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CMT and Metro team up to get Seniors on board Ten Toe Express and Transit!

Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) and Metro have teamed up to get seniors on board the Ten Toe Express Program and using transit in 2010. With more and more seniors looking for ways to access their communities, the Ten Toe Express program shows them how to gain more independence and community access by combining walking with MetroLink and MetroBus for recreation and necessary trips, while also improving their overall health. More than 6,500 active area residents, many over the age of 60, are already realizing these benefits by participating in the program.

An even bigger incentive to get on board is the reduced fares that Metro offers to Senior Citizens. Seniors age 65 and older who have a valid Metro Senior Reduced Fare Permit can purchase tickets and passes at a 50 percent discount. Metro and CMT will kick off the Fall Session with a REGISTRATION KICK OFF EVENT on Monday, Sept. 13 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the MetroRide Store in the America’s Center, 701 Convention Plaza, 63101. Individuals can stop by, register and pick up their Ten Toe Kit, as well as register onsite for their Metro Senior Reduced Fare Permits. It is a great opportunity to get all the benefits in one spot.

“I am exercising more, have added fruits and veggies to my diet and lost 20 pounds,” commented Adreanne Pieber, an older adult living in Shrewsbury who has been a part of the Ten Toe program since its inception in 2007. “The biggest benefit of public transit is that it takes me places I wouldn’t be able to go to otherwise. I feel like I am emancipated. Using the MetroLink is an adventure.”

The Ten Toe program is offered free to area residents, courtesy of Citizens for Modern Transit through funding from the Missouri Foundation for Health. Those interested in registering for the program can do so by visiting one of the registration events or by logging on to www.tentoes.cmt-stl.org.

Registrants are required to complete a survey discussing the participant’s health knowledge, beliefs, behaviors and barriers, as well as demographics and other general information.

All Ten Toe program participants receive a Ten Toe tote bag, a pedometer, weekly walk logs and food diaries, MetroLink tickets, St. Louis maps, safety tips and more.

Those interested in learning how they can celebrate 2010 on their own ten toes can visit www.tentoes.cmt-stl.org.