Residents praise Londonderry senior CART service but say early appointments hard to schedule

Residents during the public comment period praised Londonderry's CART senior transportation program for dependable door-to-door service but urged officials to address a scheduling gap that makes early medical appointments difficult to reach. Multiple speakers described using the service several times a week to get to the Londonderry Senior Center and to medical visits.

Why it matters: several speakers said they rely on CART for medical access and social connection. One resident said the system's current pickup times prevent them from reaching doctor appointments scheduled around 8:30 a.m., a gap that could lead to missed care for people who do not drive.

Residents gave specific examples of how they use the program. One resident said, "It's a godsend for me. I'd be housebound without cart." Another noted, "They pick you up at your home and they drop you back off at your home," highlighting the service's door-to-door model and the role it plays for riders who cannot drive. A separate commenter recounted travel for medical needs: "I've gone to the doctor," and "I've used it to go to the dentist," underscoring reliance for clinical appointments.

At least one speaker raised a concrete scheduling problem: "Any of the appointments that I've had by 08:30 to get to a doctor's appointment, they're not available," the resident said, describing attempts to arrange earlier rides and being unable to secure them. Speakers also contrasted CART's cost with ride-hailing services, saying it is more affordable than Uber for routine trips to shopping or the senior center. Several comments praised drivers and reservation staff as "personable," "wonderful," and "very accommodating."

The transcript contains no recorded formal reply from town officials or a staff commitment to change pickup windows. The remarks in this record are limited to residents' experiences and requests; no motion or vote appears in the provided transcript.