Network offers senior transportation options

For a growing number of Sussex County seniors, finding reliable transportation has become a pressing problem. As more older residents realize it's time to give up their driving licenses, the problem is only compounded.

One local senior citizen has taken the issue to heart. Thanks in great part to Nancy Feichtl's efforts, this fall Sussex seniors as well as adults who are visually impaired will have a new transportation cooperative providing door-to-door service.

Based on the national nonprofit Independent Transportation Network model, ITNSouthernDelaware is set to kick off Phase 1 in September for seniors on the eastern side of Sussex County.

Feichtl, a retired Cape Henlopen School District principal and administrator who lives near Rehoboth Beach, saw the need for a countywide senior transportation system. “At first the idea was a selfish one,” she said with a smile. “My husband and I have no family here, so it got me thinking how we would get around.”

She said the number of senior citizens in Sussex County is growing, and it's growing faster than in most places in the country. Feichtl also said more people are living 10 to 12 years beyond the time they should be driving.

Feichtl said 80 is the average age people give up their car keys, but in this area many older people without family members are forced to drive. “Most people want to get off the road, but they don't have an option,” she said.

Rides available around the clock

Feichtl said her goal now is to spread the word about the new program and sign up members and volunteer drivers. She and other board members will meet with groups throughout eastern Sussex County during the next few weeks.

The network offers door-to-door, round-trip rides for any purpose 24 hours a day, seven days a week to dues-paying members. Riders pay a set pickup fee and are also charged per mile. Discounts for sharing rides and booking in advance help to keep the cost of rides down. In addition, a scholarship program for low-income riders will be established next fiscal year allowing the board time to solicit funds.

The Sussex program will operate out of the Milton CHEER Center using volunteers in personal cars and paid drivers in fleet cars. Feichtl said all drivers will submit to background checks before they can participate in the program.

Membership is open to people 55 years of age and older and visually impaired persons at least 21 years of age. A special legacy membership fee of $35 per year will be available for all members who join from Aug. 1 to Dec. 31 in eastern Sussex and then from Jan. 1 to June 30 in western Sussex when the program kicks off on the other side of the county.

Riders will pay a $1.25 fee per mile as well as a pickup fee of $2.50 during the day and $8 at night.

Feichtl said the cooperative helps to keep the cost of the rides down. She said national statistics show average five-mile Uber and taxi rides are about three times the cost of an average five-mile cooperative ride. She anticipates the average cost of a ride in Sussex County will be less than $11.

Volunteer drivers will receive a transportation credit for every mile they log in the program that can be used when they need the program's services. Paid drivers will handle night trips, Feichtl said.

Riders set up an account - similar to the popular EZ Pass for road tolls - so that no cash is exchanged as riders establish a personal transportation account. Feichtl said to protect volunteer drivers and not compromise their insurance, it's paramount that no cash change hands, not even tips. “They can bake their driver a cake though,” she said with a smile.

Feichtl said the program is designed to have neighbors driving neighbors who ultimately develop a relationship. She said the goal of the program is to establish a network with enough drivers in place to keep driving distances at a minimum.

Feichtl said one of the unique aspects of the program is its flexibility. Riders can share rides to cut down the cost. Adult children can volunteer to drive and earn transportation credits for their parents. Family members can also purchase gift cards and add funds to a rider's account. Donations of cars can also be used to establish transportation credits.

The first phase of the project - set to kick off in September - will cover eastern Sussex County in the areas of Lewes, Milton, Rehoboth Beach, Millsboro, Ocean View, Bethany Beach and Selbyville. Phase 2 will cover the remaining parts of the county and is planned to be in service in spring 2016.

Dianne Rogers has been hired as executive director and Janice Hanwell will serve as rides coordinator as the program prepares to get underway. Once operational, appointments can be made 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to noon, Friday.

Growing number of Sussex seniors

Feichtl, a self-professed demographic junkie, started sifting through data about the growing senior population in Sussex County. “There is an extensive need for senior transportation services here that people do not realize, and we haven't seen anything yet,” she said.

More people are moving to Delaware than every other state but North Dakota, she said. “They are moving there for jobs, and they are moving here to grow old,” she said.

She said Delaware - mostly driven by demographics in Sussex County - is among the top states in the county with 30 percent of its population at 65 years of age and older, compared to the national average of 14 percent.

But, Feichtl said, the numbers in beach resort towns are even higher - 44 percent of the population of Lewes and Rehoboth Beach is older than 60 years of age and the number gets higher in other resort towns in southeastern Sussex: 45 percent in Millville; 51 percent in Ocean View; 57 percent in Bethany Beach and 69 percent in Fenwick Island. Of those percentages, about 10 percent of the population in each town is older than 75 years of age.

“And we are only three years into the Baby Boomers generation. The big surge is yet to come, and transportation will become even more of a major issue,” she said.

Program will become part of solution

In order to get the program off the ground, Feichtl and the board conducted a successful fund-raising campaign. Major donations and grants came from: Longwood Foundation, $50,000; Delaware Department of Transportation, $50,000; Schell Brothers, $35,000; Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, $17,500; Beebe Healthcare, $10,000; Sussex County Council, $7,000.

Another $45,000 was raised through smaller donations from businesses and individuals.

Feichtl said the money has been used to hire staff and for training, marketing, office equipment and a $35,000 affiliation fee to ITNAmerica.

ITNAmerica, based in Westbrook, Maine, provides a franchise-like template to affiliates across the United States that includes a business plan and timeline, budget models, assistance in staff development and fundraising and custom-built software, website setup and email, marketing support and training.

Feichtl said the program has not even started, and she has already had 40 calls from people needing rides. She said national data show the No. 1 obstacle for seniors who want to remain at home is transportation. “We can't solve the total problem, but even if we are helping out with 5 percent that would mean as many as 40,000 trips per year. We will only be part of the total solution,” she said. “We are not in competition with other services; we all need to work together.”

For more information, contact ITNSouthernDelaware.org or call 302-448-8486.

Top five reasons people need rides

Medical – 41 percent

Shopping – 24 percent

Recreation – 10 percent

Religious – 8 percent

Volunteering – 6 percent