Riding With Our Seniors: What I Learned About Everett Para Transit By Alan Rubio

Last Thursday, I did something I hadn’t done in quite a while: I took a ride on a Community Transit bus. Later that same day, I joined my senior friend, Alice, as her companion for a trip on an Everett Para Transit bus. My goal wasn’t just to get from one place to another. I wanted to experience the service firsthand and listen to the people who depend on it every day.

Para transit bus

It had been years since I last rode a bus, and I have to admit, I didn’t know what to expect. What I discovered was both eye opening and deeply touching.

A Familiar Face Behind the Wheel

The first thing that stood out on Everett Para Transit was the personal connection. Many riders told me they often see the same drivers, faces they know by name. There is a genuine warmth there, a small town familiarity that makes a big city feel a little smaller. Alice smiled as she waved to the driver who greeted her back by name. She had mentioned before how kind Everett Para Transit drivers are, but seeing it first-hand was heartwarming.

That human touch is what gives Everett Para Transit its community feel. Riders told me that these relationships make a difference, especially for seniors and people who ride every day. There is trust, comfort, and a sense of belonging that goes beyond just transportation.

Helping Hands That Make Independence Possible

During the trip, I also spoke with a retired woman who uses Everett’s para transit service. She told me that her driver comes right up to her door and helps her with her rolling walker. Without that help, she said, she simply wouldn’t be able to leave the house and go to her therapy appointments.

Listening to her, I realized that for many of our seniors, para transit isn’t just a service, it is independence. It is the difference between being isolated and staying connected. It made me think about how much quiet work goes on behind the scenes. The driver’s patience, the careful scheduling, the planning that ensures someone can make it to a medical visit on time, all of that is invisible to most of us but essential to those who depend on it.

The Conversation About Change

Some of the seniors I spoke with had heard talk about possible changes or merging Everett Para Transit with Community Transit. Even though city leaders have said there are no immediate plans for that, it is understandable that people worry.

Their concerns weren’t about politics. They were about daily life. They wondered if they would still get the same drivers who know their routines, if pickup times would change, or if fares might go up. One woman asked quietly, “Would they still come to my door if it is someone else running it?”

These are small questions on paper but huge in practice. They show how much trust is built between riders and the people who serve them.

What I Took Away

Spending that afternoon riding the bus wasn’t just about observation, it was about connection. I met people who rely on these routes for groceries, medical visits, church, and simply staying active in the community.

It reminded me how important it is for decision makers and residents alike to stay close to the people most affected by these services. Sometimes the best way to understand a policy issue isn’t by reading a report, it is by sitting beside someone on a bus and listening.

I came home that evening with a new sense of appreciation, not just for the transportation system itself, but for the compassion and effort that keep it running. Everett Para Transit may be small, but for many of our seniors, it is their bridge to the world. And after seeing it with my own eyes, I know my stance will always be clear: I oppose merging Everett Para Transit into Community Transit. Our local service and its human touch are worth preserving.