County To Host Meeting In Guerneville About Transportation

GUERNEVILLE, CA — Sonoma County residents with disabilities and residents 60 or more years old are invited to an upcoming meeting in Guerneville to give their input on how transportation can be improved in the county.

"It’s vital to get input from older adults and people with disabilities to plan a transportation system that makes it easier to get to health appointments, the grocery store and community events," said Paul Dunaway, director of the County of Sonoma Adult and Aging Division, which is holding meetings on the topic in four Sonoma County communities: Guerneville, Rohnert Park, Petaluma and Sonoma.

"Better transportation systems also allow better access to job options and financial opportunities for all residents," Dunaway said.

After 57 percent of Sonoma County older adults and persons with disabilities stated in the 2016-2020 Sonoma County Area Agency On Aging (AAA) Community Report that they were concerned about access to local transportation, the county is seeking answers to three looming questions:

• How easily can older adults and residents with disabilities get around in Sonoma County?
• How often do they forgo important trips because they lack transportation?
• What are the local transportation challenges, successes and gaps in services?

The discussion groups are being held under a grant from Caltrans, and community input received during the meetings will become part of the Sonoma County Connected Communities Transportation Study.

The meetings are planned for:

• Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2:30-4:30 p.m. at Petaluma People Services Senior Café, 211 Novak Drive in Petaluma;
• Friday, Feb. 21, 10 a.m.-noon at Vintage House Senior Center, 264 First St. East in Sonoma;
• Wednesday, March 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. at Rohnert Park Senior Center, 6800 Hunter Dr. in Rohnert Park; and
• Thursday, March 26, 10 a.m.-noon at RRA/West County Senior Resource Center, 15010 Armstrong Woods Road in Guerneville.

To register to attend one of the meetings, call 707-565-5903 or email aaa@schsd.org. For future discussion group dates, visit the Sonoma County Area Agency on Aging website.