Public Transportation...The Lack Of IT In TV
 

curious to know how you all feel about the lack of public transportation in TV. No bus service, no taxi after 8pm. It seems to me that a community of 70K + should have a good public transportation system. What about all the folks who do not drive? Do not drive a cart? It's a big place....what are your feeling about this?


Carlent

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Question from someone who is not a resident, YET: is the reason that there is no taxi service after 8pm because they cannot get a driver for the late evening shift? Just wondering? or is it just the taxi company's policy to shut down service at that time?

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Aren't there any taxi service companies in the surrounding towns of Leesburg, Mount Dora, Tavares, Lady Lake, Wildwood, etc. - in case of emergency ??? :dontknow:

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not sure about htat. You would thing there would be some. But the real point is that TV is missing the boat on this. 70K residents and no way to get around (assuming you do not drive or do not want to drive a cart) Look at Century Village for example. They have a massive internal minibus system whith bus stops throughout the community. Busses everywhere at all hours. I am sure TV can do this. I think the problem is that the resident's of TV have not made it an issue.

Carlent

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I personally would not need it nor would my husband and our daughter who lives with us. We have two cars and a golf cart. Things pretty much stop in TV at about nine in the evening. If the developers would provide it "free" it would come out of our pocket. An enterprising person who would research the need and provide it will come along I am sure if the population feels the lack of it. The use of golf carts is in itself, the main reason that I would see that public transportation isn't needed. In our much larger town of West Chester, Ohio we do not have public transportation, NO BUS, and we can call a cab from Cincinnati. I guess it is all what you are used to.

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This isn't a matter of what's good for us as individuals, it's about what's good for our community. There are many folks in TV who can't drive, are concerned about being on the roads or cart paths at night, or wish to partake in our popular 2 for 1 values and shouldn't be on the roads. A public transportation system would help sooooo many people, especially as we all get older and perhaps develop physical problems that make it hard for us to get around. Wouldn't we all hate to feel trapped in our houses? I hope the powers that be will find a way to start a system.

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Everyone seems to be assuming that there is no shuttle service around the communities. I recall that a couple of years ago TV had trollys that serviced most of the various strip malls within a village, including the town squares. I had a schedule posted on our bb in the garage, although never used the service.

Has anybody called the CDD for this information to confirm whether this service still exists? And if not, why was it discontinued? Quite possibly due to the gas prices?

If there's enough interested in this service, maybe we should do our best to learn more about this and pitch for it. A letter to the POA would give the story on this. They are indespensible and do such a great job in protecting us all as volunteers of humanity.

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Public transportation systems in major cities are suffering from lack of ridership. Here in the Villages, there are not enough people wanting to go enough places for mass transportation. I am absolutely certain that they stop running the taxi at 8 p.m. because there is no business after that time.

Think about it, if there was bus service, where would it go and who would go there? If it went to Spanish Springs and Sumter Landing, it would have to make pickups in every villages, on every coroner. It would take hours for it to get downtown. I'll bet that on any given day, there wouldn't be more than 20 or 30 people who would use the service.

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I think TH is absolutely correct. Simply supply and demand. I would think that all public transportation systems around the country are subsidized by their local government since they can't collect enough revenue to be self sufficient. The vast majority of TVers would not want to contribute to this I would think.

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I think these bus's are still running
http://sumtercountyfl.gov/cs/transit/bus.htm

Willy

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Carlent,

My father lived in Century Village in Boca Raton. He is now in an assisted living community. While you are correct in noting that it has a large mass transit system, it really didn't function as well as you might expect. To get to the bus, he had to walk roughly 2/10th of a mile. That can be an tough walk for an elderly person on an intensely hot or wet day. As he had limited use of his arms as well as vision problems, even transporting him to a supermarket wasn't very useful.

Also for those of you unfamiliar with Century Village, it is a huge community of tightly packed 3 story condominiums. It isn't spread out like The Villages. It is far easier to provide bus service in that environment than here. As noted by other writers, it probably isn't economically feasible to have a similar service here.

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sumter county transit operates a bus service within the villages and connecting to other routes that serve sumter and lake counties.
sumter county transit will also provide door to door service for anyone unable to get to their closest bus stop, usually at postal stations.
over the years there has been talk of extending and coordinating central florida transit systems to provide public transportation to orlando. there are public meetings held in the villages about once a year to provide updates and receive input from residents.

