Transit called ‘lifeline’ for rural Pennsylvania residents

Kelly Schraeder calls shared ride service a lifeline for patients at Fresnius Kidney Care in Berwick, and she means it literally.

"These patients come three times a week, and it's not optional. It's not just keeping them healthy. It's keeping them alive," said Schraeder, the clinic's manager.

In a small community with no fixed-route public transit, the van service provided by rabbittransit is the only way many patients can reach their dialysis treatments at Fresinius.

"Without it, they couldn't get here. And if they can't get a treatment, bad things happen, including hospitalizations," Schraeder said.

She joined Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll and rabbittransit Executive Director Richard Farr for a press conference on Tuesday to talk about the benefits of public transit to rural and small-town residents across the state.