Fulton still mulling changes to senior ride program

Fulton County commissioners unanimously approved another $1.5 million for senior transportation, but the debate remains open on how to operate the program when that money runs out — perhaps as soon as this fall.

The program offers low cost micro-transit rides to qualified residents.

To use the service, people must be at least 60 years old, a Fulton County resident, able to use a cellphone, and capable of getting in and out of a car unaided. Common Courtesy, the county’s contractor, schedules trips through Uber or Lyft from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Riders can sign up with a one-time $15 registration fee. Each ride, up to 16 a month, costs $1. Users must have a debit or credit card on file to be billed monthly.

Commissioners debated changes to the program at length May 1 , but put off a vote for two weeks in hopes of more information. Now the funding is approved, but proposals to keep costs down will wait for the June 19 meeting.

Use, and therefore cost, was up by several hundred riders in April, said Ladisa Onyiliogwu, director of the county Department of Senior Services. If that continues, the program’s $4.6 million budget (including the new $1.5 million) may run out by November or before, she said.

Senior Services staff will track use and spending, and will alert commissioners well before running short of money, Onyiliogwu said.

The department is working on a way to survey riders’ preferences for program changes, and will present some findings by mid-June, she said.

Use has grown steadily from 523 seniors taking about 45,000 trips in 2019 to a projected 2,837 users taking up to 192,000 trips this year, Onyiliogwu said.

But that increased use has driven up the cost, leaving county officials wondering whether they should raise prices, reduce the number of allowed rides, charge on a sliding scale or limit use to those on low incomes.

About 20% percent of Fulton County’s population is potentially eligible to use the service, Onyiliogwu said. That’s approaching 200,000 people, and seniors remain the fastest-growing segment of the population, she said.

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