Ride-Sharing Services Available At Fulton Senior Facilities

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — Uber/Lyft services remain available for participants of Fulton County’s four senior multipurpose facilities or seniors that have been screened as appropriate to receive transportation service.

The service, offered by the Fulton County Department of Senior Services through the non-profit Common Courtesy provides ride sharing for eligible seniors. Common Courtesy links the popular ride sharing services to provide transportation alternatives for seniors in need of rides to senior multipurpose facilities or other vital services.

Senior Services reservations agents call Common Courtesy to reserve rides for seniors, and the Common Courtesy schedules drivers to pick them up at their requested time and location.

Senior Services leadership chose the Uber/Lyft collaboration with Common Courtesy as a means of easing the demand for transportation to senior facilities as well as coordinating travel to grocery stores, doctors’ offices, the pharmacy or other essential trips.

(For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here)

Before the Uber/Lyft services were initiated, Senior Services experienced long waiting lists of about 1,800 seniors in need of transportation to access services vital for their health and quality of life. Since the kickoff, the waiting list has been eliminated.

The initial ride-sharing program began as a pilot program with Uber at the Dorothy C. Benson Senior Multipurpose Facility, with funding provided by the Friends of Benson organization. The program is now funded through an Atlanta Regional Commission grant. The program was expanded to all four senior multipurpose facilities:

• Benson Senior Multipurpose Facility, 6500 Vernon Woods Drive, Sandy Springs
• Bowden Senior Multipurpose Facility, 2885 Church Street, East Point
• Darnell Senior Multipurpose Facility, 677 Fairburn Road NW, Atlanta
• Mills Senior Multipurpose Facility, 515 John Wesley Dobbs Avenue NE, Atlanta

“The Uber/Lyft Service is a transportation option some of our senior multipurpose facility participants are trying out for the first time,” said Senior Services Director Dr. Pamela Roshell. “We are continuing to assess senior transportation needs and strategies for improving service availability.”

In regard to ride safety for seniors, both Uber and Lyft conduct background checks of drivers. Riders are encouraged to compare the name, vehicle and tag numbers of the drivers scheduled to messages sent by the service provider. If a senior has any concerns, the Senior Services reservationist who scheduled the transportation should be contacted.

For more information about the Uber/Lyft partnership, seniors can contact Vanessa Compton at 404-613-0345 or Vanessa.compton@fultoncountyga.gov. For more information about the Senior Services/ Common Courtesy ride sharing or to find out what is required to register for Uber/Lyft ride sharing or other senior programs, citizens may call the STARline at 404-613-6000.

Image via Shutterstock