The services help seniors \u2013 who don\u2019t drive \u2013 run essential outings like grocery shopping and going to the doctor as well as going to community events and social gatherings. They are being scaled down years after a global pandemic left many seniors stuck at home.<\/p>\n
Jeanette Reese, a 75-year-old resident in Fullerton, said she was home alone for over a year during the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow I teach a dance class. I teach two other classes, but that\u2019s only six hours a week,\u201d she said at Fullerton\u2019s city council meeting Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe rest of the time I\u2019m still home alone, and after a while, it gets very difficult. Emotionally, I certainly considered suicide during COVID, and I decided that some damn virus wasn\u2019t going to cause me to off myself but I think it\u2019s really important that we pay attention to what seniors need.\u201d<\/p>\n
The senior taxi services in both cities are funded in part by the Orange County Transportation Authority, which can vary year to year.<\/p>\n
Fullerton Dials Back Senior Taxi Services<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Taylor_DowntownFullerton_Oct2025_-18.jpg\")
A view of Downtown Fullerton on Oct. 5, 2025. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC<\/p>\n
Officials in the college town are expected to gradually dial back their senior subsidized taxi services<\/a> in two phases amid funding concerns after usage of the program shot up last year.<\/p>\n Christian Hernandez, the city\u2019s parks and recreation manager, said rising usage of the program and ride costs \u2013 which the city subsidizes \u2013 have created a financial shortfall in funding for the services, forcing his department to temporarily cover over $80,000 in costs.<\/p>\n \u201cThe city received approximately $176,900 from OCTA to support the program. However, due to the increased usage and ride costs, staff projects a shortfall of approximately $125,000 through the end of the current fiscal year,\u201d he said during Tuesday\u2019s city council meeting.<\/p>\n Hernandez added dialing back the services will help stabilize the costs, save between $145,000 to $165,000 a year and allow the program to operate within the available OCTA\u2019s funding .<\/p>\n Last year, seniors took over 14,600 one-way trips through the program mostly for food and doctor appointments, according to Hernandez\u2019s presentation.<\/p>\n Starting March 1, seniors in Fullerton will no longer enjoy free unlimited trips to the local community center for line dancing classes, iPad training, crafting classes and other city programs as officials there will start to phase down the program.<\/p>\n From then until the end of June, older adults will be capped to 30 free round trips per month to the Fullerton Community Center while still getting eight free trips for doctor appointments.<\/p>\n They will also still get eight trips for shopping and recreational purposes like going to the movies, the park or the grocery store and those trips will continue to cost riders $3 for travel within Fullerton and $7 for trips outside the city.<\/p>\n Council members unanimously approved the first phase of changes Tuesday.<\/p>\n Starting in July, seniors would be capped to 20 round trips to the community center and trips to a doctor\u2019s office within Fullerton or 10 miles outside the city is expected to cost riders $2 each way.<\/p>\n Trips to grocery stores will also start costing $2 per way for seniors that month. Seniors will not be allowed to use the taxi service for other recreational outings.<\/p>\n Officials narrowly voted 3-2 on the second phase of changes with Councilman Ahmad Zahra and Councilwoman Shana Charles voting no.<\/p>\n Zahra said the program \u2013 a partnership with California Yellow Cab \u2013 was a lifeline to seniors and they should find additional funding for the program.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to look at it from that angle and not necessarily try to cut to accommodate our budget, but find the revenue to be able to sustain the program without those cuts,\u201d he said, later calling on his officials to hold off on the July 1 changes.<\/p>\n Councilman Nick Dunlap said the city should look at potentially using federal community development grant money to help fund the program.<\/p>\n \u201cFather Time is undefeated,\u201d he said. \u201cCertainly some of us will need additional help and resources as we get older. I do think to the extent we can maybe try to either backfill or supplement some of the additional funding with CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) money, we should absolutely do that.\u201d<\/p>\n His colleagues supported the idea and most city council members said they could look at funding for the program in the summer as part of the next fiscal year budget.<\/p>\n At the same time, Fullerton is facing a projected $9.3 million deficit next fiscal year that, if left unchecked, could go up to $10 million by the end of the decade, according to the city budget<\/a>.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s long time financial challenges have led officials to look at drafting two potential 0.5% tax measures<\/a> \u2013 one to fund infrastructure improvements like road repairs and another for public safety.<\/p>\n San Clemente Limits Trips With Exception for Senior Center<\/p>\n Seniors in San Clemente will be limited to eight, free one-way rides per month \u2014 with an exception for riders traveling between their homes and the city\u2019s senior center.<\/p>\n Council members approved the new cap unanimously during their Tuesday night meeting and made plans to revisit the issue in June.<\/p>\n The new ridership limitations will go into effect starting on March 1.<\/p>\n