Broome Considers Free Transportation for Treatment

Some Broome County residents, including veterans and people needing treatment for addiction could be getting a free ride on public transportation to get to their counseling and doctor appointments.

Broome County Legislator Jason Garnar is proposing a pilot program to give BC Transit bus passes to local veterans involved in the new Veterans Court that is due to start this month to deal with misdemeanor cases involving mental and abuse issues associated with military service and to low level offenders struggling with addiction.

Garner says giving the passes to patients only to get to their court-ordered appointments would save the county money by getting people into treatment programs instead of finding them incarcerated at more than 100-dollars a day cost to the County.

The new Veteran’s Court is to begin hearing cases April 18.

Garner says he wants the Finance Committee to take at least a month to explore the idea of issuing passes only for programs ordered by the courts like outpatient treatment, drug testing, counselor meetings, parenting classes and community service.

If approved, the pilot program would run through the end of the year.