DEAR SUN SPOTS: I have decided not to drive my car any longer for safety reasons. My eyes are giving me trouble.

Therefore I am wondering if you have anyone in your files who hires out to take people like myself to get groceries and also to doctor appointments and other types of errands.

I tried SeniorsPlus, but I didn’t get anywhere. Thanking you kindly, I am. — J., Lewiston

ANSWER: Sun Spots congratulates J. on his good sense. It can be a difficult but necessary decision to make for the safety of the driver and others.

Since many, if not all, of her readers will someday likely face this transition, Sun Spots decided to do a column investigating all of the options she can find for transportation. If readers know of others, please let her know.

Like J., she began her research at SeniorsPlus. It is true that SeniorsPlus does not provide transportation, but the staff offered some suggestions and referred her to Western Maine Transportation Services (wmtsbus.org):

“Western Maine Transportation Services Inc. is a nonprofit, public transportation corporation, created by statute in 1976 and appointed by the Maine Department of Transportation to provide public transportation to Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties. WMTS receives funding from the Federal Transit Administration and MaineDOT. Local match is funded by Franklin County, municipalities in Androscoggin and Oxford counties. Additional funding is received from United Way, SeniorsPlus and Maine DHHS.”

WMTS provides transportation for several different groups, but how the public accesses those services vary.

For those on Mainecare needing rides to doctors and other medical appointments, arrangements are made through LogistiCare at 1-855-608-5180. Sun Spots is told the process of setting up MaineCare rides through LogistiCare is now working well.

WMTS also maintains and operates the citylink buses for the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments’ Lewiston-Auburn Transit Committee. For citylink bus information go to www.purplebus.org or call 777-4563.

Everyone else needing a ride can call WMTS directly at 800-393-9335, selection 1, from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or at the same number, selection 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

Unlike the citylink bus system, WMTS buses pick you up at your door so you need not trek to the bus stop. These open-to-the-public “flex” routes serve Lewiston-Auburn, Farmington-Wilton/Jay-Livermore Falls, Oxford-Paris-Norway and Rumford-Mexico regions. In addition, one or two days a week a bus provides transportation from Norway (Tuesday), Rumford (Wednesday) and Farmington (Wednesday and Friday) for a round trip to L-A, including the VA Clinic.

WMTS also operates the Lisbon Connection bus service which offers five round-trips per day between Lisbon Falls and Lewiston’s Oak Street Bus station.

WMTS is not a perfect solution. You are not necessarily guaranteed a ride if they run out of capacity. The other problem is packages. You are limited to what you can carry, so a mammoth grocery shopping trip isn’t an option.

The same problem applies to the citylink buses. Carrying heavy packages any distance is not really feasible for many seniors.

Perhaps one way to deal with the grocery issue would be to take the bus to the grocery store, then arrange for a taxi to pick you up. Once a month or so J. and others like him might do a major shopping trip, stocking up on heavy items, perhaps sharing the cab with a friend or neighbor.

Taxis might seem expensive because you have to hand out cash when you ride, whereas some of the cost of your car is hidden in your yearly budget. Gas is actually only a small part of the overall cost of driving. In addition to buying the vehicle, drivers must pay for insurance, taxes (license plates) and maintenance (oil changes, tires, repairs).

Of course, the most inexpensive option is the bus. WMTS fares are $3 for adults or $1.50 for those 60-plus, the disabled, those on Medicare and children ages 5 to 11. Children under 5 ride free.

Lisbon Connection fares are $1.50 for adults and 75 cents for seniors, riders 11 and younger, or those with disabilities.

citylink fares are $1.50 for adults, $1.25 for high school students and 75 cents for seniors or those with disabilities. Discount monthly and multi-ride passes are also available.

In Lewiston-Auburn WMTS buses also provide priority public transportation for citylink rides covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act. As a specialty service, these ADA rides have a fare of $3 per boarding.

If even these fares are too much for you, there may be funding available to help cover the cost.

Sometimes there are options for special groups of people. For example, currently Community Concepts has a grant that provides special funding for breast cancer patients, including transportation. It also manages a team of volunteer drivers. Visit www.community-concepts.org/transportation or call 800-866-5588.

Volunteer transportation may also be an option. SEARCH, a Catholic Charities program matches volunteers with seniors who need help and company. While mostly for social service organization and state agency rides, WMTS and Community Concepts both have volunteer drivers who also may be able to provide transportation under certain circumstances.

Another solution may be to use the state’s GOMAINE online carpool and vanpool ride board at www.gomaine.org . On this website, sponsored by both the Maine Department of Transportation and the Maine Turnpike Authority, you can register to request one-time and even daily commuter rides.

For those who can afford to pay, home care agencies are another option. These are companies that hire workers to provide services in the home, which might include transportation as well as cleaning, cooking and personal care.

Finally, talk to neighbors, friends, family, churches, clubs and benevolent organizations. Maybe a young mother at home with children would appreciate a few dollars and an extra set of hands when she goes to the grocery. Or a newly retired person would like the company and a chance to help. Neighbors helping each other is often a cost effective as well as heartwarming way to get things done.

Sun Spots thanks Craig Zurhorst, community relations director for WMTS, and Connie Jones, executive director, and other staff members at SeniorsPlus for their help with this column. She couldn’t have done it without them!

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be emailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.

Riding a bus should be easy!

SeniorsPlus is teaming with Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments to offer a class on all the ins and outs of using citylink.

From 10 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, Marsha C. Bennett, transit coordinator for AVCOG, will answer all your questions.

Learn where the city buses go, how much it costs to ride, how to board and exit even if you need assistance, where the bus stops are and much more.

For more information or to register, call SeniorsPlus at 795-4010.

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