Senior Shared Ride Program From BARTA for Berks County Riders 65 and Older
BARTA's Senior Shared Ride Program gives people age 65 and older door-to-door shared rides through BARTA Special Services. There are no restrictions on the purpose of the trip, so seniors can travel for medical appointments, shopping, recreation, senior centers and more.
If you are a senior citizen, age 65 years or older, you are eligible for BARTA Special Services. BARTA Special Services is a shared ride (paratransit) service for senior citizens and persons with disabilities in Berks County, and rides are also provided in Montgomery County to residents within 10 miles of Berks County to the Boyertown Multi-Service Senior Center if there is vehicle availability. It is a shared ride, not a taxi and not a non-stop ride for one person: different riders are grouped depending on their travel times and locations. BARTA Special Services does not provide emergency transportation. The transportation is provided by BARTA and Easton Coach Co.
There is a co-pay each time a senior rides that averages about 15% of the total cost of the trip. The page does not print a dollar amount, so ask when you call.
An application must be completed and approved before you can ride. You can:
- Apply online through Find My Ride Apply at apply.findmyride.penndot.pa.gov
- Print the Senior Shared Ride Application from the link on BARTA's Senior Shared Ride Program page
- Call (610) 921-2361 and an application will be mailed to you
Proof of age is required for approval, and a copy of the proof of age must be attached to the senior application. Any one of these is accepted: a valid driver's license, a PA State Photo ID, a birth or baptismal certificate, Armed Forces discharge or separation papers, a passport, naturalization papers, a PACE Card, or a statement of age verification from the Social Security Administration.
To schedule a trip, call 610-921-2361 or toll-free 1-800-383-2278, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Customers who are hearing impaired are encouraged to use the PA Relay Service, which can be reached by calling 711, free of charge. Have this information ready when you call:
- Name
- Pick-up time and date of travel
- Pick-up address
- Destination address
- Return trip time, if needed
- Telephone number
- Any special assistance requirements
Trips must be scheduled at least one day in advance, and customers can call up to two weeks before an appointment to reserve a ride. Plan on more notice than the minimum: BARTA says the reservation process requires two working days' notice to schedule most appointments, and only individuals who qualify for transportation under the Americans with Disabilities Act are entitled to next-day service. All out of county trips must be scheduled by 5:30 pm a minimum of two days prior to the appointment, not including Saturdays and Sundays. Recurring trips may be set up as a standing order, which schedules your trip automatically each week without further notice to BARTA.
Transportation is generally available Monday through Friday, the earliest is 4:45 a.m. to the latest 12:00 a.m.; Saturday the earliest is 5:30 a.m. to the latest 12:00 a.m.; and Sunday the earliest is 10:00 a.m. to the latest 7:15 p.m., for trips where the pick-up address and destination are located within 3/4 miles of fixed-route bus service. Monday through Friday, transportation is also available to travel 10 miles outside the county borders of Lancaster and Berks. Check with the office for the availability of days and times based on where you would like to travel.
Once you are a rider, Find My Ride Schedule lets you book shared-ride trips online, check your account balance, track your driver's estimated arrival time, view upcoming rides and cancel trips you no longer need. Go to FindMyRidePA.org, enter your BARTA Shared Ride ID number (you can get it by contacting Customer Service), select Berks County for your residence and enter your birthdate. Not all trips can be scheduled online. For help using Find My Ride Schedule, call BARTA Special Services at 610-921-2361.
A personal care attendant rides free of charge only if you are certified in advance to travel with an attendant. A companion may travel with you and pays the same fare as you for each ride, and companions ride if space is available. Service animals are welcome on the vehicles; pets are not allowed. Cancel a trip at least one hour before your scheduled pickup. If you fail to call and cancel and do not take the trip as scheduled, BARTA may charge you a no-show.
BARTA, the Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority, is at 1700 North Eleventh Street, Reading, PA 19604. For general questions, the authority's email is barta@bartabus.com and the bus information number is 610-921-0601.
Source: bartabus.com/service-information/senior-shared-ride-program, read September 18, 2026.
The details
- A valid driver’s license
- A PA State Photo ID
- A birth or baptismal certificate
- Armed Forces discharge or separation papers
- A passport
- Naturalization papers
- PACE Card
- Statement of age verification from the Social Security Administration
In BARTA’s words
If you are a Senior Citizen, age 65 years or older you are eligible for BARTA Special Services. There are no restrictions on the purpose of the trip so seniors can travel for any kind of trip; medical appointments, shopping, recreation, senior centers, and more.
Organization
BARTA
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This listing summarizes publicly available information from bartabus.com/service-information/senior-shared-ride-program. Last recorded review: September 18, 2026. Contact the provider to confirm eligibility, hours and availability before you go. If something here is wrong, tell us.