Transportation Program Policy 1.23 updated

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Waterford Senior Services Transportation Program  
 
 
TRANSPORTATION AT A GLANCE 
 
 
 Call 860-444-5839 between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm to schedule a 
ride. 
 
 Be ready 1 hour before your scheduled appointment. 
 
o Drivers cannot call you when on their way. 
 
 No rides are available for appointments from 12:00-1:00. 
 
Rides to East Lyme/Niantic can be accommodated when available 
 
 No Rides will be going out to East Lyme/Niantic on Fridays  
 
 For grocery shopping trips there is 3 reusable cloth bag limit. 
 
 Fridays are one driver days with Medical Rides as priority  
 
 Last ride home is at 3:30. 
 
 Rides are for residents 60 and over or for disabled adults. 
 
 Eating and Drinking on the bus are prohibited. 
 
 Maintain family, friends, and neighbors as back up to our service. 
In order to have transportation available to all older and disabled 
resident 
 
The complete transportation policy is attached. 
 Please review for your benefit. 

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Who is it for? 
We provide curb to curb transportation to Waterford residents who are sixty (60) years of 
age and older and to disabled adults.  
 
We also provide transportation to residents of Atria at Crossroads Place, Bayview Health 
Care, Greentree Manor, and New London Rehabilitation and Care exclusively for 
recreational and social purposes only, and only when available to other Town residents, and 
subject to the exceptions specified in this document.  Transportation will be provided to 
residents of Atria at Crossroads Place, Bayview Health Care, Greentree Manor, and New 
London Rehabilitation and Care to Town of Waterford sponsored programs and facilities 
including those held at the Waterford Community Center, Waterford Public Library, as well as 
other Town of Waterford buildings, parks, and facilities, but not for medical appointments. 
(Contact the designated representative in your facility to ask about using this service.)  
 
What transportation services are available to me? 
Our service area includes Waterford, East Lyme, Niantic and New London. We take people to 
physician appointments, outpatient testing, (x-rays, lab tests, etc.), physical therapy, hair 
salon/barbershop appointments, and errands.    
 
 Upon Availability- Grocery shopping. 3 reusable cloth bag limit. 
 
Due to space limitations and to minimize the potential for injuries to our drivers, we ask 
 
that passengers limit their purchases to an amount that they can handle on their own.         
 
Shoppers should consider using a small, two-wheeled shopping cart for their bags.  
 Depending on availability and ride schedules, riders may take up to 2 rides. This depends on 
the schedule for the day and evaluated on a case to case basis.  
 
 Fridays are limited to medical rides and will accommodate other rides if they are 
available.  
 
In addition, transportation appointments can be provided Monday through Friday 
(except holidays) for events and programs that start after 8:30 a.m. and end by 3:30 
p.m. Plan to be ready for pick up one hour before your appointment time.  
 
Arranging Rides 
How do I get a ride? 
Call Senior Services at 860-444-5839.  Request to have a registration form mailed to your 
home or download a form from our website at www.waterfordct.org and click on 
Departments and then Senior Services. 
 
 

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When should I call for a ride? 
We request that you call between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. for transportation 
appointments. Because reservations fill up quickly, please schedule ride requests as 
soon as possible. Ride requests are taken on a first come first served basis and 
medical requests take precedence. If you have a last minute need for a ride, let us 
know and we may be able to accommodate your request. 
 
Please consider booking all of your appointments for errands, groceries, shopping, and 
medical appointments on a monthly basis.  
 
When you call for a ride please provide the staff with the following:  
 Date and time of your appointment 
 Name and address of your physician or destination 
 Let us know if a companion will be riding with you 
 Let us know if you require the wheelchair lift 
 
What if I need a ride for a medical appointment outside of our service area? 
Requests for medical transportation to towns outside of our service area will either be referred 
to ECTC (Eastern CT Transportation Consortium), the Municipal Medical Transportation 
Grant (MedRide) funded by CT Department of Transportation. 
 
 
            What if I use a wheelchair or other assistive equipment to ambulate? 
 
To use the Senior Transportation Service, you should be able to move around independently 
or with the assistance of a wheelchair, walker, or cane.   
 
If you use a wheelchair and/or you are unable to stand or walk short distances, we have three 
small buses equipped with wheelchair lifts.  If you are able to climb three 12” high steps, our 
vehicles also have sturdy steps with handrails on each side to help you with boarding the 
vehicle.  
 
. Please tell the office in advance if you plan to have a person accompany you on the bus. 
Drivers are not permitted to push wheelchairs.  
 
The transportation program is curb-to-curb. This means that passengers must be able to 
enter and exit their home on their own or with the assistance of an escort provided by the 
passenger. Our drivers cannot assist individuals in or out of their homes. Drivers will assist 
passengers in wheelchairs onto the lift and into the bus. Drivers will secure wheelchairs. 
Vehicles are not available for emergency medical transportation.  
 
Note:  If you are dependent on a wheelchair, a barrier free path or ramp that is built according 
to code is needed for you to get in and out of your house safely.   
 
