Westport, Weston, Easton, Norwalk and Wilton -- and so residents of any of the six communities can travel to any of the other municipalities.

Susanne Lebrija, a special services social worker at the town Human Services Department, noted the ITN service will come in handy for those that want to visit a spouse in a nursing home or just do a few errands.

"They need socialization. They need to get out there and do their own errands," she said.

While an older person may have a son or daughter willing to drive them somewhere, Lebrija noted that some seniors like their independence and privacy. In fact, she heard of a man who used the ITN service in another part of the country to travel around with a woman he was courting. Having a son or daughter drive them would likely have been a little awkward, she said.

Cars will be used for the service, which Lebrija said help preserve the rider's dignity.

She said there often is a stigmatization when seniors who do not drive need to take a van service.

However, "this is a chauffeured private vehicle showing up at your front door," Lebrija said.

She added that her office gets many requests for transportation that it is unable to fulfill. Fortunately, ITN will help meet the need. "We can't wait," she said.

The agency fund-raises "50 percent of every ride," said Wolf. The United Way of Coastal Fairfield County is ITNCoastalCT's major backer this year and Wolf hopes other community foundations and organizations will come through in the future. It doesn't take a financial expert to figure out that getting seniors out and about helps local businesses make money.

Wolf said the ITN service "is a long lasting change to how we are all going to age in our communities." The service is not only door-to-door, said Wolf, but also arm-in-arm, if need be.

The Human Services Department has already sent out applications for the transportation service. For more information, log onto www.ITNCoastalCT.org or call 203-858-2001.