LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Sooner or later, many people living in Lake County discover that they need to travel outside the county for specialized medical care.
For those with their own car this may be nothing more than an inconvenience. But for those without a car, receiving an out-of-county referral can present a huge problem.
Lake Transit Authority, in partnership with Lake Links, announced that on July 16 a regular Medi Links service to Santa Rosa will begin.
To start, service will be provided one day per week, on Tuesdays.
Two trips to Santa Rosa will run per day. One will run early in the day, and return early in the afternoon. The second trip will run later in the morning and return late afternoon. This will minimize the amount of wait-time for people who have completed their appointments.
It will also provide a ride home later in the day for those who need to schedule longer appointments, as well as those whose morning appointments run late. With a 2.5-hour “appointment window” in Santa Rosa, each round trip will be approximately eight hours for passengers who begin and end in Lakeport; less for those from places closer to Santa Rosa.
Medi Links will stop at various medical facilities in Santa Rosa as requested.
Trips will originate in Lakeport and proceed to Lucerne, continue along the Northshore and then through Lower Lake and Middletown to Santa Rosa, with a brief break in Calistoga.
Senior centers will be used as familiar and readily-accessible collection points. Passengers will need to make arrangements to get to and from the pickup sites in Lake County.
The exact route may vary depending on the trip requests on any given day.
Lake Transit Authority has been studying this issue for several years, in partnership with Lake Links. This new service is funded by a grant from the Federal Transportation Administration.
Surveys of Lake County medical providers, as well as reports from Lake County residents have identified Santa Rosa and Ukiah as the places to which Lake County residents are most frequently referred for specialized care.
Expanded service to Santa Rosa and service to Ukiah will begin in a few months.
Advance reservations are required and preference is given to riders with verified medical appointments. The fare will be $10 one-way for elderly and disabled people, and $20 one-way for general public if space is available.
There will be no additional charge for personal care attendants. Transport will be provided via lift-equipped vehicles which can accommodate wheelchairs and electric scooters.
Lake Transit to begin new ‘Medi Links” service to Santa Rosa
- Lake County News reports
- Posted On