Portage County Veterans Service Commission: Vans to the Akron, Canton and Wade Park VA

Van transport to the Akron, Canton and Wade Park VA clinics, requested through the commission's contact form and booked about three weeks out, with a new route to the Brimfield/Kent VA clinic; a $98,412 shuttle bus and a $51,177 Toyota Highlander carry the routes, and PARTA's reduced fare and JFS's free Medicaid rides cover the rest.

Also called: transportation, rides, van, VA appointments, Akron VA, Canton VA, Wade Park, Brimfield, PARTA, NET.

For: Veteran or service member.

Where it applies

Written for the jurisdictions listed here.

Portage County, OHCounty

Every Ohio commission must arrange regular transport to the VA medical centres serving the county (Revised Code 5901.03(H); see the Ohio entry). The Portage County commission transports eligible veterans to the Akron VA clinic, the Canton VA clinic and the Wade Park VA clinic in Cleveland. A ride is requested through the contact form on the commission's site with the appointment details, or by calling 330-297-3545 for anything not listed; in 2026 the office was booking about three weeks out, was adding a route to the new Brimfield/Kent VA clinic, and budgeted a permanent part-time driver to keep up. The vehicles. The commissioners declared the necessity for a 2025 StarTrans Senator II shuttle bus with a Ford E450 chassis on November 6, 2025 and bought it from TESCO of Oregon, Ohio on the state's cooperative contract for $98,412 (resolution 25-0604), paid from the Veterans Services Department's own general fund. A 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander for $51,177 from Toyota of Kent followed on September 10, 2026 (resolution 26-0462) - after the board tabled the purchase twice to ask what it was for; the answer was the new outreach coordinator, backup seats for VA trips to Cleveland, Brimfield and Akron, and hauling to outreach events - and the same meeting declared the 2016 Ford Transit 150 obsolete for private sale (resolution 26-0463). The county's own transit. The Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority charges everyone the same fares - $1 a fixed-route ride, $6 a Dial-A-Ride trip - and gives a reduced fare of $0.50 and $3 to seniors 65 and over, Medicare card holders and people with disabilities; there is no veteran fare. A Medicaid-eligible veteran rides free to medical appointments through Portage County Job and Family Services' Non-Emergency Transportation programme (330-297-3785, requested ten days ahead).

Thresholds

Thresholds for Portage County Veterans Service Commission: Vans to the Akron, Canton and Wade Park VA
Gate	Rule
A county veteran with a scheduled appointment	A Portage County veteran requests the van through the commission's contact form or on 330-297-3545; rides run to the Akron, Canton, Wade Park and Brimfield/Kent VA clinics. No rating is needed.

Sources

Updated

Last updated 2026-10-06.

What changed then:

First published.

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Disclaimer

VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.