AirTouch Cellular Loans Phones for Transportation Study.PORT TOWNSEND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 30, 1998--Elderly passengers using special public transportation often feel stressed or anxious when they must venture outside of the home to run errands or attend appointments. AirTouch Cellular is helping ease the anxiety by loaning five phones and service to the Olympic Area Agency on Aging during its six-week special transportation study in Jefferson and Clallam counties. The trial is in cooperation with the Washington State Department of Transportation The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), led by a Secretary and overseen by the Governor, is a Washington governmental agency that constructs, maintains, and regulates the use of the state's transportation infrastructure. . The phones will be assigned for one day to selected clients that use Jefferson or Clallam Dial-a-Ride or Catholic Community Services Volunteer Chore Services. The phones are pre-programmed to contact the dispatch operator in case of an emergency or a scheduling change. Mrs. Zahn, 85, from Port Townsend, is the first passenger in the study to use a cellular phone to help stay in touch. "The drivers for Jefferson Transit Jefferson Transit is the transit provider for Jefferson County, Washington. It provides fixed route buses, paratransit, vanpools, and rideshares. Buses Jefferson Transit operates eight fixed route buses within Jefferson County. create a real family for their clients," said Ken Lynn, interim executive director, for Olympic Area Agency on Aging. "We hope this demonstration will help the drivers more easily reach the members of their family while they're on the move. Meeting the special transportation needs of our clients is sometimes difficult. Our goal is to find new ways to make travel easier for the elderly and allow them to live more independently." "AirTouch is pleased to provide cellular phones and service to support the transportation study," said Joe Dodson, vice president and general manager for AirTouch in the Northwest area. "We hope the phones will bring peace of mind to participants, and serve as a vital communication link between passengers and drivers." Volunteers play a key role in meeting the transportation needs on the Olympic Peninsula The Olympic Peninsula is the large arm of land in western Washington state that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the east by Puget Sound and the Hood Canal. . If you would like to volunteer, please contact Volunteer Chore at 800/642-8019 or in Port Townsend, please call Ecumenical Catholic Helping Hands at 360/379-3246. AirTouch Communications, based in San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden , is the largest wireless company in the world. AirTouch Cellular serves more than 7 million U.S. cellular U.S. Cellular (NYSE: USM) is a super-regional cellular telephone provider, serving 5.8 million customers in 189 markets in 26 U.S. states. The company was created in 1983 as a subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. Since April 2000, John E. customers and operates in 15 of the top 30 U.S. markets, including Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , San Francisco, San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. , Atlanta, Detroit, Cleveland, San Jose San Jose, city, United States San Jose (sănəzā`, săn hōzā`), city (1990 pop. 782,248), seat of Santa Clara co., W central Calif.; founded 1777, inc. 1850. , Sacramento, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Phoenix and Minneapolis.
CONTACT: AirTouch Olympic Area Agency on Aging
Patti Finley Marcy Jaffe
425/603-7503 360/379-5064
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion