Elly Fornasier lives in Shuler Health Care Assisted Living Community on the north end of Kernersville. Her parents live in Arbor Ridge, on the town's south side. Since Fornasier does not drive, she was taking a taxi weekly to visit her parents. When her mother needed Fornasier to accompany her to a doctor's appointment, an additional $20 taxi fare ate into Fornasier's limited funds.
So when the Kernersville Senior Shuttle started operating in November, Fornasier and other seniors in Kernersville were thrilled.
The shuttle, operated by the Winston-Salem Transit Authority, runs every Tuesday and Saturday with nine stops. It makes four loops on Tuesday and three loops on Saturday.
Most importantly to Kernersville seniors, especially those on limited budgets, the service is free for senior and disabled citizens. It stops at six retirement communities, downtown near the Senior Enrichment Center, Wal-Mart and medical offices on Broad Street.
Fornasier walks across the street to Gardens at Bradford and boards the shuttle. Five stops later, she disembarks at Arbor Ridge to spend the day with her parents.
Organizers and seniors hope that as ridership increases, additional stops will be added.
"Since no other public transportation is available in Kernersville, this was desperately needed," said Teresa Wood, the resident services coordinator at Koerner Place Apartments.
More than two years of planning was put into the Kernersville Shuttle Service before the idea came to fruition. Ruth Woosley, executive director of the Kernersville Shepherd's Center, a nonprofit that aids seniors, serves on the Forsyth County Aging Services Planning Committee, and also on a sub-committee called the Senior Power Think Tank.
During their conversations in various committee meetings, dialogue with Forsyth County seniors indicated that transportation is a growing need. Research showed that Forsyth's smaller communities like Lewisville, Clemmons and Kernersville have concentrated groups of seniors who need transportation assistance for errands such as going to medical appointments or to do household shopping.
The committee decided to start with a shuttle service in Kernersville and approached the Kernersville Board of Aldermen.
"The board took the idea and ran with it and established a partnership with WSTA," Woosley said.
Art Barnes, WSTA's general manager, applied for state funding through the N.C. Department of Transportation and received a grant that will cover the $25,000 cost of the Tuesday and Saturday runs. The bus, already a part of the WSTA fleet, holds 18 passengers and is equipped to carry wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
"(Kernersville) Mayor Dawn Morgan came to us with concerns about Kernersville's elderly having access to shopping. We provide services in the county so this seemed to be a good way to expand those with the grant money that was available," Barnes said.
One of the stops is at Robinwood Senior Living, the new home of Jackie Vallerga, who moved in six months ago. Because she uses a wheelchair, she was unable to take advantage of the Shepherd's Center transportation program, in which volunteers drive the elderly and disabled to appointments. The Kernersville Senior Shuttle has given her the freedom and flexibility to go on errands and outings, and to visit with friends who live at other retirement communities.
"It's a blessing, especially in winter. Several of my friends are about to give up driving so they are grateful for this, too," Vallerga said.
Woosley calls the Kernersville Senior Shuttle a work in progress and hopes ridership will grow as more seniors and disabled hear about the service.
"This proves that people do listen and take action," Woosley said.
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