It's Freeing: Riders On Newton Senior Ride-Share Service, NewMo

NEWTON, MA — Monday morning, two Newton residents called the number to reserve a $5 ride to get to Newton City Hall. It took about 10 minutes from reservation to getting dropped off at their destination, they said. Newton in Motion, or "NewMo," the senior ride-share transit program, kicked off at 8 a.m. and so these two residents were among the first in the city to give it a whirl.

It went like clockwork. The only thing they weren't expecting?

"We didn't expect to be here so early," said Phyllis Chmara. She and her pal had so much time to kill they toured City Hall ahead of the event.

Chmara, who is getting close to 90 years old and who lives at Golda Meir House, a Jewish community home for folks over the age of 62 in Auburndale, said she is used to waiting for rides. Previously she had to call ahead to reserve trips at least 72 hours in advance with Veterans Taxi service. And then, she said, most often the taxi would be late.

A case in point: Chmara said recently she was at Newton-Wellesley Hospital and ordered a cab. When it came time for pick her, the cab driver wasn't there. She called the dispatch to see where the driver was, and they told her the driver was 15 minutes away. After at least two more calls, Chmara called them back and canceled the ride.

"I'll walk. I told them," she said. And so she did.

It was a short distance, yes, but it was raining. It was experiences such as this one that had her asking for a better alternative to help seniors such as herself have a bit of freedom.

Her Monday morning ride to City Hall where she and her friend would join the mayor for a symbolic inaugural roll around the block, by contrast, was on time and comfortable, she said. She's sold.

The city introduced a government-subsidized ride share program with rides as low as 50 cents for senior citizens making trips around the city. It's similar to Uber and Lyft, but the algorithm the driver uses to pick up rides is more efficient, according to company spokespersons. It's also, right now, only for Newton seniors older than 60.

NewMo replaces the taxi voucher system with Veteran's Taxi.

Riders can call a number in addition to reserving a ride on their phone. And a Mercedes van with the words "Newton in Motion" emblazoned on the side and driver will be there within 5 to 30 minutes of the request. No ride will take longer than 30 minutes, officials said.

Another thing that Chmara and her friend and neighbor Faina Saltanov like about the program?

"You can use it more than once in a day," said Chmara. "When I heard about it, I wasn't aware that you could use it twice or three times in one day."

And that, she said, is a big deal for active octogenarians like her and her friend. Previously, because of the schedule ahead requirement for those using the vouchers, if you were out shopping and a friend called and wanted to meet you for lunch while you were out, there was no flexibility to add to the trip for, she said. And calling a regular taxi could be cost-prohibitive.

"This gives you some freedom," she said.

There are some 220 people living in her community and most don't have cars, said Chmara and Saltanov. Transportation is critical for many of them. Saltanov points to a window at Golda Meir where you can see residents bouncing around in some sort of workout class. These are active people, she says.

"This will be perfect for them," said Chmara. "They're older, and they need help getting out. And [this service now means] they will have a way to do that."

Officials estimate that the service will provide more than 25,000 trips in its first year.

City Hall has teamed up with the company Via, a ride-share company that vets drivers and trains them in person. Harvard University shuttles utilize the tech, and the company is in 70 other cities worldwide, including New York.

Driver Bizi Kayumbi, 34, first drove for the company in New York and said because it was a much more affordable option he saw a number of older riders when he drove there. Now, he's driving for the company again in Newton. He still works part-time for Uber and Lyft, but praises the hourly pay program at Via.

The service is part shuttle, part Uber, and while it won't take a rider just anywhere in the city —there's a list of spots folks can get to using the service online — the goal is to get people to and from the senior center, villages, medical appointments and to specified destinations, primarily in Newton without hassle.

City officials are calling the on demand transportation a micro-transit service solution for seniors, the first of its kind in the state.

New riders will need to contact the senior center to sign up, there the city will verify that you're a Newton resident and that you're over 60. It will also give them a chance to help make sure seniors are aware of other services the city provides. All riders will be charged $5 per ride. If you have a Massachusetts health benefit, it's 50 cents per ride.

"This was our initiation into this type of travel," said Chmara who had previously been skeptical of ride-share apps. "And we love it."

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• Newton Introduces Ride Share For Seniors For $5 A Ride

Watch the mayor and officials talk about the program here:

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).