Photo Provided A new program in Monroe County will help connect residents with transportation resources such as Monroe County Public Transportation. Buckeye Hills Regional Council’s mobility manager will open an office inside the former Safe Auto building in Woodsfield in March.

WOODSFIELD — Buckeye Hills Regional Council officials are working to assess the transportation needs of Monroe County to help residents get the rides they need.

The council’s services will be available in the spring once the Monroe County Mobility Manager moves into its new location inside the former Safe Auto building in Woodsfield that was purchased by the Monroe County Board of Commissioners in June. Commissioners plan to use the facility as a community center that will offer numerous programs and activities for residents.

Melissa Zoller, transportation manager for Buckeye Hills, said the organization is working to get the word out to the public that it is available for assistance in connecting residents with transit opportunities.

“We’ll be able to connect them. They can call and say, ‘I have this medical appointment that’s coming up but I just don’t know where to turn, I don’t know how to get to that appointment.’ We’ll be able to work with them and Monroe (County Public) Transit, and help them understand that they can get rides and here’s how you can do that and we’ll help get those rides set up,” she said.

Zoller said officials also plan to reach out to the senior centers and other organizations in the county to make them aware that the agency is available for assistance.

“The more that we know about the types of rides that people are needing, the more we can help figure out how to get them there and what the needs are of the county,” she said.

Zoller said the program’s main focus will be on helping people get the transportation they need to non-emergency doctor appointments.

“There’s quite a large percentage, maybe 19 percent, of Monroe County residents that are missing doctor’s appointments because they can’t get rides. … We want to be able to try to make those connections,” she said, adding that they prefer people to call with a few days’ notice so they have time to plan a ride for the individual.

“That will give us time to work with transportation providers and find out whether they qualify for services and how to get them there.”

Zoller said the program is funded through the Ohio Department of Transportation. She said there may be a cost associated with the third-party provider that the individual may have to pay.

“We’re just helping them be able to find those resources and connect those dots,” she said.

Additional information will be released in the future once the county office is up and running.

Commissioner Mick Schumacher said many people will benefit from the new program. He said the program will also help give residents access to entertainment facilities, schools and other places where they may want to go but lack the ability.

“We have a lot of people who would like to come to the (Monroe) theater but don’t drive after dark. This will help not only with doctor’s appointments but also quality of life,” he said, adding that students who are without a driver’s license may also utilize the service to get to school.

Officials are hoping to open the Woodsfield office in March. Those in need of transportation services can call the office at 800-331-2644, ext. 6.