LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The devastating fires that tore through Lake County this year have seriously disrupted the lives of thousands of people.

In particular, the Valley fire has forced a large number of people to find housing in different areas, often leaving them separated from their support system – the network of family and friends they normally rely on for transportation to doctor’s offices, grocery stores and pharmacies, the post office and bank, friends’ homes and church.

Lake Transit has developed the Valley Fire Ride Assistance Program in order to help meet transportation needs that cannot be met by regular transit service during this challenging time, according to Mark Wall, general manager of Lake Transit.

Wall said the program will help both the people in need of rides and the volunteers willing to provide rides to others.

The program is simple. Qualified riders will identify someone who is willing and able to provide rides to places they need to go, Wall said.

Riders and drivers will keep a record of their trips, and submit them monthly to Lake Transit. Wall said the drivers will then be reimbursed for their mileage on a per-mile basis.

The goal of this program is to help people get the transportation assistance they need, and to help their helpers by removing – or at least reducing – the financial barriers that might interfere with their ability to assist, he said.

The program will be funded by emergency aid from state and federal agencies, Wall reported.

In the aftermath of the Valley fire disaster, Wall turned to Caltrans Federal Grants Chief Mark Codey for assistance.

The response was immediate, and positive. “He told me Caltrans would be there for us,” Wall said.

Two days later, Lake Transit Board members Jim Comstock and Martin Scheel joined Wall in a conference call to present Lake County needs to Caltrans and the Federal Transit Administration.

At the end of the call, Lake Transit received a commitment for fast and flexible funding for additional transit services to respond in the aftermath of the Valley fire, Wall said.

Lake Transit’s Mobility Programs Coordinator Karl Parker will be the primary contact and coordinator for the program.

“The Valley Fire Ride Assistance Program reflects Lake Transit’s commitment to assist the community and respond creatively to conditions caused by the recent fires,” Parker said.

Quickly restoring transit routes, providing free fares in the short term, and launching the Valley Fire Ride Assistance Program are ways in which Lake Transit is responding to the needs of people in the communities hardest hit by the fires, Wall said.

“Right now we are working to identify additional bus schedules and services that Lake County residents may need,” Wall added. “Suggestions from the public are very welcome.”

For more information about the Valley Fire Ride Assistance Program, contact Karl Parker at 707-995-3330 or 707-263-3330, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.laketransit.com .