Turning 80 is a golden age in Nevada County. Once you reach that magic mark, you can ride the bus for free, for life. It’s called a Golden Ticket, and once you become an octogenarian, just go down to the transit office and show proof of age, and you’ll be able to ride any fixed route. That means from Grass Valley to North San Juan, or Penn Valley, or Auburn, and it won’t cost you a dime…

Nevada County Transit Services Manager Robin Van Valkenbergh says the program has actually been in place for a little over a year, but only about a half dozen seniors were taking advantage of it. They are now partnering with Connecting Point, which offers travel training on the bus routes, and a now a few more seniors have signed up. Van Valkenbergh admits that giving up driving, or at least reducing it, plus learning the bus system can be a little intimidating, but for some riders, it’s catching on…

There’s one small catch–the Golden Ticket is not for paratransit, or Gold County Lift, services, but unlimited free ridership, anywhere, for life, once you turn 80.

–gf