Senior transportation program reports 1,282 participants; resident asks to add town board meetings to notification service

Angelia Searls, director of the Senior Resources Department, told the Colonie Town Board on July 9 that the town-operated social transportation program known as Go Go Colony (also referred to as Go Go Grandparent) has provided rides to older residents since March and is fully funded by town dollars.

“We provide transportation to Town of Colonie residents age 60 and over, for social transportation,” Searls said. She told the board the program has served 1,282 participants and provided 1,036 rides since it began in March, and she said the program is fully operational and accepting new applications. “Anyone who is 16 above [sic] lives in the town, wants transportation in the town, give our office a call. 459-5051,” Searls said.

During public comment, resident Tam Ling of 5 Isabel Court urged the town to add notices for Town Board meetings to the Stay Connected electronic notification service. Ling said she receives alerts for planning board meetings but not for Town Board meetings and argued that adding them would increase transparency and community engagement.

Paul Russell of Burmaster Road praised recent park and lock-area maintenance, noting work at Lock 4 and Newtonville Park, including bamboo removal, and asked to meet with the supervisor to discuss a few suggested improvements. “They did a really nice job back there,” Russell said of the cleanup, and he offered to walk the park with the supervisor to present specific ideas.

The Clerk confirmed there were three sign-ups for public comment that evening and the board thanked department heads for their work. The supervisor closed the meeting with announcements about upcoming events, including the library’s summer reading kickoff and carnival scheduled the next evening.

What happens next: Senior residents interested in the Go Go Colony program can call the Senior Resources office at 459-5051 to apply; the town will consider the request to add board-meeting notifications to the Stay Connected service through its communications office.