Bergen County Seniors Can Now Lyft, Uber To Vaccine Appointments

PARAMUS, NJ — A new Bergen County initiative will help seniors get to and from vaccination appointments at Bergen New Bridge in Paramus.

The county has partnered with EZ Ride to initiate the Ryde4Life program in Bergen County, which will provide transportation to and from vaccination appointments at the county-operated New Bridge site.

Ryde4Life is part of the EZ Ride network, and provides transportation through companies like Lyft and Uber. The program will be coordinated through the Bergen County Division of Community Transportation and the Division of Senior Services which will work together to approve applications submitted by residents for service, according to the county.

"We realize that some of our seniors need help getting to our vaccination site at Bergen New Bridge, so we’ve come up with a creative way to provide rides so they can better protect themselves and their loved ones from COVID-19," said County Executive Jim Tedesco.

"By partnering our community transportation network with EZ Ride, we will help ease the concerns of seniors from our 70 communities while providing access to the vaccine."

EZ Ride has helped other communities like Asbury Park during the pandemic, offering rides for residents to go to medical appointments or grocery shopping.

Seniors in Bergen County can call the Division of Community Transportation at 201-368-5955. Those interested in using the Ryde4Life program must have a working cell phone with them during the transportation service, and must apply for the ride 24 hours in advance of their appointment, the county said.

Bergen County Commissioners Chairman Steve Tanelli called this an example of innovation within the county, and added that more may be to come.

"This is yet another creative initiative by the County of Bergen to ensure that those most vulnerable to this deadly virus get vaccinated. We will continue to explore additional options to increase vaccine accessibility for all of our seniors," said Tanellli.

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