| Those blue and white vans with the wave logo that are frequently seen all over town are about to get even more visible. The WAVE is expanding its service to the Biddeford area and will be available to take people to work (and now shopping) between Sanford and Biddeford. New stops will include, in Biddeford, the Zoom/Park & Ride, Biddeford Crossing Shops, Five Points Shopping Center, Kohls, and in Sanford, the downtown area, along with other stops along Rt 111. This service is available by advance reservation only, and will provide rides 7 days/week, with fares based on trip destination. The WAVE (Wheels to Access Vocation and Education) was designed as a jobs access and education transportation service to provide trips to connect people with work and training in the Sanford/Wells and now Biddeford areas. Children of riders are also brought to area child care providers as their parents head to work or school. For a low fare, the WAVE operates door-to-door service, 7 days a week, with hours that meet most work shifts. Service is free to TANF participants referred through DHHS. The Sanford to Biddeford ride is $5.00 roundtrip. Commuters can purchase discounted monthly passes. York County Community Action Corporation received a federal grant award and began the WAVE service in late 1999 in collaboration with the local Chamber of Commerce and a number of other partners including: Southern Maine Coast Tourism Association; The Career Center; Child Care Services of York County; Maine Department of Human Services; Maine Department of Transportation; and the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission. Connie Garber, Director of Transportation at York County Community Action says, “The WAVE is a win-win service in York County: not only do riders get to the training and job sites they need to get to, but employers gain access to a larger work force of people with reliable transportation”.
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