‘Good Wheels’ service lacking funds to fully serve local counties

The “Good Wheels” service provides rides to people who need to get to doctor’s appointments in SWFL.

But recently, the service is being forced to turn people away.

“I’m a senior citizen, I’ve had several surgeries in the past couple of years, many doctor’s appointments back and forth,” said Joan Gordon.

Gordon relies on Good Wheels to get to those appointments, jobs, and event to go food shopping. Many in the area can’t imagine life without it.

But for some riders, that’s now becoming a reality.

“The state of Florida provides Good Wheels with $107,000 per month. The problem is it’s no longer sufficient for the number of people in Lee County who require transportation, especially for medical reasons,” said CEO Alan Mandel.

Mandel says state funding isn’t keeping up with the population and increasing need for rides, forcing them to deny or cancel pickups.

Those able to reserve rides are at the top of a priority list with severe medical conditions.

“The $107,000 right now is being used totally for people on dialysis or psychiatric or chemo. All other medical and any other reason using those funds has been eliminated,” Mandel said.

He adds that he requested more funding from the state and help from other medical centers, but nothing has been set in motion.

“Without this service I believe that people would die. They just simply would not be able to get to their doctor’s appointments,” Gordon said.

Right now, Good Wheels has 83 buses on the roads and serves more than 400,000 people each year in Lee, Hendry and Glades counties.