Getting from here to there
Access Chesterfield provides affordable transportation for seniors and others
By Marcy Horwitz CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Access Chesterfield provides transportation for seniors and others via vouchers, which can be purchased at county libraries.

If you're a Chesterfield resident who's 60 years old (or better), or you're disabled, or you meet certain income guidelines, there's good news from Access Chesterfield.

Access Chesterfield, more formally known as the Chesterfield County Coordinated Transportation Program, provides subsidized transportation services for older, disabled or economically disadvantaged residents.

The key to the program is registration, which is free. Once you're registered, getting from here to there couldn't be easier. The process starts with a call to Van Go, Access Chesterfield's provider, up to four days before your trip. Van Go will pick clients up at their doors, deliver them to their destinations, and take them home again - all for $7.25 each way. That's a fraction of what a cab could cost. The service only accepts pre-paid vouchers, which are sold in books of five at area libraries

Although most clients use the service to get to medical appointments or supermarkets, Access Chesterfield will take seniors from anywhere in Chesterfield to any address within the county - or to Richmond, Petersburg, Hopewell or Colonial Heights. Frank Vance, transportation program coordinator, says that one client uses the service regularly - to keep her bi-weekly beauty salon appointment. Other clients use the service to go to area shopping malls, movie theatres and their grandkids' games, school events and recitals.

"It's about quality of life," says Vance.

Registration forms are available at all county libraries or by visiting Access Chesterfield's Web site (go to www.chesterfield.gov and click on "Services Index" and then "Access Chesterfield"). Forms are also available via mail by calling 279-8489.