Free transportation to voting sites Nov. 7

All voters in Monroe, Owen and Lawrence counties can hitch a free ride to voting sites Tuesday. \nBloomington Public Transportation Corporation has announced that all fixed route buses as well as BT Access service will be absolutely free on Election Day. IU Transportation and Rural Transit buses have also joined the effort, making it possible for almost everyone within three counties to make it to the polls.\nThe idea for \"Free Ride Day\" was developed by a group known as People Power, a collaborative group that includes the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Bloomington\'s Council for Community Accessibility and Self Advocates of Monroe County. People Power is underwriting the program costs of \"Free Ride Day\" along with the financial help of numerous community sponsors. \nPeople Power has been promoting voter registration and education, especially amongst people with disabilities, for the 2000 election, said Vicki Pappas, director of the Center for Planning and Policy Studies at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community who is actively involved with People Power.\n\"The idea behind People Power is to get people with disabilities more involved in public policy,\" she said. \"...and a lot of the issues that are important to people with disabilities are important to everybody.\"\nPappas added that after all their election preparation, they were faced with the problem of actually getting voters out to the polls on Election Day.\nThat\'s when they thought of \"Free Ride Day,\" and started to round up financial contributions from supportive community members. \nPappas said she is not sure if this is the first time this has been done, but she has not heard of anything like this ever being done in Indiana.\n\"Our feeling is that this is pretty spectacular for Bloomington,\" she said.\nThe program is being implemented with the hopes that more people will be able to get out to the polls and have their voices heard, especially students, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.\nBT Access will be available at no cost to those that are certified to use the service. Requests for BT access service and Rural Transit must be made by Monday. \nFor BT Access Already-eligible riders, call 332-5688 for rides to and from your polling place\nFor Rural Transit Voters in Monroe, Owen and Lawrence counties call 876-1079 or 1-800-844-1010 at least one day in advance.