The Red Cross Kentucky Region recently received a grant from The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels to help fund a Wheels bus. We are extremely grateful for their support in this important paratransit program.
The American Red Cross Wheels Paratransit Program, in partnership with Lextran, is a shared ride transportation service for disabled and elderly residents of the Lexington-Fayette County area. The service is designed to meet the needs of those who are unable to use Lextran’s fixed route by providing economical and accessible transportation. Each bus can accommodate two wheelchair passengers and eight ambulatory passengers, traveling almost 50,000 miles per year.
The Wheels program operates 365 days a year and provides more than 200,000 trips annually, traveling almost two million miles per year. It provides disabled and elderly residents with a safe and reliable mode of transportation, giving them independence to travel throughout the Lexington-Fayette County area for critical doctor appointments, to pick up groceries, or for social events. This program not only provides an important service for residents with disabilities, it provides stable employment opportunities for Wheels program drivers.
The Wheels program has helped thousands of residents become mobile, but demand for the service has steadily increased by over 3% during the last five years. Our current fleet of 45 Wheels buses plays an important part in helping us deliver the Red Cross mission every day. Maintaining updated, fuel-efficient models is important to the program.
