The Eagle Rock Ruritan Club has formed a partnership with local organizations to offer a new trial transportation service for senior citizens and people with disabilities, in northern Botetourt County.
In November and December, there will be a new transportation option for a few weeks: the Tuesday Shuttle. The Tuesday Shuttle will operate on November 16, November 23, November 30, December 7, and December 1. One purpose of this temporary service is to understand how many people could benefit from additional transportation as well as to gather more information about their transportation needs. The data will be shared with medical and transportation providers to improve healthcare for this rural population.
In 2018, the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts (which includes Botetourt) conducted a Community Health Assessment for Botetourt. Citizens replied to surveys in The Fincastle Herald and community organizations provided input through focus group meetings. One outcome of the effort was the identification of transportation barriers for seniors and people with disabilities in northern Botetourt County as one of the top three health issues. Services such as taxis, rideshare (like Uber or Lyft), and Local Office on Aging programs don’t come to northern Botetourt, and the Botetourt Van Service has limited capacity. Residents reported relying on friends and family and often having to reschedule, postpone, or even miss healthcare appointments because they couldn’t get there.
The Eagle Rock Ruritan Club began focusing on this issue and raising awareness about the problem among county staff, elected officials, and citizens. The Ruritans partnered with the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission and were awarded the Community Mobility Design Challenge grant in 2020 by the National Center of Mobility Management to research this problem and potential solutions. Additional team members include the Botetourt Resource Center, the Eagle Rock United Methodist Charge, and Botetourt County staff.
The grant activities have included:
- Interviewing seniors and people with disabilities who live in northern Botetourt County
- Researching census data, Botetourt Van Service data, and area plans and studies.
- Brainstorming solutions ranging from prescription delivery by drones, a ride match app, and traditional shuttle service
- Formally documenting the gap in transportation faced by northern Botetourt seniors and people with disabilities
- Organizing the Tuesday Shuttle, a trial service to provide transportation for people in northern Botetourt to gather data about the transportation barrier
The team has hired RADAR to operate the Tuesday Shuttle. Residents can schedule a ride by calling 1-800-964-5707. Eligible riders are people who live in these Zip Codes:
Eagle Rock/Oriskany – 24085
Buchanan – 24066
Clifton Forge – 24422 (Botetourt County residents only)
Natural Bridge – 24579 (Botetourt County residents only)
The Tuesday Shuttle is a free service, funded through the Community Mobility Design Challenge grant. The Tuesday Shuttle will pick up riders from their homes and can take them to destinations in Botetourt County, the City of Roanoke, Roanoke County, Salem, Craig County, Covington, or Alleghany County.
More information about the Tuesday Shuttle and the Community Mobility Design Challenge can be found at https://rvarc.org/tuesday-shuttle/ or on the Facebook page of the Eagle Rock Ruritan Club.
