New senior transportation partnership rolls out
Seniors can begin riding July 3; service will be free to residents
The city and Senior Transportation Connection have entered an agreement and will be partnering to expand services to North Royalton seniors beginning July 3. File photo by JAIME ANTON
NORTH ROYALTON – The city’s new partnership with Senior Transportation Connection has kicked into drive with residents able to ride beginning July 3.
Seniors were privy to a special presentation last week at the senior center from STC Executive Director Janice Dzigiel, explaining the ins and outs of the new program and transition.
Senior Pete Prokay, of North Royalton, said he’s looking forward to riding.
“It’s nice that North Royalton reached out to join an organization like this. You have to change. If you don’t, you get left behind,” he said.
This will very much mirror North Royalton’s former system initially, even utilizing the senior center vehicles.
Though the city is eliminating its own two part-time driver positions, through attrition, and transportation services offered through the senior center, services are expected to greatly increase, officials have said, through an expanded service area, ridership and hours of operation.
The current service area is Parma, Broadview Heights, Strongsville Cleveland Clinic, the Strongsville Medical Center at Drake and Pearl, the November MetroHealth facility on Pearl near Sprague, the VA facility on Brookpark Road, and a group of medical buildings near Bagley and Pearl.
Senior Transportation Connection includes this current area but expands to include Middleburg Heights and Southwest General Health Center. Strongsville; the Centers for Family and Children, Parma UH Medical Center; Brook Park including the VA facility; Healthspan and Broadview Heights.
The service is available to North Royalton seniors 60 and older. All they must do first is register, though there are 65 residents provided through a senior center database who have already been added to STC’s system and are ready to ride. Once registered, residents are asked to give three days’ notice for an appointment. The day before, STC will send out an automated phone call to remind the rider.
The service, much like North Royalton’s former transportation program, is free to riders and will primarily include medical appointments and trips to and from the senior center for sanctioned events. Scheduled group shopping will remain as is but will now include Giant Eagle, Walmart and Marc’s.
Down the road, things could be reviewed and expanded in the future pending upon rider demand.
“Once we get some data under our belt and what people are asking for, where we’re going, we’d be happy to sit down with the city and say, ‘this is what residents are asking for and have called about.’ We may look at changing things up if the city is happy with the service, and I’m confident they will be,’” Dzigiel said of potentially including more personal stops such as salon appointments.
The biggest take away for residents is that the service is still free.
“The city is paying the whole bill. That’s really special. In most communities, residents have to pay something,” Dzigiel said.
“We want to keep this free for residents as long as we can,” Mayor Bob Stefanik assured.
The service is available from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., two hours longer than the senior center’s availability.
“And we hope to go even longer in the day if we’re needed to do that,” Dzigiel said.
North Royalton is the 30th city in the county to join the STC, and Dzigiel is happy to have them.
“A lot of our work is on the east side so we’re very excited to expand the footprint in the west and southwest. North Royalton is adjacent to Middleburg Heights, which is a partner, so that helps Middleburg Heights that we are servicing their next door neighbor,” she said. “We’re very excited and we’re ready.”
Anyone who needs to register can call STC at 216-265-1489 or the city’s Office on Aging at 440-582-6333 for assistance.
Seniors were privy to a special presentation last week at the senior center from STC Executive Director Janice Dzigiel, explaining the ins and outs of the new program and transition.
Senior Pete Prokay, of North Royalton, said he’s looking forward to riding.
“It’s nice that North Royalton reached out to join an organization like this. You have to change. If you don’t, you get left behind,” he said.
This will very much mirror North Royalton’s former system initially, even utilizing the senior center vehicles.
Though the city is eliminating its own two part-time driver positions, through attrition, and transportation services offered through the senior center, services are expected to greatly increase, officials have said, through an expanded service area, ridership and hours of operation.
The current service area is Parma, Broadview Heights, Strongsville Cleveland Clinic, the Strongsville Medical Center at Drake and Pearl, the November MetroHealth facility on Pearl near Sprague, the VA facility on Brookpark Road, and a group of medical buildings near Bagley and Pearl.
Senior Transportation Connection includes this current area but expands to include Middleburg Heights and Southwest General Health Center. Strongsville; the Centers for Family and Children, Parma UH Medical Center; Brook Park including the VA facility; Healthspan and Broadview Heights.
The service is available to North Royalton seniors 60 and older. All they must do first is register, though there are 65 residents provided through a senior center database who have already been added to STC’s system and are ready to ride. Once registered, residents are asked to give three days’ notice for an appointment. The day before, STC will send out an automated phone call to remind the rider.
The service, much like North Royalton’s former transportation program, is free to riders and will primarily include medical appointments and trips to and from the senior center for sanctioned events. Scheduled group shopping will remain as is but will now include Giant Eagle, Walmart and Marc’s.
Down the road, things could be reviewed and expanded in the future pending upon rider demand.
“Once we get some data under our belt and what people are asking for, where we’re going, we’d be happy to sit down with the city and say, ‘this is what residents are asking for and have called about.’ We may look at changing things up if the city is happy with the service, and I’m confident they will be,’” Dzigiel said of potentially including more personal stops such as salon appointments.
The biggest take away for residents is that the service is still free.
“The city is paying the whole bill. That’s really special. In most communities, residents have to pay something,” Dzigiel said.
“We want to keep this free for residents as long as we can,” Mayor Bob Stefanik assured.
The service is available from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., two hours longer than the senior center’s availability.
“And we hope to go even longer in the day if we’re needed to do that,” Dzigiel said.
North Royalton is the 30th city in the county to join the STC, and Dzigiel is happy to have them.
“A lot of our work is on the east side so we’re very excited to expand the footprint in the west and southwest. North Royalton is adjacent to Middleburg Heights, which is a partner, so that helps Middleburg Heights that we are servicing their next door neighbor,” she said. “We’re very excited and we’re ready.”
Anyone who needs to register can call STC at 216-265-1489 or the city’s Office on Aging at 440-582-6333 for assistance.