Two Warren County agencies are stepping up to fill a void to ensure that senior citizens in northern and western Warren County can safely get to and from grocery shopping, visits to pharmacies and other essential errands.
Warren/Hamilton Counties Office for the Aging and Warren County Veterans’ Services have teamed up to start a new senior transportation program that will provide those over the age of 60 and military veterans of any age free shuttle bus transportation for errands in the Glens Falls/Queensbury area. It started January 2, 2024.
A private contractor provided senior shuttle service in western and northern Warren County towns for years, but the operation was halted at the end of 2022 with little notice to the affected communities and residents.
When this private service abruptly ended, Deanna Park, Director of Warren Hamilton Counties Office for the Aging, said her office began looking into ways to replace it.
“Transportation is of vital importance to our seniors in rural Warren County and we believe this new program will help seniors remain in their homes,” Deanna Park explained.
When Denise DiResta, Director of Warren County Veterans’ Services, learned of the transportation interruption, she offered the use of vans her agency operates for veterans medical appointments when they aren’t in use transporting veterans.
The veterans vans are used to conduct trips to Stratton VA Medical Center in Albany. But based on those schedules, the vans and part-time drivers are available to operate the vehicles for senior transportation as well.
Said DiResta: “When I heard that that the senior van service ended, I thought it was important that we do everything we can to resume this service for our seniors, many of them being veterans themselves. We were glad to be able to help.”
The bus service will be for those 60 and over, and will operate in the towns of Warrensburg, Bolton, Chester, Horicon, Johnsburg, Thurman, Stony Creek and Hague. (Senior residents in southern Warren County communities currently have access to municipally or privately operated transportation service.)
Seniors will be picked up at their homes, with service in each community twice a month as outlined below:
- Bolton/Hague – 1st and 3rd Tuesday
- Chestertown/Brant Lake/Horicon – 2nd & 4th Tuesday
- Warrensburg/Johnsburg – 1st & 3rd Thursday
- Thurman/Stony Creek – 2nd & 4th Thursday
Said Kevin Geraghty, Warrensburg Town Supervisor and Chairman of the Warren County Board of Supervisors: “We are very pleased that the Office for the Aging and Veterans Services’ staff stepped up to start this service. The senior transportation program being discontinued last year has been a big issue for residents of northern towns in Warren County. This service is very important for seniors who can’t drive or don’t have other transportation options.”
Those wishing to use the service will fill out a one-time registration form during their first trip.
Those with questions about the program, or would like to schedule a pickup, can call the Office for the Aging at 518-761-6347. Log on to warrencountyny.gov/ofa and click the “Transportation Program” link for additional information as well.