Seniors First outlines Placer Rides mileage-reimbursement program for older and low-income residents

Mark Hall, outreach manager for Seniors First, told the Roseville Senior Commission on May 14, 2025, that the Placer Rides program reimburses users 70¢ per mile up to 200 miles per month for essential trips and is intended for (1) people age 60 and over who no longer drive, (2) people of any age with disabilities that make public transit impractical, and (3) low-income adults who cannot afford other options.

Hall said the program does not supply volunteer drivers; it reimburses the rider for miles driven by a family member, neighbor or other driver. "Seventy cents per mile up to 200 miles reimbursed a month," Hall said. He described the program as "boundaryless" in terms of destination because the only limit is the monthly mileage cap rather than transit-area boundaries.

Why it matters: Placer County is growing older, Hall said, and existing public transit can be impractical for people who use walkers or need door-to-door service. Hall told commissioners the program allows users to schedule trips when they need them and to travel outside public-transit service areas as long as they remain within the monthly mileage allowance.

How it works: A rider completes an application and a driver signs a liability waiver; drivers log trips and users submit logs to Seniors First for reimbursement. Hall said reimbursements are usually processed within two to three weeks and can be delivered by check or direct deposit. He described a “last-resort” option that the program will pay for — when a scheduled driver cancels, Seniors First can hire a commercial provider (for example, TLC or Gold Mountain Transit) to ensure the user makes the appointment.

Funding and scale: Hall said the program is funded through 2027 and identified the primary funder as the Western Placer Consolidated Transportation Services Agency. He also listed grants and contributions from organizations including Sutter and Kaiser and said Area 4 transportation provides some money. Hall told commissioners that about 100 people used the program in the previous month and that Seniors First reimbursed roughly 1,300 trips in that period.

Outreach and volunteer drivers: Hall repeatedly urged commissioners and community members to refer eligible people and to help identify volunteer drivers. He said Seniors First cannot coordinate rides directly because administering drivers would create liability the county and the nonprofit wanted to avoid; instead, the program reimburses riders for mileage. Hall said he leaves contact information with city staff after presentations and makes community presentations widely to recruit both users and prospective drivers.

Insurance and liability: Hall said he checked with his personal auto insurer and was told the program functions like a neighbor driving someone to soccer practice — "Just use your personal policy," he reported his agent said. He also said drivers may want to consider modestly increasing the medical-payments portion of their auto policy from the typical $5,000 to a higher amount if they expect to drive many people regularly.

What commissioners heard: Commissioners asked about funding stability and insurance coverage; Hall said the program was operating normally and that he had discussed typical auto-insurance questions with an underwriter. He also emphasized that the program reimburses the rider (not directly the driver) and that users can choose whether to share reimbursements with drivers.

Next steps and contact: Hall encouraged referrals and outreach and said Seniors First materials and an application are available; he told the commission he would leave copies with Parks, Recreation and Libraries staff. He said the program is funded through 2027 but did not commit to who will administer it beyond that date.