Dublin Testing the First Micro-Transit Program in Central Ohio for Seniors

Seniors in Dublin, Ohio, are trying out a new micro-transit service through a partnership with SHARE, a transportation startup, reports the Columbus Dispatch . Dublin urban planner Joanne Shelly says the free service is designed to fill gaps in the existing transportation network for older adults. The Senior Circulator program offers three routes across Dublin, going to destinations like a Kroger supermarket, the Mall at Tuttle Crossing, and the Dublin Community Recreation Center. The program has five senior living communities in the city serving as starting and ending points for the routes. Also included is UFiT, a local physical-therapy provider for people with developmental disabilities. "This program will allow our residents to have more freedom," says Senior Star Executive Director Ron Keller at Dublin Retirement Village. SHARE Chief Executive Ryan McManus says if the program is extended past the six-month trial, officials would like to make it more personalized. Dublin ultimately hopes to have "multiple partners to share the costs" of the program, concludes Shelly.