New transportation service starts for Sugar Grove Township residents

SUGAR GROVE Seniors and disabled residents in Sugar Grove Township who need a ride to the doctor's office now can take advantage of a new transportation service.

The new program allows seniors age 65 and older, along with those residents with disabilities, to schedule rides for medical appointments between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sugar Grove Township and Aurora Township recently approved an intergovernmental agreement, paving the way for the program.

The program already had been in place in Aurora Township as part of Pace Suburban Bus Service's Ride in Kane program. Sugar Grove Township Supervisor Tom Rowe said the new agreement extends transportation services for seniors and disabled residents in Sugar Grove Township to all area hospitals and medical clinics.

So far, the response to the new program has been slow.

"Only four Sugar Grove Township residents have registered for the service," Rowe said Monday. "We're trying to get the word out. We're hoping things will pick up next year."

Residents who want to participate in the program must first call the Aurora Township office at 630-892-1999. Rowe said he is encouraging people to register right away, even though they might not be using the program for a while.

The cost is $4 per ride within a 10-mile radius and $1.50 per additional mile. A companion may ride along for free.

"It's curb-to-curb service," Rowe said. "They come right to your home and pick you up at the edge of your driveway."

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New transportation service starts for Sugar Grove Township residents