EZ Ride is a non-profit, public-private partnership with a mission to implement transportation programs and services to improve the quality of life for residents of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Monmouth, Passaic and Union Counties in northeast New Jersey. EZ Ride’s services are integrated, convenient and cost effective. The services include bike and pedestrian programs, carpools, vanpools, shuttles and transportation for older adults and people with disabilities. EZ Ride’s volunteer transportation program was developed in 2008 under a grant from the National Center on Senior Transportation (NADTC’s predecessor).
Ryde4Life & EZ Ride Partner to Offer Seniors More Choices
Ryde4Life is a membership-based transportation program that brings Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) such as Lyft and Uber, and both public and private funding agencies together to provide rides for older adults and people with disabilities. Ryde4Life is offered statewide in New Jersey. EZ Ride partners locally with senior centers, non-profit organizations and towns to offer discounted rides to their clients or residents. EZ Ride’s partnership with the City of Asbury Park and the Alliance for a Healthier Asbury Park to launch Ryde4Life-Asbury Park illustrates how the program works. Qualified riders pay 50% of the ride cost for medical visits and grocery trips within a ten mile radius and may receive up to eight rides per month. These limits do not apply to dialysis trips. Registration and an annual membership fee of $15 are required. To request a ride, members pre-load a virtual wallet and call the toll-free number, (866) 208-1307. Ryde4Life is available 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Transportation Network Companies (or Shared Ride) connect paying passengers with drivers who provide transportation in their own non-commercial vehicles. By downloading an app on a smart phone, riders can schedule a ride, at any time, at their convenience. In most cases, there is no need to have cash on hand because the ride is pre-paid via the app.
To help bridge the technology gap for many seniors, members do not need a smartphone. Instead they can simply contact the EZ Ride Coordinator to request a ride in real time. Adults over the age of 18 in Asbury Park who receive Medicaid, Women, Infants and Children Nutrition (WIC), or Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (PAAD) are eligible for discounted rides. Currently Ryde4Life provides approximately 500 to 600 rides monthly in the region served by EZ Ride, with the highest volume of riders within Bergen, Essex and Monmouth counties. The leading municipalities for ridership are in Essex County, including Montclair and West Orange.
To learn more about the EZ Ride/Ryde4Life program, visit the EZRide website or contact David Fox at dfox@ezride.org.
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