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I wish the taxi service would run more hours.
When I was here in March and had to fly out in a hurry for a funeral, I had to take the 6AM shuttle to the airport. The taxi service doesn't start until 7:30.
I HATED to do it, but had to ask a neighbor to get me to the shuttle by 5:45! :yikes:

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a taxi service would be good.

as noted above, I think TV is too spread out and not enough customers to support a transit system

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My mother (95) lives in Connecticut in a retirement home and has never driven. There is a service called "dispatcher ride" which she can make a reservation and they will pick her up and take her anywhere she wants to go and pick her up at a designated time. The charge is usually $2.50. Most communities that have a senior center provide transportation for a minimal charge to to the center on a daily/weekly basis. This service provides those that can no longer drive the opportunity to get out and socialize, shop, doctor's visits, etc. This service may be funded by the state (Elderly Housing).

I hope that TV will provide a service like this in the future. It would be less expensive than calling a taxi.

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Public bus systems in Florida have proven to be a bottomless money pit of low-volume ridership. The combination of heat and thunderstorms make for absolutely lousy waits.

Routing through all of TV to provide service to connect all villages, LSL, Spanish Springs, and wherever else would be desired brings a price tag. It is highly doubtful that such a bus service would be self-sustaining, and subsidies (taxes!) would be necessary to pay the deficit costs. The schedule for such service would never satisfy anyone, either, as it would be a too-late, too-early, not-often-enough and/or wrong-spot operation.

The old line that there is no such thing as a fully-funded problem holds well here. The question is, out of whose pocket does the fully-funded part come from?

The Daily Sun's classified section usually has several listings for airport-limo types of service to supplement the shuttle bus.

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I think you might be referring to this system in Norwalk? http://www.norwalktransit.com/info_services_norwalk.htm

If so it is for ADA use. Not sure if FLA has such a thing as a requirement that Norwalk does but I guess it is worth checking out.

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Again, it's part of a tax-subsidized local public transportation system. The cost is only "low" for the rider because the community picks up the deficit costs through taxation.

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Here in NY it is called Access-A-Ride......it provides transportation for the handicapped in all five boroughs. The cost is the same as pubic transportation $2.00 each way.

Shirleevee

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Russ / Steve -

Norwalk Transit is the program I was referring to. Any idea how or where to research this?
With so many retirees living in Fla, I would think there would be services like this in most areas.

Kathy

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I'd be surprised if there is not some sort of support group within TV for access handicapped villagers. Maybe someone here on TOTV might know. You might also contact the Norwalk people and ask them about comparable programs in FLA.

If not then I imagine that you could access the FLA government web site and look for ADA transportation etc.

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We live over near Bob Evans just off 466 and there are two different bus lines that our neighbors who don't drive use to get around. Also, lots' of neighbors help each other out with shopping and medical appointments. I have a non-driving friend and I try to help her out when her husband is not available to take her some places. Remember, the Villages is a friendly environment. You can find assistance for almost anything here.

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I dont want to sound insensitive, but if you dont drive you should have not moved to TV. If you are looking for public transportation you should know that all public transportation has to be subsidized by the city, town, state or whoever.

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On the other hand I want to sound sensitive and I think the sweet folks I have met would exchange favors at the drop of a hat. I know we would be glad to assist our neighbors if they needed a ride.

I know you will say that gets old, but on the other hand I think that others would be equally as sensitive not to burden people. We all have to face that someday we won't be living independently in our homes. However there is no use worrying about it today.

:bigthumbsup:

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Right on Willy!!!!!! That's exactly the timetable schedule for transportation around TV that I have posted in my garage in TV. It's so frustrating to have left something behind when you move between two far-away homes. Sooooooooo pleased that you came up with that. Now I know it wasn't a "senior moment." Thanks Willy 040 :clap2: 024 wav

barb

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sumter county DOES provide limited public transportation to the villages the bus route is currently available for free to all village residents. http://sumtercountyfl.gov/cs/transit/bus.htm

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Next time you see a Sumter County bus, count the number of passengers. Normally no one is aboard. As said above, public transportation is a bottomless pit. Most of us have moved away from high taxes and wasteful spending.

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http://www.lakecountyfl.gov/departme...ransportation/


Shirleevee

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TV should use some of their buses and chg. 50cents per ride and have volunteers do the driving.

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sixyear villager: Right on.

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Unfortunate but true: It would be financially impossible to maintain public transit that has only minimal usage. This is a reflection of our passion for 'our wheels.' This is why Amtrak has gone down the tubes. This is why only now with gas prices suddenly so much higher than they had been that people are first considering using mass transit systems!

However, the flip side, as has been pointed out by other posters, is that TV is that kind of friendly and supportive environment. We have friends who moved here specifically for that reason--to be a part of a community rather than live in a beautiful housing unit in a beautiful environment where no one knows anyone else....

Access-a-Ride in New York City (mentioned earlier) and The Ride in Boston (that we use when there for medical care) are great programs, but these are major cities where there is enough of a cross section that the programs are utilized regularly. Here, among cars, golf carts, good-hearted friends and neighbors, and a taxi when needed (yes, before 8 p.m.) are what keep us going.

