GREAT FALLS, Mont. (August 19, 2022) – Many Rivers Whole Health partnered with the Great Falls Transit District to put on the first public transportation orientation session for those with medical needs today.
GFTD dispatcher Marcus started the morning off by explaining the philosophy of the Transit District as “people first, equipment second, safety always.” He reassured the attendees that meant the bus drivers and other employees would always look out for their passengers and help them get to their destination.
“We’re not a big city like Los Angeles,” Marcus said. ” We’re more personal. We can help you individually if you need it.”
After a brief video, Marcus went on to explain how to flag down a bus and then talked about the different types of bus passes available for college students, those with medical needs, and more.
The next step was a trip on an actual city bus. No other passengers were allowed on the quick trip which let people focus on Marcus and Shawn as they explained how to signal a stop, disembark, and then wave down the bus to get on.
After arriving back at the Central Bus Depot, passengers like Miriam were able to get ID cards allowing them to purchase reduced-rate passes. Miriam even had $10 ready to buy a pass today.
“I had fun today,” she said. “I didn’t have the card before. Now I’ll be going places on my own. I’m independent!”
Many Rivers and the GFTD plan to host more sessions periodically to reach as many people as possible.
If you see Miriam on the bus, be sure to say hi!
ID card and purchase her first bus pass