HONESDALE, PA — Brothers Matthew and Chris Harms didn't initially plan to run a transportation service in the Wayne/Pike area — but they stepped in when they saw the need. 

What started as one vehicle in January has grown to five, and now, the brothers' company Time Away Transportation is trialing the addition of a Honesdale to Hawley shuttle service. 

The new route launched today, October 4. It will start at Honesdale Community Health Center, 600 Maple Avenue, and will end at Pinnacle Medical Center, 132 Manly Road, Tafton, before making a return journey. It will make over a dozen stops along the way, like Wayne Memorial Hospital, the Hawley Senior Center and the Lake Region IGA; visit https://www.timeawaytransportation.com/ for full information about the itinerary. 

For the first two weeks, the shuttle will make two runs a day, one starting at 7 a.m. and the other at 4 p.m., on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. 

And afterward?

That depends on what the people want, according to co-owner Matthew. "Really, this is the first step in trying to develop some community feedback."

The route the shuttle will take came out of a Wayne Tomorrow! transportation survey asking area residents about a shared-ride shuttle service along Route 6. 

When Wayne Tomorrow! put out the survey, Community Network Specialist Mikki Uzupes said that, “Our partner agencies tell us that in recent years, the costs of purchasing, operating, maintaining and insuring a personal vehicle have been growing out of the reach of some families, compounding the hardships presented by the absolute need for reliable transportation in our rural area.”

There's room to expand the route, depending on what feedback the company receives from the public — Matthew mentioned that future possibilities include service to Milford and the occupational work center there at one end, and to Carbondale to connect with buses to Scranton at the other. 

A driving need

The Harms' primary venture is real estate. The Time Away Group offers "a full range of real estate services" in Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut, helping with sales, investment opportunities and property management, according to its website. 

While the group is a for-profit organization, "We're always looking to help the community," said Matthew. From that spirit, the brothers have been part of the Wayne Tomorrow! Housing Task Force for two years, he said. 

Last year, taskforce conversations shifted to discussions about barriers to housing accessibility, including transportation, said Matthew. That’s when the Harms decided to step in, filing the paperwork to create a local transportation provider. 

Time Away Transportation "hit the ground running" in January with one shuttle. "Business picked up so quickly that we added another, and another," said Matthew — the company is now up to five. 

The company offers both phone dispatching (think "calling a cab") as well as app-based booking (think "Uber"), according to its website. The shuttle service marks a change from the company's primary  offerings of individual bookings. 

Mayor Derek Williams, speaking to the Honesdale Borough Council on Monday, September 30, said the service was "a way to both invest in their business but also provide community benefit."

"Keep [it] in mind as a new community service, and maybe take a ride yourself on it," he told the council. 

"It's hopefully going to open so many doors," said Michael.