Transportation

Senior citizens have the same needs as other people of the community but often lack the means to satisfy those needs. Many older Americans lose their ability or desire to operate a motor vehicle because of their advancing age and the difficulties resulting from that process. This loss of mobility is often the single most limiting factor in the preservation of independence that older Americans wish to maintain. No one wants to burden someone else with their own problems unless they have no other choice.

The Raleigh County Commission on Aging, Inc. provides transportation to senior citizens residing within the county. We employ small, easily boarded buses to transport the older Americans of our county. We also utilize a wheel chair lift equipped bus to transport those seniors who experience limited personal mobility. Our daily routes embark passengers at their homes and deliver them to our Raleigh County Senior Center, currently located on South Kanawha Street in Beckley. Other destinations include the various shopping malls within the county as well as educational excursions to out of county sites. Special purpose trips (e.g. Legislative Sessions in Charleston, Senior Rallies, the WV State Fair, etc.) are conducted on an annual basis. Most trips within the county incur no fee; however we are grateful to accept donations from the passengers when offered. Trips outside the county are charged a small fee.

Work days are Monday through Friday except for Federal holidays from 8AM to 4PM. Areas covered by our vehicles daily are Beaver, Daniels, Mabscott, Crab Orchard, Sophia, Stanaford, Bradley, Pine Knob and the city of Beckley. We also offer transportation into other towns but due to limited ridership we cannot cover the following areas on a daily basis: Shady Spring, Cool Ridge, Ghent, Glen Daniel, Naoma, and Eccles among others. Due to lighter demand or distance we only cover some areas every other week.

An additional transportation service provided by our agency is Medical Transportation. We transport seniors for medically necessary trips to doctor’s offices and clinics throughout Raleigh county. We do charge fares for medical transportation services and must limit passenger types to only those who can be safely transported without requiring an ambulance. The trips include same day round trip transportation to and from the doctor’s office, a pharmacy trip and allow attendants to ride without having to be pay an additional fee. We do charge at the time of your trip but will issue bus passes if you know that you are going to need transportation to additional appointments but don’t want to have to pay for each appointment individually. Medical Transportation requests must be made at least 24 hours in advance of the desired appointment time but can be made as much as a month in advance.

For more information regarding Transportation Services, contact Daniel Simmons, Transportation Coordinator.

TITLE VI NOTICE

Raleigh County Commission on Aging, Inc. operates its programs and services without regard to race, color, and national origin in accordance with Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. To find out more about our nondiscrimination obligations, to file a complaint, or to request this information in another language please contact us at:

Raleigh County Commission on Aging, Inc.

1614 South Kanawha Street

Beckley, WV 25801

(304) 255-1397