HART Buses Begin Shuttling Paumanack Residents to IGA
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More than 20 Paumanack Village residents in Greenlawn have taken advantage of HART shuttle service to the Larkfield IGA in the first two days of service.
By Carl Corry
Huntington’s HART bus system has begun twice-weekly service from Paumanack Village in Greenlawn to the nearby Larkfield IGA supermarket to aid low-income seniors affected by the recent closure of the Waldbaum’s in the adjacent shopping center, the town announced Thursday.
The plans call for HART buses to leave Paumanack at 10 and 10:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the Larkfield IGA, returning when residents finish their shopping. The fare is $3 each way.
Thirteen Paumanack residents took advantage of the service on its first day of operation on Tuesday and about seven people made reservations today, said town spokesman A. J. Carter.
“We have made it a priority to work with the shopping center’s owners to see that a food market fills the Waldbaum’s space,” said Huntington Supervisor Frank P. Petrone in a release. Petrone and town council members Mark Cuthbertson and Tracey A. Edwards to address the residents’ concerns. “I am confident things can be worked out, but during this period of transition, we felt it was important to provide HART bus service for those without access to other transportation.”
About 500 elderly residents live in Paumanack Village, with an average age of 78.
Edwards said many Paumanack residents do not have cars, “and they were especially hard hit by the closing of a supermarket within walking distance from their apartments. She noted that the town has gotten Peapod, the home delivery arm of Stop & Shop, to offer reduced-price delivery service, including a first-order discount, 60 days of free delivery for orders over $100 and additional delivery discounts Tuesday through Thursday.
A call to a Paumanack representative was not immediately returned.
