Cities throughout Orange County have been struggling with senior transportation services as local officials grapple with increased program costs coupled with surging demand — forcing many to dial back the once-free rides.
Now, seniors in Costa Mesa will have fewer opportunities to get to places like medical appointments, grocery stories and the city’s senior center after leaders voted to dial back transportation services to curb rising costs while grappling with demand that’s tripled in less than a decade.
Previously, residents ages 60 and up were able to utilize the city’s senior mobility program at no cost.
It was also previously unlimited, allowing seniors to get free medical and non-medical rides to anywhere in the city. The program, operated by Orange County Yellow Cab, also brings older adults to medical appointments in locations across North OC and Long Beach.
Now the organization’s contract is set to end at the end of the month, and city council members unanimously voted to dial back offerings in order to keep the program afloat after it’s gotten more popular and more expensive over the past several years.
The senior transportation program will now include a $3 charge for non-medical rides and $5 for medical rides. Both those costs are for one-way rides.
Seniors will also be limited to eight, one-way trips per month. The new rules will roll out starting on July 1.
Costa Mesa Councilmembers awarded the updated contract to Orange County Yellow Cab during their meeting on Tuesday night.
“A couple months ago, we were talking about how we’re going to navigate the rising costs for the senior mobility program,” Councilmember Manuel Chavez said at Tuesday night’s meeting.
“We found a way to keep it going while setting parameters to limit the cost.”
It’s part of a larger trend across Orange County — as more residents get older and costs for municipalities to offer transportation services increase, local officials are cutting back senior rides to be able to afford the programs.
Earlier this year, leaders in San Clemente, Fullerton and Mission Viejo made similar cuts to their programs that have also exploded in popularity and cost.
[Read: Can OC’s Transportation Services Keep Up With the Senior Wave?]
It comes as Orange County officials struggle to address what’s been dubbed the “silver tsunami” — an expected demographic change in a couple of decades when one-third of OC residents will be seniors, according to estimates from the OC’s Office of Aging.
[Read: Is Orange County Prepared to Get Old?]
Contracted taxi services across 32 Orange County cities are funded in part through the Orange County Transportation Authority’s Measure M2 program.
Reductions in service come as county transportation officials note the agency hasn’t reduced funding for the programs, but the demand has surged in recent years as OC’s residents get older.
In Costa Mesa, the city’s senior taxi program saw about 7,000 rides in the 2018-19 fiscal year.
That number jumped up to 24,290 for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
Staff said the city also had a previous build-up of M2 funding and grant funding that were allocated to senior transportation that has since been depleted.
City staff also said the program has been growing “extremely unsustainably” and their goal is to get it on financial stable footing and pivot from there.
Councilmember Arlis Reynolds said she was worried about cutting people off and wanted to make sure the city isn’t limiting rides too much.
“I’m concerned about seniors, especially our lowest income seniors, who we know from firsthand accounts are not eating at the end of the month because they’re running out of money,” she said at the meeting.
“How many people are not going to be able to get to a medical appointment when they’ve been able to rely on this service in the past?”
Staff said they will be assessing data from the program every six months.
“It’s a great program, and I’m glad we’re continuing it,” Councilmember Andrea Marr said.
“I’m very concerned about who loses access here, and opportunities to address that.”
Angelina Hicks is the Voice of OC Collegiate News Service Editor. Contact her at ahicks@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @angelinahicks13.
