Norfolk’s town bus has started running again after the town’s only driver became ill. Those without vehicles, or who are unable to drive because of physical challenges, were marooned without access to the town’s service, which provides rides for doctor’s appointments, grocery shopping, social programs and for other errands.
Barbara Gomez, who with Tara Yard, schedules transportation out of the selectmen’s office, said the van is in high demand. “We restrict it to those without cars or those who have challenges,” she said. “We just can’t pick up everyone. We have quite a few people who use it all the time. Some people have things they do every week, and I hate to change those times.”
But Selectman Sandy Evans, who oversees the program, said having only one driver makes it difficult. “If she wants to take a vacation or is ill, we have to cancel the service,” she said. “We are looking for another driver, but the hours and the days are sporadic, so it’s hard to find someone to put up with that.”
When staff is in place, rides can be booked on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays in Norfolk and points such as Canaan, Winsted and Torrington. Voluntary donations are accepted. If a rider needs to go farther afield, to UConn Medical Center in Farmington, for instance, there is a $5 fee. The town budgets more than $27,000 a year to fund the service.
Gomez said the wheelchair-accessible bus is too large for the town’s needs. “We might have an outing or two a year, but it carries 12 people, and we never fill it.”
At 10 years old, the vehicle is also getting close to its useful life span, but Evans said there is no active plan to replace it. “It’s had some issues and was down for a while for repairs. We have casually discussed replacing it,” she said, “but with everything that is going on, I don’t think this is the time.”
The bus was purchased through a grant from the Evan Hughes Memorial Foundation, which funds scholarships, operations and medical assistance. Evans said that grants would be available to help with purchase a new vehicle but would not cover the entire cost.
Rides are also available one day a week, on Wednesday, through the Northwest Connecticut Transit District, which operates a Dial-a-Ride curb-to-curb service in 14 small towns. Based in Torrington, NWCT will transport Norfolk riders locally as well as to Torrington and Winsted. It is commonly used by the elderly and disabled who do not have their own transportation to get to appointments or to go shopping, but is available to all ages.
Michael Criss, chairman of NWCT’s Board of Directors, said the senior population is becoming an ever-larger demographic, placing heavier demands on a transportation system that is already taxed. He is trying to increase the amount of service offered, but said a lack of drivers is a chronic problem throughout the transportation industry.
“It’s a huge problem,” he said. “It’s state-wide. We’ve increased our pay rates to $20 to $25 an hour and we will pay for training, but the commercial lines pay more and offer more hours.” He added that since the Covid pandemic it has been difficult to lure applicants.
The RITS service, which offers transport to medical appointments at a greater distance does not have a sufficient number of vehicles for the demand and rides are already booked through the end of the year. “It was set up as a trial,” Criss said, “and there has been unexpectedly high demand. It is a program that needs a lot of work.”
He said vehicles for the program are channeled from the state DOT through the Northwest Hills Council of Government, which decides where they will be assigned.
Geer Village in Canaan also provides transportation services, but no longer takes part in the NWCT RITS District program. “It dropped out a couple of years ago,” Criss said.
In Norfolk, fully 58 percent of the population is currently aged 45 years or older, with those over 65 representing nearly 28 percent. If the current population trend continues, as it is expected to do, the pressure on public transportation will surely increase.