Transportation options for Wellesley seniors

By Evan Allen, Town Correspondent

Wellesley’s Council on Aging will hold an information session for seniors looking to learn about transportation options on Thursday, March 22.

“The goal is to get seniors out of the house and let them maintain their independence and quality of life when they can’t drive,” said Sandy Boris-Berkowitz, Transportation Options Coordinator at the Wellesley Council on Aging. “A lot of seniors don’t know the options out there.”

The Wellesley Council on Aging bus runs Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. throughout Wellesley, she said. It also makes stops at the Newton Wellesley Hospital, the Metrowest Medical Center in Natick, the Beth Israel-Deaconess Hospital in Needham and the Woodland T Stop in Newton. The bus accommodates wheelchairs, she said.

Reservations are suggested at least two days in advance. The fare is $1 each way, but the bus makes a free grocery shopping trip every Wednesday morning at 10:00 a.m.

Seniors can purchase bus tickets through the Council on Aging. For details, call the Council on Aging at 781-235-3961.

Another option offered by the Council on Aging is the Volunteer Drivers Program, which runs Monday through Friday but may also be able to accommodate weekend and evening trips. Rides are free, though donations are welcome.

Interested seniors can call Lois Camberg at 508-479-9301 or email drive@wellesleyma.gov.

The Ride is an MBTA-run program that provides transportation to people unable to use standard public transportation and who need assistance from door to curb, and to the visually impaired. Application is required: an application can be downloaded here. For more information call 617-222-5123.

The Independent Transportation Network also provides rides for a membership fee. For more information, call 508-309-7375.

For seniors living outside of Wellesley, Springwell offers two transportation options to ferry people to and from medical appointments.

The Busy Bee program and the Springwell Medical Escort Program run through Boston, Belmont, Brookline, Needham, Newton, Waltham, Watertown and Weston. For information on the Busy Bee program, call 800-427-0230. For information on the Springwell Medical Escort Program, call 617-926-4100 and ask to speak with the volunteer coordinator.

Anyone seeking further information is also welcome to contact Boris-Berkowitz at 339-222-3789 or sbberkowitz@wellesleyma.gov.

The March 22 session will be held at 1:00 p.m. at the Wellesley Council on Aging in Henderson Hall.

Evan Allen can be reached at evan.allen@globe.com