Please see the release on no-cost public transportation is now available to the Chelsea vaccination site in partnership with the Western-Washtenaw Area Value Express (WAVE). See details below and flyer attached.
For immediate release
April 12, 2021
Contact: Western-Washtenaw Area Value Express
PO Box 272, Chelsea, Michigan 48118
734-433-1338
RideTheWaveBus.org
[email protected]
WAVE Collaborates with the Washtenaw County Health Department to Offer Free-of-Charge Shuttle Service to Chelsea COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Clinic
Door-to-Door Service Available to Chelsea Pierce Lake Elementary School and Back
CHELSEA, MI – The Western-Washtenaw Area Value Express (WAVE) is coordinating with the Washtenaw County Health Department in transporting individuals to the COVID vaccine site at Pierce Lake Elementary School. Service will begin Tuesday, April 13. Anyone with a scheduled appointment at the Washtenaw County Health Department’s vaccine site may use the services. Transportation is provided at no cost to each rider, with fares paid for using federal Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) funding.
“WAVE proudly supports our communities by partnering to deliver this service,” Julia Roberts, Executive Director at WAVE said. “We are able to create more accessible connections with CARES Act Funding, through assistance for everyone living and working in the greater area. Our goal here will be to break down transportation barriers with rides to life-protecting vaccinations at the Washtenaw County Health Department’s vaccination clinic. Thank you to St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea Hospital for helping to get the word out and the AARP Ride@50+ program powered by Feonix Mobility Rising facilitating online and app bookings to better reach more people locally and regionally.”
“This is another key step in increasing access to COVID-19 vaccination. Pierce Lake Elementary is our western Washtenaw mass vaccination site, and we’re grateful to the WAVE for working with us to provide trips fare-free to riders,” Jimena Loveluck, MSW, health officer of the Washtenaw County Health Department said. “Everyone 16 and older is now eligible for vaccination, and we encourage all to get vaccinated at their earliest opportunity.”
Washtenaw County Health Department operates the mass vaccination site at Pierce Lake Elementary School with volunteer support and the partnership of Chelsea Public School District.
Door-to-door transportation services are available for individuals who have made an appointment to get a COVID-19 vaccine at the Pierce Lake Elementary School. Services will begin operation on Tuesdays from 8:00 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. Passengers are required to wear a mask when waiting for and riding public transit.
Visit the Health Department website at www.washtenaw.org/covid19vaccine to make a vaccination appointment for residents and workers in Washtenaw County. For anyone who cannot check online for appointments, phone or email assistance is available (734-544-6700 or [email protected]). Please reserve this capacity for individuals unable to schedule themselves online.
Shuttle Service from Chelsea, Dexter, and the surrounding Washtenaw County areas to the Pierce Lake vaccine site:
- Reservations booking options include:
- Advance booking 24-hours before appointment times are recommended.
- Same-day reservations are available on a first-come-first-served basis.
- Shuttles drop off and pick up using the COVID-19 Vaccine Center entry and exit doors.
- Vehicles are limited up to 4 household pairs of people per bus and up to 2 individuals per van.
- Starting Tuesday, April 13 WAVE offers trips to Pierce Lake’s vaccine site at no cost for riders.
- When making your reservation, mention that you are traveling to the Pierce Lake Elementary School for your vaccine. Will-Call return trips arranged when making a reservation are honored.
To reduce the spread of COVID-19, WAVE has put into place the following preventive measures and restrictions to keep both riders and drivers safe:
- Customers are required to wear a face covering, per federal law
- The driver is to be approached for emergencies only
- Buses are cleaned with CDC recommended protocols
- Social distancing signs are posted in buses
- Fewer passengers are allowed on each bus
- Plastic plexiglass barriers added to separate drivers and riders
- Sanitation supplies are provided to employees
- Masks, gloves and face shields are provided for drivers use
- Lost and found collection has been temporarily suspended
Information on WAVE routes and schedules are available at RideTheWaveBus.org or by calling (734) 475-9494.
Scheduling a COVID-19 Vaccination at Pierce Lake Elementary
Washtenaw County Health Department is now vaccinating anyone 16 years or older who lives or works in the county. Demand for vaccine appointments is still greater than supply, and appointments will not be immediately available for everyone now eligible. New appointments are added weekly on Fridays around 10 pm and Mondays around 9 am. If there are no appointments available, please check back. Because supplies are confirmed weekly, scheduling is not available for more than 3 weeks ahead. Anyone under 18 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian when getting vaccinated. Please see www.washtenaw.org/covid19vaccine for updates.
Image: Vaccine site transportation available to Pierce Lake Elementary in Chelsea
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The Western-Washtenaw Area Value Express (WAVE) is a non-profit service organization, serving Chelsea and adjacent communities since 1976, that exists to provide affordable transportation to older adults, persons with disabilities, and other transit-dependent individuals in western Washtenaw County. For more information, please visit RideTheWaveBus.org.