Distance means so little when someone means so much. -Anonymous
Russ M., 90, is still driving. His son wants him to give up the keys. But Russ has an active, full life and not driving means no longer being able to make his weekly over-the-weekend visits to see his sweetheart and companion of 22 years, Ginger, who lives in Brighton.
But Russ likes to be prepared. So when he heard about Via’s Seniors on the Move program, which consists of an hour-long presentation on basic bus skills followed by a group outing on local public transit, he decided to attend the class at his senior living residence in Boulder.
That’s when he learned it was possible to use the bus to get from the front door of Golden West in Boulder to within a mile of Ginger’s house in Brighton. From there, if he planned it right, Ginger could pick him up. He was thrilled at the prospect of it.
“I can give up my car keys, make my son happy and still get to Ginger’s,” he said.
The very next week after the class, he joined Mary Young, one of Via’s travel trainers, on the local bus. The travel training program works one-on-one with qualifying individuals to help them get to where they need to go by using public transit.
With Mary’s assistance, Russ made the trip and was pleased to learn that going from Boulder to Brighton by public transit was “workable.” Equipped with a book and his favorite refreshment, Russ can pass the time in relative ease and look forward to his visit with Ginger.