LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake Transit Authority announced that it is expanding its Medi-Links service to Santa Rosa.

This nonemergency medical transportation service will now be available five days per week.

The service is managed by Lake Links, a new transportation agency dedicated to serving these medical and other special needs.

“After we announced the new service in July with service only on Tuesdays, we found that people had difficulty if their appointments were scheduled on other weekdays. We needed to make service available five days per week,” said Lake Links Mobility Programs Manager Karl Parker.

Medi-Links service will operate one van per day to medical providers in Santa Rosa. It will operate as a demand-response service, meaning that the van will only run when needed.

Trips will begin and end at the location at which clients were picked up. The route and schedule taken on any given day will depend on the needs of the passengers. Appointments with medical offices in Santa Rosa should be scheduled between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., although it may be possible to accommodate other times.

Senior centers, hospitals and clinics will be used as readily-accessible pick up points.

Passengers will need to arrange to get to and from the pickup sites in Lake County. Those needing help may be eligible for assistance either via regular Lake Transit service, or the Pay-Your-Pal ride assistance program, also operated by Lake Links.

Lem Cheney of Nice recently used Medi-Links and reported that “the service was great – easy and convenient!”

When asked if he would recommend the service to others, Cheney said, “Yes! Definitely! And you can’t beat the twenty dollar round trip fare!”

In partnership with Lake Links and the Area Planning Council, Lake Transit Authority has been studying the need for non-emergency medical transportation outside the County for several years. This new service is funded by a grant from the Federal Transportation Administration.

Surveys of Lake County medical providers, as well as anecdotal experience reported by Lake County residents have identified Santa Rosa as one of the locations of medical providers to which Lake County residents are most frequently referred for specialized care and treatment.

Advance reservations are required by 5 p.m. on Wednesday of the week prior to the appointment.

The fare is $10 one-way for elderly & disabled people, and $20 one-way for general public. There are no additional charges for persons who need to accompany the rider.

Transport will be provided via a comfortable new lift-equipped van which can accommodate wheelchairs and electric scooters.

For more information, contact Karl Parker at 707-995-3330, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.lakelinks.org .