Hilltown Easy Ride
Hilltown Easy Ride is a van service for seniors over 60 and veterans in the towns of Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Plainfield and Worthington. The primary goal of the service is to provide transportation in a rural area with no other public transportation options. In addition to regularly scheduled shopping trips to Pittsfield and Northampton, riders may also get to medical appointments and attend social trips through the local Councils on Aging (COAs).
Interested riders must be pre-approved for eligibility with this FRTA form. You can print and send directly to FRTA, or our Transportation Coordinator will be happy to help you.
Our dispatcher Ed Pelletier is part-time but checks messages daily. Please leave a detailed message with your name, date, time and destination and we will check the schedule and get back to you quickly. You can also email ride@hilltowncdc.org
Hilltown Easy Ride is a Demand Response service of the Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA). For service, riders must call or email our dispatcher at least 48 hours in advance. The dispatcher will then let you know if the van and driver are available at that time. It is not a taxi service and trips are sometimes shared with others as schedules permit.
$1.25 - one way trip within the same town
$1.75 - one way trip to an adjacent towns
$2.25 - one way trip beyond adjacent towns
All trips to Senior Centers are half fare.
Fares are paid in cash and driver is unable to make change. Punch cards in $5 and $10 increments are available to conveniently prepay for multiple trips. For questions please call (413) 296 - 4232
We are pleased to be able to offer the use of the Easy Ride Van to area Councils on Aging for Group Outings. Cost is based on the number of hours for the trip and an 8 person minimum is required.
$3 per person for a three hour trip
$4 per person for a four hour trip
$5 per person for a five hour trip
These low rates are made possible through a grant from Highland Valley Elder Services.
Hilltown CDC also has grant funding to supplement the van for occasional medical rides for appointments outside of the van service area, or when there is a scheduling conflict with the van. The Hilltown Driver Pool is a group of approved drivers in the community who can take riders in their personal vehicles to fill this occasional need. Hilltown CDC coordinates these rides and reimburses the driver. All rides must be booked through dispatch and the number of rides are limited by grant funding availability.
Hilltown CDC operates its programs, services, and activities in compliance with federal and state nondiscrimination laws including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, related statutes and regulations and the Massachusetts Public Accommodation Law, M.G.L. c272 92a, 98, 98a. For more information, click here.
