Senior citizens in Washington County will get a free bus service in the fall, thanks to a partnership between Washington Rides and the state Department of Transportation.

The three-year pilot program is intended to provide seniors and others living in rural areas of the county with public transportation to the county's suburban destinations -- an initiative that sprouted from a 2007 transit study, said Sheila Gombita, executive director of Washington Rides.

The Freedom Line will weave its way through McDonald, Cecil and Canonsburg into Washington, Pa. Seniors will ride for free and other riders will pay $1.50 each way, she said.

The Freedom Line will run Mondays through Fridays, but exact times and destinations are still being decided. Connecting seniors and rural residents with jobs and retail corridors is the primary goal of the program, Mrs. Gombita said.

Proposed stops include Havelock Commons Presbyterian Senior Care in McDonald; Cannon House, Cannon Apartments and Valley View Terrace in Canonsburg; The Meadows Racetrack & Casino in North Strabane; Heritage House in Houston; and possibly Trinity Point and Strabane Square in South Strabane.

Washington Rides already provides door-to-door, shared-ride service to the county, Mrs. Gombita said, but she hopes some of the riders will shift to the new bus service.

"Because it's door-to-door service, the cost is pretty prohibitive," she said of the shared-ride service.

The estimated annual operating cost of the Freedom Line is $467,786, which Mrs. Gombita said is being funded through the county's share of local slots money and a matching grant through the state Department of Transportation. Washington Rides, operated by the Washington County Transportation Authority, will use its existing staff for the new service. Because it is a demonstration program, several older buses from the state transit system will be used.

Ms. Gombita said Washington Rides must meet certain performance benchmarks throughout the three-year demonstration to qualify for more matching grants to sustain the initiative.

She said more than 300 senior-citizen or low-income housing units are in the residential areas on the Freedom Line route, which accounts for more than 500 potential customers.

By the end of its first year, Ms. Gombita said, Washington Rides hopes to achieve its goal of serving six riders per hour.

Canonsburg manager Terry Hazlett thinks that goal might be modest.

"I think they are going to do much better than that," he said.

Mr. Hazlett lauded the initiative and said it was encouraging to see the addition of such a service, especially in the wake of the Port Authority of Allegheny County's budget woes and service cuts.

"They are cutting services and increasing rates, and we are adding services and for seniors, there is no rate," he said.

Mr. Hazlett said with the borough's large senior population, the Freedom Line undoubtedly will be an asset to the community.

"Right now, some of these seniors can't easily get out to go shopping," he said. "A lot of them now have to take taxis."

Mr. Hazlett said the service's $1.50-per destination price tag for other riders also may be beneficial to Canonsburg's unemployed, who could be connected to jobs in nearby casino or retail outlets.

Main Street manager Nadeen Steffey agreed, adding that it will be ideal for people trying to stretch their budget.

"That's huge for people who are maybe looking to save money on gas," she said. "Things are really tough out there for folks, so to have this option is awesome."

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