NBC 29 News article – Jaunt plans for the future – Alternative News Study
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Please provide feedback about your experienceJaunt plans for the future – Alternative Fuels Study
Meet the Riders: Gabrielle Olko
Gabrielle Olko used to live in Los Angeles, where she could walk or bike everywhere. When she moved back to the Charlottesville area, she felt stuck.
The 39-year-old doesn’t have a driver’s license because of seizures, so she used Ubers to get from her home near the airport north of Charlottesville. “I was spending more money than needed or not being able to get out except for a doctor’s appointment,” she recalls. But about five years ago, a friend told her about Jaunt.
“Jaunt is amazing,” Gabrielle says. “I’ve become friends with the drivers, and I’m truly taken care of. I’ve even gotten to know some of the people that I ride with a little bit, and we make jokes or ask how someone’s cat is or their sister.” Jaunt helps Gabrielle get to doctor and dentist appointments, the gym, the library and many other places.
The two drivers she sees the most are Sandy and Cavonda, and she’s developed a good relationship with them. “What brightens my day is to see the care the drivers give to people that are struggling a lot more than I am,” she says. That could be everything from helping someone with a wheelchair or listening to riders’ stories. “The drivers make the experience fun,” she says.
Gabrielle is studying for her acupuncture license exams and finds riding Jaunt inspiring. “I like to look at it as almost my extra credit course,” she says. “It’s been a beautiful, humbling experience to not just be learning in the clinic, but to be on a bus with all these people going through different things and just finding a full-on respect and beauty.”
Meet the Riders: Carmen Bonano
Jaunt is Carmen Bonano’s connection to her world. The longtime rider, who lives in Mineral, Virginia uses the service multiple times a week to do all the things she needs to do.
Bonano rides Jaunt to go to doctor’s appointments, pick up medications and go grocery shopping. More importantly, she regularly visits her daughter, who is disabled and in a wheelchair. “I take her groceries and help her out,” Bonano says. Her daughter only lives a few miles away, but Bonano doesn’t drive and can’t walk that distance.
The friendly and caring drivers make Jaunt special, she says. “They’re very nice, all of them. They are really fantastic and they look after you. They’ve helped me so much.” Joyce Morris is Bonano’s favorite driver. When one older rider was sick and couldn’t get her medication, Joyce got it for her. “She got her medicine and everything on her own time. That’s how she is. She’s good to everybody, especially the elderly.” All the drivers go out of their way to help the riders, Bonano says, and many will help her carry packages all the way to her door. “They go out of their way to do something that is not within the job description.”
Bonano has used Jaunt for 10 years and doesn’t know what she would do without it. “They’ve been my lifeline,” she says. “Jaunt is so important to all of the seniors and other people that have to take public transportation. It is essential to everybody here in Louisa County.”
Check Your Appointments and Cancel Your Ride if Needed
Due to the UVA community safety alert, all UVA Medical Center clinics except for dialysis and procedural areas will be closed this morning, Monday, Nov. 14. This includes clinics in Charlottesville, central Virginia, and the Shenandoah Valley. All facilities and clinics in northern Virginia are operating normally.
Clinics are scheduled to open in the afternoon pending further evaluation. University Hospital remains on its normal schedule. Please contact your clinic or the hospital at 434.924.0000 with questions.
If your appointment has been canceled and you need to reschedule your Jaunt ride today for any reason, please let us know at trips@ridejaunt.org or (434) 296-3184
Holiday Schedule for Thanksgiving
Thursday, November 24, 2022
| Service | Level of Service | Hours |
| ADA | Full Service | Limited; 6am – 10pm |
| Rural | Medical Only | Regular |
| 29 North CONNECT | Limited | Holiday Hours |
| Crozet CONNECT | Limited | Holiday Hours |
| Buck East CONNECT | Full Service | Regular |
| Buck North CONNECT | No Service | |
| Lovingston CONNECT | No Service | |
Friday, November 25, 2022
| Service | Level of Service | Hours |
| ADA | Full Service | Limited; 6am – 10pm |
| Rural | Medical Only | Regular |
| 29 North CONNECT | Limited | Holiday Hours |
| Crozet CONNECT | Limited | Holiday Hours |
| Buck East CONNECT | Full Service | Regular |
| Buck North CONNECT | No Service | |
| Lovingston CONNECT | No Service | |
Meet the Riders: Nancy Harlow
When Nancy Harlow says that Jaunt is a lifesaver for her, she isn’t exaggerating. Three days a week, the Louisa County resident uses the service to get to her dialysis appointments in Mineral. Nancy’s been a rider for more than two years. “I really depend on Jaunt,” she says.
Once Nancy finishes with dialysis on Friday evenings, she treats herself and uses Jaunt for a trip to the beauty parlor. While she can drive herself to church, she doesn’t feel comfortable driving to dialysis because the traffic makes her nervous.
She loves all the drivers and spends most of her rides chatting with them. “I consider them my drivers,” she says. “We have some good conversations. I just don’t like to drive, and Jaunt comes in handy. I think it’s a wonderful service to have in Louisa County.”
