Picente: Public Market Launches Senior Shuttle

Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. today announced that the Oneida County Public Market at Utica’s Union Station will begin a shuttle service for seniors beginning Saturday, June 30. 

“We believe that the Oneida County Public Market is a wonderful opportunity for the senior citizens who live in downtown Utica’s residential areas and elsewhere to get some nutritious, healthy food at reasonable prices, but we also understand that walking from the senior citizen housing centers downtown to the train station can be a strain, especially on the very hot days of summer and that the hardship is worse for senior’s living elsewhere who don’t own cars and can’t make the walk,” Picente said. “Because we want to do everything we can to help our seniors have access to fresh food, we included this pilot project in a grant that was submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The project was funded, and we are now very excited to launch this shuttle to help connect seniors with the Public Market and all of the growers and vendors that make it an exciting venue.”

Oneida County and Market officials will be partnering with Centro to provide this needed service.

“Our seniors are one of our high needs populations that can truly benefit from accessibility to healthy affordable foods.  This shuttle service will give them safe, dependable transportation to the market for shopping and then back to their neighborhoods,” said Beth Irons, Market Manager.

The Oneida County Public Market is located in the former Railroad Express Agency Wing of Union Station.  Built almost a century ago, the long, narrow structure served as a transfer building from the rails to local delivery for over fifty years.  With the shift from rail to truck transport, use of the facility declined until it was closed in the 1960’s.  Redevelopment of the space began in 2011 with Picente’s commitment to explore all possible alternatives to increase economic activity in the area.  The Oneida County Public Market blends the needs of consumers with those of the region’s long-standing agribusiness sector.  The Market runs every Saturday through September 29 from 9AM to 1PM.  Visit www.oneidacountymarket.com or call 798-3639 for more information or to become a vendor.

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