GILES CO., Va. – Not everyone in Giles County has a car, and for some residents, a simple trip to the doctor or grocery store can feel impossible. A new program called Community Rides is working to change that.
Launched through Giles Health and Family Center, Community Rides is a low-cost, on-demand ride service for people traveling within Giles County. For residents like Misty Macrovsky and her mother, Beta, the program has already made a difference.
“Me and my mom couldn’t get out of a house unless we paid like 20 or so dollars to go because gas is so expensive. And people aren’t going to just come out and take us and sit there in a parking lot while we shop or come back and get us,” Macrovsky said.
A need years in the making
The transportation gap in Giles County isn’t new.
A 2024 feasibility study identified it as a major issue — something Executive Director of Giles Health and Family Center, Helen Wallace, says her team has witnessed firsthand for years.
“We don’t have public transit in Giles County… there was a feasibility study… to evaluate if public transit was a need. And of course it was,” Wallace said.
Community Rides is funded by a $25,000 grant through the National Rural Transit Assistance Program — an organization aimed at helping rural communities begin building public transit options.
“The Community Rides grant was awarded to us… and it is designed to just promote public transit… in our area of rural demographic that doesn’t have public transit,” Wallace said.
How the program works
Currently, Community Rides operates Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a fare of just 25 cents per ride.
Riders can call ahead to reserve a trip or request on-demand transportation to destinations like a doctor’s office, grocery store, bank or a friend’s house — as long as the trip stays within Giles County.
For now, the service is available to riders 16 and older who can travel unattended.
“Some of the restrictions are purely transit oriented. So this is really, I think, going to help just bring the communities together,” Wallace said.
More than a ride
For Macrovsky, the program means more than just getting from point A to point B — it’s about staying connected.
“So we’re being able to mingle in the community more. So it does help with the PTSD and anxieties and such. But it also helps with mobility and things like that with mom and in my health issues and stuff,” she said.
What’s next
Wallace says if additional funding is finalized, Community Rides could expand as soon as June — potentially growing from Saturdays only to four or five days a week.
“Hopefully we will expand this in June… even four to five days a week…” Wallace said.
Residents in Giles County who need a ride can contact Giles Health and Family Center directly to learn more or schedule a trip.