Ticket to ride: Programs in Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach take seniors where they need to go

The Saco, Biddeford and Old Orchard Beach Age Friendly programs are taking older people for a ride.

Literally.

The three communities have all instituted programs to offer free rides to seniors, whether they need a lift to a doctor’s appointment, the library or a supermarket.

All three municipalities are part of the nationwide network of AARP Age Friendly communities, and have committed to make their town or city a great place to live for people of all ages.

Age Friendly Saco

Jean Saunders, the director of Age Friendly Saco, spearheaded the Saco lift service.

The Age Friendly Saco program started in 2016, when then-mayor Roland Michaud put forth a proclamation. An office was established in the Saco Community Center and Saunders has been a volunteer since the beginning, helping to build the Age Friendly program.

Saunders had spent her career in health administration in hospitals and nursing.

“I was looking for an opportunity to get back in the community,” she said, and was volunteering in another community. “It made me start to think, why aren't we doing this (in Saco)?

When asked to compare the challenges the organization has faced over the last eight years, Saunders said “the need continues to increase as we grow in the services we offer and people get to understand what we do.”

The Age Friendly Saco initiative started with a community assessment and an action plan to help people stay in homes. The Saco group has several programs for seniors, including two transportation programs.

A medical rides program, since its inception in February 2022, has provided 1875 trips ( with a roundtrip calculated as 2 trips, traveled 16,481 miles, and accumulated 1,1813 volunteer driver hours, according to data provided by Age Friendly Saco.

There is also an on-demand mobility shuttle launched in November that is available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to help with other essential services such as groceries, trips to the library and other destinations. 

Age Friendly Saco now has about 17 volunteer drivers.

Saunders said she definitely sees the programs expanding.

“Our medical rides program has seen the numbers significantly increase since 2022,” she said.

A pilot program was launched first, with the expectation that local transit could take over, but that didn’t happen.

There was “significant demand,” and the program grew through word of mouth. The drivers now go as far north as Portland and as far south as Kennebunk.

A request for a shuttle does require 24-hour notice by calling 207-710-8527. Medical rides must be booked a week in advance; reservations can be made by leaving a message at 207-200-7688.

“When we started the medical program we got a lot of different calls,” Saunders said. “It was heart wrenching to hear their stories.”

The program received a grant to expand to Biddeford and Old Orchard Beach, with funds provided for training, phone lines and background checks.

“Making a community livable doesn’t start at the city limits,” Saunders said. “That has been very gratifying.”

Age Friendly Biddeford

Mona Grandbois, who coordinates the Biddeford Age Friendly transportation program, worked at the University of New England and the Council on International Education and Exchange before joining the program in December 2023.

Biddeford Age Friendly started a transportation service before the pandemic, but “it fell apart” during COVID-19, she said.

Then-mayor Alan Casavant sent an email in spring 2023 to see if there was interest in starting it again.

Grandbois was retired and decided, “Yes, it would be a lovely thing to do.”

Just five people hailed rides by the end of last year; the ride-share program is growing by the month, with 15 riders in January, 28 in February and about 38 in March.

“And we're excited about that,” Grandbois said.

There are five volunteer drivers, including her, to take people to medical appointments.

“We’re in desperate need of new drivers,” she said. “I had no idea when it started that the need is so great. We will be doing a presentation to let people know. It just keeps snowballing.”

Grandbois said Age Friendly Biddeford is grateful for Age Friendly Saco, which helped them get their transportation program off the ground. Age Friendly Biddeford is now exploring other ways to help the older population.

“We had people literally in tears” when the new service started, Grandbois said. “Clients said, ‘This is so wonderful; you saved my life.

Grandbois said that Biddeford seniors have told her and other Age Friendly members about really bad experiences they had with other transportation services, including being brought late to appointments and drivers leaving after dropping riders off. Grandbois said the Age Friendly volunteer drivers wait for the riders when they drop them off at an appointment.

“I know I'm giving back to the community,” said Grandbois. “I'm thrilled at the success of the program and hope it continues.”

Old Orchard Beach Community Friendly Connection

The Old Orchard Beach ride program is through Old Orchard Beach Community Friendly Connection, the town’s Age Friendly group. The ride program started after the town created a resource guide to help residents with things like plowing and mowing, said volunteer transportation coordinator David Guay.

The program is fairly new, having started Feb. 17, but the eight or nine clients have been driven more than 400 miles in total already. Some have had to be turned away, partly because, with three active drivers, there aren’t enough volunteers. 

Rides are limited to those 60-plus who have medical appointments.

“There are not enough drivers at this point to say ‘Yes, we’ll drive you to the grocery store,’” Guay said.

Drivers will take clients within a 25-mile radius of OOB. Guay said those who need to go farther can contact Go Maine, a state-wide travel resource program.  

The program doesn’t have a physical location; its base of operations is Libby Library. Residents can request a ride by calling 207-294-2591.

When asked if the need is growing, Guay replied, “Absolutely, we have a meeting at the end of the month to attract more drivers.”

Ann Fisher is a freelance journalist based in Saco. She can be reached at 207-432-7483.