Office For Aging Mini-Bus

The Office for Aging Mini-Bus is available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. to people 60 and older in Broome County's urban core within the Triple Cities area.

OFA Mini Bus

About the Office for Aging Mini-Bus
The Office for Aging Mini-Bus is available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. to people 60 and older in Broome County's urban core within the triple cities area. To be eligible you must fill out an application and you will be given an Office for Aging identification card to show when boarding the bus. To receive an application either call the Office for Aging at 607.778.2411 or download it from this site. This service can be used for rides of any purpose. All of our buses are wheelchair accessible. However, your mobility aid (wheelchair, scooter, etc.) must meet the measurement requirements below:

Width - cannot exceed 30 inches
Length - cannot exceed 48 inches (measured two inches above the ground)
Weight - cannot weigh more than 600 pounds when occupied

Fares 
There is no fare for the service. All riders will receive an envelope to make a confidential contribution of $1.00 toward the cost of the service. However, service will not be denied if you are unable to contribute.

How To Schedule A Ride
Call the Office for Aging Mini-Bus office at 607.763.4421, Monday through Friday during the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to make ride reservations. Call at least one day in advance or up to two weeks in advance.

Please be advised that the Office for Aging Mini-Bus vehicle times fill up quickly. The more in advance you call for a ride, the better your chances are for getting the time you want.

To speed the process along please be ready to leave the following information: after each answer press the pound (#) key: 

  • Your first and last name
  • Your telephone number
  • Your pick up address
  • The address where you are going
  • The date you want to travel
  • The time you would like to be picked up
  • The appointment time if you have one
  • The time you would like to be returned
  • If someone is accompanying you on your trip

Remember, this is a shared ride service. The vehicle may stop along the way to pick up other riders, so plan on extra time for your trip.

How To Cancel A Ride
If your plans change, and you cannot go on a previously scheduled trip, it is very important that you call and cancel your reservation at least one hour before your scheduled pick up time. This will allow us to give the ride to someone else. If the driver goes to your pick up place and you are unavailable to ride, they are required to wait five minutes past your scheduled time and then you will be recorded as a "no-show". Please be aware that three no-shows in a thirty-day period may result in a thirty-day suspension of service.

Here Comes The Bus
Your scheduled pick up time is only approximate. The driver will get to you as close to the schedule time as possible. However, there are factors beyond the driver's control such as traffic, weather, etc. that may affect your time.

You need not wait outside, but you must be where you can see the bus because the driver cannot go inside to get you. The bus may also pick you up as much as fifteen minutes after your scheduled pick up time without being considered late.

The Office for Aging Mini-Bus is a CURB TO CURB service. You need to be able to get to and from the vehicle by yourself, if you use a wheelchair you need to be able to get on to and off the wheelchair lift without the driver's assistance. The driver is only required to operate the wheelchair lift and to secure the wheelchair once you are on board or else you need to arrange ahead of time to have someone there to help you.

Shoppers' Special!
If you live in one of our frequently visited senior housing developments, we offer weekly shopping trips. The bus will come to your building the same day and time every week and will take you to and from the grocery store. Riders are allowed 3 paper bags or 6 plastic bags. You must be able to carry the groceries to and from the bus yourself. No reservations are needed, however you must be a resident of the development and 60 or older. All riders will receive an envelope to make a confidential contribution of $1.00 toward the cost of the service. Service will not be denied if you are unable to contribute. Please call the Office for Aging Mini-Bus office for details on which housing developments participate in this service and which grocery stores are visited.

Safety Guidelines
The following activities are prohibited on any Office For Aging Mini-Bus:

  • Eating or drinking of any substance on the bus.
  • Consumption of alcohol and/or illegal substances.
  • Smoking.
  • Possession of weapons.
  • Boarding the bus with hazardous or dangerous materials or devices.
  • Behavior that is considered to a reasonable person to be dangerous, disruptive, obscene, threatening, violent, inciting or insulting language and/or gestures.
  • Fighting or mock fighting.
  • Throwing objects in the bus or out the windows.
  • Using sound producing devices without earphones. (radios, boom boxes, mega-phones, etc).
  • Panhandling and soliciting.
  • Harassing or intimidating any person.
  • Putting hands out the window.
  • Putting hands on or touching other passengers without consent.
  • Bicycling, rollerskating, rollerblading or skateboarding on the bus.
  • Animals, except service animals.
  • Lack of shoes, shirts, other appropriate attire.
  • Placing of any objects in aisles or other places where a reasonable person would consider dangerous.

Copyright

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