The Traveling Wheelchair

– July 5, 2009
– July 31, 2009
8 Industrial Park Road
Plymouth, MA 02360-4828
Phone: 508-746-0378
http://www.visit-plymouth.com/shuttle.htm

Schedule & Stops: http://www.p-b.com/ahs-schedule.html

Recently while in Plymouth my mom, Ric, Tony and I saw the America’s Hometown Shuttle letting off and picking up tourists/visitors at Plymouth Rock and Mayflower II . We had heard this shuttle takes tourists to various sites in historical Plymouth. We all thought how great this is if we board this shuttle for it would save so much time walking/wheeling/driving from one site to another.

The America’s Hometown Shuttle runs daily June 20 through September 7, 2009 and weekends and holidays October 3 through November 29, 2009. Cost of an all-day pass narrated tour is: Adults $15, Children under 12 – $7.50, Under 5 – free. Transport without a tour is: Adults $ 5, Children and infants $ 2.50. Tickets can be purchased from the trolley driver; at the Plymouth Visitor Information Center; or at any trolley stop.

While pushing my manual chair, Ric quickly dashed towards the trolley that was stopped next to Plymouth Rock. We asked the driver if there is wheelchair access to the trolley. He told us “Sorry-No”. Wow were we disappointed!

When we returned home, my mom called America’s Hometown Shuttle to ask if there are wheelchair accessible trolleys. She was told there is only one that is wheelchair accessible YET the wheelchair lift is broken and NOT in working order.

There are approximately 1 million visitors to historic Plymouth every year. I think visitors seated in wheelchairs should have full and equal access to America’s Hometown Shuttle.

I give America’s Hometown Shuttle ZERO STARS for wheelchair accessibility. In order to earn One Star, they need to fix the one wheelchair accessible lift on the trolley and to earn all Five Stars; they need to ensure there is wheelchair access to ALL America’s Hometown Shuttles.

Amendment: July 31, 2009

Chris Anzuoni, Vice President, Plymouth & Brockton Street Railway Company kindly emailed me to let me know the wheelchair lift on America’s Hometown Shuttle is operational today!

Mr. Anzuoni told me there are two vehicles and only one of them is equipped with a wheelchair lift. Because they cannot guarantee that the vehicle with the wheelchair lift will be on the route daily, they request that passengers in need of the wheelchair lift follow their motor coach policy and notify them a few days prior to needing a wheelchair lift so that they can assure customers of the ride they want when they want it.

Now that the wheelchair lift is repaired, I give America’s Home Shuttle THREE STARS for wheelchair accessibility. In order to earn the other Two Stars they would need to install a wheelchair lift in the other vehicle so persons in wheelchairs have equal access to this transportation.