North Andover seniors and residents with disabilities are getting state-funded rides to medical appointments through the town's Council on Aging.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation, or MassDOT, named the North Andover Council on Aging as a beneficiary of its fiscal year 2026 Community Transit Grant Program. The funding supports rides to anesthesia appointments, a specialized need for patients who cannot arrange their own transportation home after sedation.

The grants were awarded in March.

The funding reaches North Andover through Northern Essex Elder Transport, Inc., known as NEET, which received $150,000 to run a volunteer driver program for 13 Councils on Aging in the Merrimack Valley, according to the FY26 award list. North Andover is not listed directly as a grantee.

The neighboring Town of Andover received a separate $60,000 grant for its Elder Services Division to offer door-through-door transportation to day programs and anesthesia appointments.

Jane Burns, Andover's director of elder services, said in a March 26 MassDOT press release that the funding "allows us to bridge the gap for our most vulnerable residents, providing essential regional transportation to our social day programs and ensuring safe, escorted medical rides for those undergoing complex procedures."

Driving limits, missed appointments

A 2024 community needs assessment titled "Aging in North Andover" found that older adults in town described limiting their driving to daytime hours and avoiding highways. Those who had stopped driving altogether reported higher rates of missed or delayed medical appointments, according to a June 2026 MassDOT environmental scan that cited the assessment.

Statewide, MassDOT awarded $5,484,297 in FY26 operating and mobility management grants to 40 entities. The money comes from $4 million in state Education and Transportation Fund dollars and $1.48 million in federal transit funding, according to WWLP.

A third Merrimack Valley recipient, MeVa Transit, received $178,720 for travel training as the regional transit authority shifts from a flag-stop system to fixed bus stops.

MassDOT also distributed 131 fully accessible vans to 27 organizations statewide in a separate FY26 grant cycle, including 13 electric vehicles.

What's next

The FY27 Community Transit Grant Program application cycle is open. Councils on Aging, municipalities, transit authorities and nonprofits can apply by Oct. 30.