Arlington Grant Will Expand Transportation Options For Seniors

March 15, 2021

ARLINGTON, MA — The Arlington Council on Aging has received a $28,080 grant to assist with transportation needs for older residents. The town will contract with Arlington Taxi/ArlBel Transportation and Arlington Green Cab to provide rides to medical appointments, grocery stores, personal hygiene appointments, social visits and Council on Aging programs.

"We rely heavily on a core of dedicated volunteers to drive our older residents to medical appointments. But many of our volunteers are not vaccinated and have not been able to drive," Council on Aging Director Kristine Shah said in a statement. "We are grateful to the state for providing this temporary funding, and will resume our volunteer transportation program when it's safe for two people from different households to share a car ride again."

The town received the grant through MassDevelopment, which on Thursday announced $2.5 million in funding to 47 communities, agencies, regional transit authorities, non-profits and human service providers through the Taxi, Livery, and Hackney Transportation Partnerships Grant Program.

Grants will help communities supplement existing transportation options, create new programs to transport individuals to work, grocery stores, non-emergency medical appointments, and other destinations and facilitate delivery of essential supplies such as food and medicine to residents in need. They will be administered by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.

"The Baker-Polito Administration commends MassDevelopment and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council for utilizing the state's Transportation Infrastructure Enhancement Trust Fund to help communities augment local transit with taxi and livery services to get residents where they need to go," said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy. "These awards will provide a boost to an industry in need while filling gaps in the state's transportation network."