The Fullerton City Council discussed plans to modify the Senior Mobility Program to address current fiscal constraints last Tuesday.
The program provides essential transportation needs for adults 60 and older to medical appointments, grocery shopping and city programs to promote independence, health and quality of life for seniors who are unable to drive.
In 2025, there were 14,647 trips, the most popular being for medical and nutrition purposes. Rates for the entire year totaled $327,563.43.
The Orange County Transportation Authority allocates $176,939 in program funding for the program. However, during the current fiscal year, the program experienced higher than anticipated utilization, with a projected shortfall of around $125,000.
To cover costs, the Parks and Recreation Department will utilize funding within the department’s operating budget, with $45,000 in salary savings and $38,000 in savings by digitizing the seasonal Fullerton Fun program guide.
The program is contracted with OCTA, which began on Aug. 10, 2024, providing California Yellow Cab for individual taxi rides and OCTA senior 30-day bus passes for a reduced price of $7.
The current program provides free unlimited trips to the Fullerton Community Center. This includes eight free trips per month for non-emergency medical trips within surrounding cities and eight recreational trips per month, $3 per ride within Fullerton and $7 per ride outside Fullerton.
“Without changes however, an additional ongoing funding source would be required to maintain current service levels,” said Parks and Recreation Manager Christian Hernandez at the meeting.
The proposed motion would limit participants to one round trip per day to the Fullerton Community Center beginning March 1 to June 30.
The proposal includes two phases, phase one limiting the program to provide 30 round-trips per month to the Fullerton Community Center and all other guidelines for non-emergency medical trips and recreational trips remaining unchanged.
Phase two of the program would begin July 1, furthering program limitations to 20 round-trips per month to the Fullerton Community Center, and medical trips within Fullerton or 10 miles outside Fullerton, including grocery trips, will charge a $2 fee per one-way trip. The projected annual savings with these modifications are between $145,000 to $165,000.
Advanced notice will be provided to participants at the Fullerton Community Center during scheduled programs, including flyers and the engagement of the Senior Advisory Committee to provide updates on the transition.
“The goal is to make this transition as clear and as smooth as possible while continuing to support the program users,” Hernandez said.
Senior transportation programs offered by neighboring cities operate more narrowly, prioritizing essential trip purposes with costs ranging from $1 to $6.
Staff plans to continue evaluation on additional mobility options including a nutrition-focused shuttle or a delivery based alternative to provide food access without reliance on individual transportation.
Public comments shared concerns with cuts, highlighting seniors’ mental health and inability to safely drive their own vehicle.
“It is a lifeline to many people and we need to look at it from that angle and not necessarily try to cut to accommodate our budget,” District 5 Councilmember Ahmad Zahra said.
The program updates were approved by two motions, the first motion being approved unanimously. For the modifications beginning March 1 to June 30, an updated program service will be sent to OCTA, consistent with the approved changes and direction of funding resources to the Community Development Block Grant.
The second motion, including further program cuts on July 1, was approved, with council members Zahra and Shana Charles dissenting.
The council plans to revisit program changes during the summer.