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since I stared the topic, i will say one more thing if i could.
It is a shame that so many of you are so short-sighted that you can not see that at some point maybe sooner than later, you will need public transportation. At some point you might not be able to get from here to their in your cart. At that point, you will all be crying for a little van to pick you up and take you to the Doctor and to the grocery. but now, when you are content to buzz around in the car and cart, you have not the vision to understand that this is a major concern to a lot of people in TV. You just don't see these folks on this forum. It does not mean they are not out there in numbers.
Come on people......put your thinking caps on.....

respectfully

Carlent

Re: Public Transportation...The Lack Of IT In TV
 

Carlent,

Public Transportation



The Public Transportation Division of the Lake County Department of Community Services provides paratransit and fixed-route services to local citizens and visitors through a contracted service provider.

Fixed-route Service


Lake County began the fixed-route service, LakeXpress, on May 21, 2007. The bus service runs every hour from The Villages to Eustis with circulator routes in the cities of Leesburg and Mount Dora (beginning in 2008).

Primarily, LakeXpress provides public transportation along the U.S. Highway 441 corridor, including the municipalities of Eustis, Fruitland Park, Lady Lake, Leesburg, Mount Dora and Tavares. In years to come, the service will be expanded to other urban areas of the County.
LakeXpress operates Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. Buses do not run on Saturdays, Sundays and the holidays of New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

For more information about the LakeXpress, call (352) 326-8637 or log on to www.ridelakexpress.com. A route and schedule brochure is available on the Web or at public libraries and various local government offices.

Paratransit service

A state-funded program, the paratransit service, Lake County Connection, provides low-cost transportation throughout Lake County to individuals who qualify as “transportation disadvantaged” as defined by state statutes.

Lake County Connection is primarily intended for mobility-impaired, mentally-impaired and senior citizens. The service is provided for individuals who do not have access to any other means of transportation, including public bus service. Lake County Connection provides more than 750 scheduled passenger trips per day, using a variety of vehicles specially equipped to transport individuals with various disabilities.

For more information about Lake County Connection, call (352) 742-6580 or visit the Lake County Connection page. To contact the Customer Call Center, call (352) 326-2278 [Florida Relay voice: (800) 955-5770; TTY: (800) 955-8771]. Reservations can be made Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Additional Services

LYNX — Lake County contracts with LYNX to provide a Clermont Express (Link 204) to downtown Orlando and a bus route (Link 55) in the Four Corners community that extends along U.S. Highway 192. For more information, call 407-841-LYNX or log on to www.golynx.com.



Shirleevee

Re: Public Transportation...The Lack Of IT In TV
 

Well my dear Shirleevee, you most certainly have put together an excellent research project to share. It also shows that we are well taken care of for public transportation. All it takes is some effort, with this great technology, to pull up this information that is at our fingertips.

Kudos to you for a great informative post. :#1:

barb

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A+ Shirl!

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Thank you Barb.........

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....and Russ


Here is a great site for us young seniors to peruse

www.disability.gov

Lots of info and links.

Shirleevee

Re: Public Transportation...The Lack Of IT In TV
 

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The liability issues for such a venture are immense, both for TV and any volunteer driver(s).


It's not a matter of being short-sighted, but probably more a matter of affordability. Your idea is one of many good ones, provided the funding is there to make it happen.

My other "home" is just outside DC, in a MD county with every possible social service you can envision, and a tax bill (annually increasing 5-15%) to match. It's a monument to the concept that government is parent to all, and must pay for all the needs of its children. Unfortunately, there seems to be fewer and fewer of us who realize that government is all of us, not some creature residing in a municipal building, and government's ability to pay is really what we, individually and collectively, can afford.

So, the first goal would seem to be to find a private means for fulfilling your idea - whether by a TV-endorsed volunteer group, faith-based service, or other non-subsidzed approach. The only other way is to dip into everyone's pockets and establish a public entity with the job. There just is no free lunch!

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The Villages, Florida

The following STATE FUNDED PROGRAM......includes SENIORS!!!!!!


Paratransit service

A state-funded program, the paratransit service, Lake County Connection, provides low-cost transportation throughout Lake County to individuals who qualify as “transportation disadvantaged” as defined by state statutes.

Lake County Connection is primarily intended for mobility-impaired, mentally-impaired and senior citizens. The service is provided for individuals who do not have access to any other means of transportation, including public bus service. Lake County Connection provides more than 750 scheduled passenger trips per day, using a variety of vehicles specially equipped to transport individuals with various disabilities.

For more information about Lake County Connection, call (352) 742-6580 or visit the Lake County Connection page. To contact the Customer Call Center, call (352) 326-2278 [Florida Relay voice: (800) 955-5770; TTY: (800) 955-8771]. Reservations can be made Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.