Organizers buy bus tickets for seniors after rates increase

After failing to eliminate the senior bus program earlier this year, McHenry Township trustees, again, have targeted the bus service by raising the rate from a $2 freewill donation to a $10 mandatory round-trip fee.

In response to the measures, Friends of McHenry Township organizers bought 1,250 tickets to provide free rides for any seniors or persons with disabilities who live in McHenry Township and need this assistance.

"We thought that was totally unfair because they're picking on the group of people that probably can't afford it," organizer John Macrito said.

Macrito said the low bus fare was vital for seniors and people with disabilities.

"You're asking them to spend another $10 to go to a doctor's office where they might not even be able to afford to pay for that," he said.

Macrito said the trustees are under the assumption that it costs more than $2 to operate the bus. He said that he questions why the trustees couldn't apply for grants in McHenry and DuPage counties to fund the bus service.

"They could have brought in another 60-plus thousand dollars if they just would have applied for the grants. But they chose not to do that. They voted against applying (for) grants," he said.

Trustees previously have argued that the senior bus program is a duplicate program and is expensive to run. At a previous meeting in April, trustees voted, 3-2, to raise the rates.

"I can't come up with the logical reasons why they keep coming after this bus service," Macrito said. "They're picking on a group of people that really need us."

Township organizers are collecting funds to buy more tickets. They've raised about $2,000 on their GoFundMe page.

Senior Services will distribute the passes. Contact (815) 344-3555 to request tickets.