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TextFairfax County's Seniors-On-The-Go! Wins VACo Award
Fairfax County Office of Public
Affairs
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 551
Fairfax, VA 22035-0065
703-324-3187, TTY 703-324-2935, FAX 703-324-2010
Aug. 11, 2004
Fairfax County's Seniors-On-The-Go! Wins VACo Award: Program is One of Only 11 Winners Across the State
Fairfax County's Seniors-On-The-Go! recently won a 2004 Achievement Award from the Virginia Association of Counties. This transportation assistance service for the elderly was one of only 11 programs honored in the state.
The award will be officially presented to the county by VACo President Wayne Acors on Nov. 9 at The Homestead hotel in Hot Springs, Va., during the association's annual conference.
"The Board of Supervisors recognizes the need to help our county's senior citizens live independent, active lives," said Chairman Gerald E. Connolly of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. "Seniors-On-The-Go! meets this need wonderfully, and I am pleased that the Virginia Association of Counties has recognized this innovative program as a model for other localities across the country."
Through the program, eligible senior citizens can buy discounted coupons for taxicab service. These coupons allow seniors to travel to any location 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the coupons can be used with three participating companies, Falls Church Yellow Cab, Fairfax Red Top Cab and Fairfax White Top Cab.
For $10, seniors can buy a coupon booklet worth $30 in taxicab fare. Over a 12-month period, participants can buy up to $480 in fare coupons. When taking a cab, seniors can use any combination of cash or coupons to pay for their rides, and up to two companions of any age can ride for an additional $1 per person.
Today, more than 2,600 elderly county residents are enrolled in Seniors-On-The-Go!. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors established the program in March 2001 in response to senior citizens seeking enhanced access to transportation options.
Seniors-On-The-Go! serves moderate-income Fairfax County residents who are age 65 or older. The program is open to individuals with annual incomes of $40,000 or less or to married couples with annual combined incomes of $50,000 or less. Residents must submit an application to participate in the program.
To learn more about Seniors-On-The-Go! or to get an application, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/seniors.htm, or call Denis Paddeu with the Fairfax County Department of Transportation at 703-324-1172, TTY 703-324-1102, between 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Or you can send an e-mail to denis.paddeu@fairfaxcounty.gov for more information.
Begun in 2003, the VACo Achievement Awards program recognizes innovative local government programs that can serve as models for other localities across the nation. The awards are granted on a competitive basis, with 45 entries from 17 Virginia counties entered into this year's competition.
The Virginia Association of Counties was established in 1934 as an
independent, nonprofit instrument of Virginia county governments. VACo
exists to support county officials and to effectively represent, promote
and protect the interests of counties to better serve the people of
Virginia. The association also works cooperatively with its national
counterpart, the National Association of Counties.
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