Actually 72% of Pennsylvania is considered rural, which means that most of the public transportation that happens in Pennsylvania is being provided in rural communities.

It's oftentimes the smaller buses that are the shuttle style buses that are, you know, going to pick people up from curb to curb.

With those types of shared ride services, there are some unique barriers that happen.

Since it's not going on a regular route, you need to actually do some pre-planning when it comes to utilizing those services.

So it does require the individual to call and schedule a ride.

It also requires a trip back, right?

So if you go to the eye doctor per se and you're using shared ride services to get to your eye doctor appointment, you might be waiting a little bit for this shared ride service to come pick you up to take you back to your house.

Many older adults in rural Pennsylvania struggle with access to reliable transportation.

There may be no bus routes or very few ride services in our communities.

Affordability is also an issue.

And in addition, rural areas means longer distances to medical appointments.

So the providers are further away, grocery stores, pharmacies.

So a lack of reliable transportation can become a barrier to meeting those basic needs.

Finally, physical limitations or mobility concerns can make it harder for older adults to safely drive themselves.

And that increases their dependence on outside help.

The biggest barriers that are controllable would be the fact that you have to do the pre-scheduling.

And, you know, if you are an older adult, having a family member help you maybe the first few times so that you can get into the schedule routine, you understand the process, definitely can help make it easier for you to utilize the services moving forward.

Again, those services are paid through by lottery dollars, but they're not necessarily free rides like you can do with a fixed route.

I would suggest reaching out to your local areas on aging to see, you know, if you qualify for additional programs that might be out there to help reduce those costs.

Here in rural Pennsylvania, bus stops don't exist.

We tell people give yourself at least two weeks to call and set up a shared ride trip for yourself because that's what our shared ride provider needs just to ensure that they have a staff person to drive the bus and that they don't have other trips scheduled at the same time.

And we also encourage people to talk to their medical provider to have some more flexibility with changing those appointments around getting the transportation to their appointments.

Transportation or a vehicle is independence.

I mean, think about when you're 16, you get your driver's license, you're independent.

You can go whenever you want, wherever you want.

For older adults, being able to get to the doctor or just get a prescription, pick up a few groceries, or even going to a social activity often determines whether they can remain at home and live safely without that transportation.

And transportation isn't just about running to Walmart or running some errands around town.

It's also about reducing isolation and allowing older adults to stay engaged in our communities is crucial.

Sometimes community organizations like churches, other nonprofits, volunteer groups, they might have some resources available for people.

And also your Medicare Advantage plans.

Call your insurance company.

Sometimes they have some different transportation benefits available that you can access.