Need a Ride?

By Avice Meehan

By Avice Meehan

Ask anyone who lives in Norfolk without a car, and they will tell you that the town-supported community van makes a major difference in their lives.  

“My basic feeling is that if we didn’t have the Norfolk service, [life] would be very difficult,” says Sue Frisch, an active rider. “I would either never do anything or have no friends because they were tired of me asking for a ride.”

The van, which began operating in 2019, is part of a web of rural transit programs that connect the region and provide vital support to elderly and disabled residents. It supplements state and foundation-supported services available through Geer Village and the Northwestern Connecticut Transit District. (See sidebar for details.)

“We try to make sure that residents can get out for grocery shopping and medical appointments,” says Norfolk’s first selectman Matt Riiska, noting that the van serves a core group of dedicated riders, many of whom use it several times a week.

Norfolk will spend $24,500 for the van in 2022-23, in addition to smaller allocations for regional transit. The budget increased because of higher gas and maintenance costs, with the town also eliminating Tuesday service and instituting a suggested donation of $2 per ride. Riiska notes that town support enables greater flexibility, including the ability to make trips into Great Barrington or Millerton and to make the van available to local groups on the weekends.

“Transportation is always going to be an issue, “says Gertrude O’Sullivan, director of communications and special programs at the Foundation for Community Health. 

As O’Sullivan notes, the foundation isn’t in the transportation business, but has found itself supporting programs like Geer’s Dial-a-Ride and ways to make it more efficient because they are key to ensuring better health outcomes for residents of rural areas.

Geer now operates up to 10 vehicles of varying sizes to support transit needs for the elderly (60+) and disabled in its primary service area of North Canaan, Falls Village, Lakeville, Sharon, Cornwall and Norfolk. Thanks to a planning grant from the Foundation for Community Health, Geer received state funding for a dispatch system that allows it to track vehicles and make route changes in real time in response to new calls or cancellations. Geer is also testing an Uber-like service in areas of Torrington and Winsted where demand is particularly high and more traditional ride services can be fully booked a month in advance. 

“The majority of our riders are pretty regular users,” says Geer’s Stacie Nicholas, who oversees the program. “Overall, we are seeing that those who use the service are using it more intensively so that the regulars are REAL regulars.”

Geer provides upward of 12,000 rides a year and serves between 300 and 400 unique riders—with Norfolk providing a small percentage of the total. Yet numbers tell only part of the story, because each provider, including the Northwestern Connecticut Transit District, tries to backstop each other to ensure coverage.

“Unfortunately, the system doesn’t get tied together as well as we would all like because of different funding and funder requirements,” says Nicholas. “But we try to make sure that we’re communicating as well as possible.”

Transit Basics

Four transportation services are available to Norfolk residents during the week, including the town-supported community bus. Here’s what you need to know:

• Norfolk Community Bus: Service runs Monday, Thursday and Friday on a first-come, first-serve basis and is available to all town residents. Reservations should be made 48 hours in advance through the Selectman’s Office at 860-542-5829. Medical appointments take priority, but the bus makes regular runs to the Stop & Shop in Canaan several times a week and to Torrington on Fridays. Suggested donation is $2 per ride. If a driver is available, the bus can also be rented by local nonprofit groups, who are responsible for paying the cost of the driver, gas and parking.

• Geer Village, Dial-a-Ride: Service is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for elderly (60+) and disabled individuals. The Geer service offers some flexibility depending on demand and driver availability. Reservations should be made a minimum of 48 hours in advance by calling 860-824-7067. As an added plus, Geer will coordinate appointments for a doctor or lab visit with the van schedule if a rider or family member asks for help. 

• Northwestern Connecticut Transit District: Service is available to elderly and disabled Norfolk residents on Wednesdays only. Appointments should be made 48 hours in advance by calling 860-489-2535. The cost is $1.25 per ride.

• RITS (Rural Independent Transportation Service): Elderly and disabled Norfolk residents can use RITS for nonemergency medical appointments outside the immediate region, including Yale-New Haven Hospital and the UConn Medical Center. The program is provided by the Northwest Hills Council of Governments, but Norfolk residents can access it through Northwest Transit by calling 860-489-2535. Transportation is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and appointments should be made at least 48 hours in advance.