For safety reasons, we cannot transport you if you need immediate medical attention, are 
sedated or after an inpatient stay. This policy is established to ensure that the Senior 

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Services Department is providing the safest method of transportation possible to residents.  
Special considerations may be made on a case-by-case basis.  
I am on oxygen; can you still take me in the bus? 
You can take a portable oxygen tank on the bus. Just be sure that the tank is:     
 functioning properly 
 secured at all times during travel 
 managed by you 
 holding an adequate supply of oxygen for the trip 
 
Service Limitations 
We suggest you maintain family, friends, and neighbors as back up to our service. In order to 
have transportation available to all older and disabled resident. It may be necessary to limit 
the number of rides scheduled per month per person if the demand for rides exceeds the 
department’s resources. 
 
Helping the Service Run Smoothly 
 
 A signed transportation form and waiver must be on file in the Senior Services 
department before you ride on the bus. 
 
 Rides must be requested through the Waterford Senior Services office staff not the 
drivers. 
 
 If you must cancel a ride, the Senior Services department requires as much notice as 
possible so that we can accommodate other people who need transportation. 
 
 Our vehicles may use your driveway. We ask that the driveway be passable (clear of 
snow, ice, trees, shrubs, etc.) in order to get to your home. 
 
PLEASE BE READY FOR PICK UP ONE HOUR BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT TIME. 
 
Health & Safety  
Seatbelts must be worn at all times.  Passengers must remain seated until the bus is parked. 
 
Due to confined space on the vehicles and in consideration of other passengers, please 
maintain proper hygiene and refrain from using perfumed products.  
 
Senior Services may refuse transportation to you if you: 
 Engage in violent, seriously disruptive, or illegal conduct, or pose a direct threat to the 
health and safety of others. 
 
 Are in possession of a weapon. 
 
 Display objectionable conduct (such as, but not limited to, being under the influence 
of alcohol or illegal drugs, or participating in any form of harassing behavior). 

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Suggestions or Complaints 
If you have a compliment, suggestion, or complaint regarding the bus service, please contact 
the Senior Services Department by calling 860-444-5839.  We strive to provide good service 
in an efficient and cost effective manner. 
 
Outlined below are the rules and regulations that govern the Waterford Community Center.  
 Those rules have been modified specifically to reflect the transportation program and all 
passengers are expected to observe them. 
 
 
1. 
Use of the transportation service is for Waterford Residents only.  
2. 
Follow Senior Services Staff instructions at all times. 
3.        Smoking/tobacco products, illegal drugs, and alcoholic beverages are prohibited.  
4.        No animals allowed with the exception of service dogs.  
5.        Loitering or use of profanity will not be tolerated. 
6.       Vandalism and defacing of property will not be tolerated. Vandals will be prosecuted. 
7. 
Proper attire and shoes are required when using the service. Please keep in mind that 
other passengers may be on the vehicle with you. 
8. 
Staff will collect and hold lost and found items for a two-week period. After that time, 
items will be donated to a charitable organization. 
9. 
Public display of amorous affection is not permitted and will not be tolerated. 
10. 
With the exception of water, eating and drinking is prohibited. 
11. 
No spitting, chewing tobacco, or gum is permitted in the vehicle. 
12. 
The following activities are not permitted and will result in suspension or expulsion from 
the Senior Services Transportation Program: 
A. Fighting 
B. Stealing 
C. Property Damage/Vandalism 
D. Loitering  
E. Disorderly Conduct 
F. Horseplay 
G. Littering 
H. Verbal abuse of Staff or transportation users. 
13. We recommend that individuals carry appropriate identification in case of any   
emergency. 
14. The Waterford Community Center reserves the right to add, amend, or delete rules as 
necessary, which will impact these rules as well. 
15. No candles or incense may be burned in the vehicles. 

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Your Rights Under Title VI 
 
The Town of Waterford upholds its commitment to the principles inherent in the 
Civil Rights Act of 1964, which affirms that discrimination is illegal. 
 
The Town of Waterford in accordance with Connecticut State and Federal law will ensure full compliance with Title 
VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended and related statutes. The Town of Waterford is committed to ensuring 
that no person is excluded from participation, denied benefits, or otherwise subjected to discrimination under any 
program or activity or any service rendered to the public, on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or 
disability.  Further, the Town of Waterford prohibits discrimination in public accommodations on the basis of 
ancestry, breast feeding in a place of public accommodation, lawful source of income, learning disability, marital 
status, mental disability mental retardation, physical disability, religious creed, sexual orientation, as well as using a 
guide dog/training a guide dog.  
 
To request additional information on The Town of Waterford’s non-discrimination obligations or to file a Title VI 
complaint, please submit your request or complaint in writing to: 
Dani Gorman-Human Services Administrator  
15 Rope Ferry Road 
Waterford, CT  06385 
 
Complaint forms can be obtained online at the Town of Waterford website www.waterfordct.org or in person at the:  
                  Senior Services Department 
Waterford Community Center 
24 Rope Ferry Road Waterford, CT 06385 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This document can be provided in an alternate format upon request. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Transportation Policy Approved by SCC August 2014 Rev 8 with elimination of Pilot Program Reference 9/10/2015 SBR   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Town of Waterford Complies with 
The Americans with Disability Act. 
Contact ADA Coordinator 
dgorman@waterfordct.org  
860-444-5839 
15 Rope Ferry Rd. Waterford, CT 06385