If you know someone who needs a ride into La Crosse, Noreen Kuroski, director of the La Crosse County Aging Unit, has some options you probably haven’t thought of — and they aren’t just limited to the aged.

If your car is broken down, gas is too expensive or you just need to get Grandma to the doctor, the county’s Find a Ride program is a solution.

“We did a focus group survey and everyone said the same thing: ‘I didn’t know the Aging Unit had a transit program.’” Kuroski said.

“Even though we try to publicize the programs we offer, many people still aren’t aware — and many others just don’t know how to look for transportation,” Kuroski added.

Kuroski wants it made clear that Find A Ride is different from the Shared Ride Taxi program that covers Onalaska, Holmen, West Salem, Bangor, Rockland and Holland.

“If you call the Find a Ride number you will reach Cathy, our mobility manager,” Kuroski said. “She will ask you things like where you’re going, how old you are and whether you need a wheelchair or not. Then she’ll tell you your best option and how much it will cost.”

If, for example, a prospective rider were in Mindoro, they might be referred to the county’s MiniBus. If the caller were in Bangor, he or she would be told how to hook up with the Shared Ride Program to get a free transfer to the MTU Bus into La Crosse.

The Find a Ride program, while focusing on the elderly and disabled, is not limited to them. It’s also for people who have a temporary or permanent need for transportation.

“The whole idea is to make transportation more available for people in outlying areas and better coordinate all transportation,” Kuroski emphasized.

“I think more people would use our transportation options if someone would show them them how to ride the bus, so we can even arrange training in how to ride the MiniBus or the MTU bus,” she said. “One of the things we’re trying to do is make it easier for the elderly and disabled. If they had the freedom to just call someone, it would be so much better.”

Kuroski said that in the future, transportation will have to be more regional, involving counties surrounding La Crosse County.

“We’re thinking more ‘big picture’ than just La Crosse County,” Kuroski said. “Our radio ads are going into places like Vernon County and Crawford County. We want to coordinate ways for people to get around better.

“(Find a Ride) will do two things: It will help people access transportation to get where they’d like to go and it will build an inventory of what kind of rides are going to be needed,” Kuroski said.

The phone number for the Find a Ride program is 888-300-9796.