The Town of North Hempstead’s senior initiative, Project Independence, recently surpassed 100,000 taxi trips for members.
The town began taking calls back in 2008, and Project Initiative signed up its 10,000th member in June 2015, according to a press release from the Town of North Hempstead.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to know that our Project Independence members have taken advantage of 100,000 free and discounted taxi rides, which have made their lives a bit easier,” Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth. “Project Independence has given thousands of seniors a sense of well-being, made them more self-reliant and allowed them to remain in their own homes.”
New Hyde Park residents and Project Initiative member Adrianna Hatzis is a frequent rider of the discounted taxi rides.
“Over the past year two years Project Independence’s taxi service has truly bettered my life by giving me transportation at a low cost when I was unable to drive, instead of depending on someone else,” Hatzis said.
Free rides to shopping and discounted rides to medical appointments are some of the initiative’s social services.
“Without these discounted and free taxi rides, who knows where some of these seniors might be or what they might be doing without?” Council Member Lee Seeman said. “It gets them to their medical appointments and to the grocery store, all while giving them a great sense of independence.”
Created in 2006 as an aging-in-place program for the town’s nearly 60,000 residents over 60 years of age, Project Initiative has assisted aging residents in remaining in their own homes and familiar surroundings.
100,000 senior taxi trips
